Rules for the use of pyrotechnic products

December 14, 2021

In anticipation of the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, we draw the special attention of residents and guests of our district to the observance of fire safety rules during the festive period.

As experience from previous years shows, the use of pyrotechnic products or careless handling of them often becomes the cause of New Year's fires. In this case, people suffer burns and injuries of varying severity. Unfortunately, not only adults but also children fall victim to carelessness and negligence.

To avoid sad consequences, it is necessary to comply with a number of specific requirements and rules for the storage, sale, and use of pyrotechnic products.

All pyrotechnic products are divided into 2 groups according to their purpose and conditions of use:

– household;

– technical and special purpose.

In this case, each type of pyrotechnic product, depending on the radius of the impact zone of hazardous factors during its use, according to the test results conducted by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, is assigned to a certain class of potential hazard (5 classes in total).

Retail sale of household pyrotechnic products of hazard classes 1-2, which do not require special knowledge and skills for handling, is allowed in shops and pavilions with a sales area. These include sparklers, party poppers, cake candles, as well as fountains and indoor fireworks with a radius of up to 0.5m. The sale of household pyrotechnic products of hazard class 3 is allowed in specialized shops and departments for the sale of these products. Household pyrotechnic products do not include products for direct manual launch, which operate on the ground with an explosion effect accompanied by the destruction of the casing, a short-term light and sound effect (e.g., firecrackers and similar products).

Sale of pyrotechnic products

The sale of technical and special-purpose pyrotechnic devices shall be carried out only in specialized stores, and the sale of such items is permitted only to persons holding a permit for their use. Handling them requires special knowledge and skills, appropriate certification of performers, and the provision of certain technical equipment conditions. Such items include Roman candles, rockets, firework batteries, and a number of other fire-hazardous types of pyrotechnics with a danger zone radius of more than 20 meters.

Each pyrotechnic device must be accompanied by an instruction manual containing information on the shelf life, hazards, and application area limitations. Imported pyrotechnic devices must have an instruction manual and a certificate of conformity from the country where these items were manufactured, as well as a translation of these documents into Russian or Belarusian. When displaying pyrotechnic devices in the sales area, a layout should be used whereby the customer does not have direct access to these items. Their storage in points of sale should be carried out in cabinets and safes made of non-combustible materials, and the quantity of pyrotechnic devices at the point of sale should not exceed 50 kg.

The sale of any pyrotechnic devices to minors under the age of 15 is prohibited. Information about the prohibition of their sale to minors is posted at the points of sale of these goods. In case of a dispute, the buyer is obliged to present a document confirming their age.

Compliance with these rules and recommendations will help you avoid unpleasant incidents and celebrate the New Year holidays with a good mood!