EVEN though fireworks are beautiful and exciting to watch, they can also be dangerous. With Diwali coming up, Guy Fawkes around the corner, and New Year’s eve on the horizon, the eThekwini Municipality has released a set of guidelines for Durban residents to follow when using fireworks.

The municipality encourages residents who are buying fireworks to make sure that:

• You only buy fireworks from authorised dealers and shops displaying the relevant permits from the South African Police Service (SAPS).
• No person may permit any child under the age of 16 years to handle or use fireworks except under the supervision of an adult.
• Only those fireworks sold in sealed packages, as received from the suppliers, should be purchased.

The City is also encouraging residents to keep an eye on pets and to keep them safely indoors where possible as animals are easily frightened by fireworks and can become distressed or try to escape and run away.

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Tips to keep you safe:

1. Make sure that your children and their friends are supervised at all times when around fireworks.
2. Keep pets at home, in a safe, interior room, to avoid exposure to loud sounds. Do not terrify, cause stress, or endanger the life of any animal with fireworks.
3. Fireworks should be discharged in a safe and well-ventilated outdoor area and must never be discharged indoors.
4. Never keep lit fireworks in your hand as this could lead to severe injuries.
5. A person must never point or direct a firework, which is in the process of exploding or detonating, at any person, animal, building or motor vehicle.
6. If a firework doesn’t ignite, don’t attempt to re-light it. Wait at least 15 minutes before you try again.
7. Keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher nearby in case of a malfunctioning firework.
8. Only use fireworks as directed by the instructions provided along with the packaging.
9. Make sure that your clothes are not close to or hanging over the fireworks when you ignite them.
10. Don’t light fireworks inside any type of container.
11. The use of ‘tea-light’ lanterns is strongly discouraged within the municipal area.
12. Never discharge fireworks while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
13. No person may use any fireworks other than the consumer fireworks, in any residence, on approved days. These days are currently Guy Fawkes (November 5), Diwali between sunset and midnight, and December 31 from 23:45 till 00:15 in the early morning of January 1.

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In the event of an emergency:

To report a fire, you can call 031 361 0000 from a landline and from a cellphone. (Tip: Keep this number on your cellphone as a speed dial.)

If you have information relating to the illegal sale or use of fireworks, you can report it to the Metro Police at 031 361 0000 or to SAPS at 10111.

For more information, contact 031 311 4820/18.