Nova Scotia Buzz
If you live in Halifax you might be surprised to learn there are only three days per year you can legally set off consumer fireworks. They are Canada Day, Natal Day and New Year’s Eve. This is due to HRM’s noise-bylaw. There are also recognized religious holidays that can have firework displays. Outside of these dates you must apply for a special permit.
It is important to keep in mind that fireworks can have a negative impact on people with post-traumatic stress disorder and autism spectrum disorder. They can also disturb and scare pets.
Parents are urged to keep fireworks away from children. Forty-two percent of injuries sustained from fireworks are in children age 10-14 years and 95% of firework injuries are in those under 20 years.
Halifax offers these firework safety tips
- Keep fireworks in a cool, dry, ventilated place, out of the reach of children
- Choose a wide, clear site away from all obstacles. Refer to the safety instructions on the fireworks label for minimum distances from spectators.
- Use a good firing base such as a pail filled with earth or sand.
- Do not fire in windy conditions
- Never try to light a firework or hold a lit firework in your hand, unless the manufacturer’s instructions indicate that they are designed to be hand-held.
- Read all instructions on the fireworks. Plan the order of firing before you begin.
- Bury fireworks that do not have a base halfway in a container of earth or sand (such as a pail, box or wheelbarrow) unless the label on the firework indicated otherwise. Set them at 10-degree angle, pointing away from people.
- Keep water nearby: Dispose of used fireworks (including debris) in a pail of water.
- People under 18 years old who use fireworks must be supervised by an adult.
- It is recommended that safety glasses be worn.
- Light carefully: Always light the fuse at its tip.
- Wait at least 30 minutes before approaching a firework that did not go off. Never try to relight a firework that did not go off. Never try to fix a firework that is defective.
