Alert no. 113 | 07 December 2023 | Version 1

Fireworks injury sparks changes to exclusion zone

What happened?

During a fireworks display in September 2023 a member of the public was hit in the head by clay debris from a multi-shot cake. The woman suffered some minor bruising. The investigation into this incident and follow up testing has led to a change in recommendations for exclusion zones.

How did it happen?

The display was carried out with the exclusion zone in line with the current Code of Practice - Control of outdoor Fireworks Displays 2003. For the 20mm multi-shot cake the established exclusion zone was 40 meters. The injured spectator was outside the exclusion zone but was still hit by debris.

The Explosives Inspectorate investigated the incident by conducting its own testing to determine the distance the debris could travel from multi-shot cakes and by monitoring displays using multi-shot cakes.

Key issues

• Testing and monitoring results of multi-shot cakes revealed a concerning number of instances where clay plugs were found beyond the exclusion zone.
• The exclusion zone in the current Code of Practice is insufficient for multi-shot cakes.
• The investigation revealed that testing done by fireworks sellers does not focus on the distance of fireworks debris.
• An insufficient exclusion zone can lead to injury or death.

Recommendations

All fireworks contractors & operators should:

• Increase the exclusion zone for vertically fired multi-shot cakes to two and a half (2.5x10³) times the diameter. E.g. for a 20mm multi-shot cake, the exclusion zone will increase from 40 meters to 50 meters.
• Increase the exclusion zone by at least a further 10 meters if wind is observed, e.g. constant leaf movement or flags extending in the wind.
• Exclude multi-shot cakes if debris poses a risk to spectators.

All fireworks sellers should:

• Ensure testing of multi-shot cakes has been completed to determine debris distance.
• Where the debris exceeds the recommended exclusion zone, fireworks contractors, operators and the explosives inspectorate must be informed of the exceedance and recommend a new exclusion zone distance for the product.

Further testing is scheduled in 2024 to encompass a wider range of products and sizes.

References and further information

• Queensland Code of Practice - Control of Outdoor Fireworks Displays - First edition, 1 December 2003 
• Queensland fireworks product safety sampling and test standard: Edition 1 (rshq.qld.gov.au)