You should only ever light a firework once. If you try again, the explosives may ignite before you have a chance to get out of the way.
Even if the fuse appears to have gone out, it may still be smouldering slightly. Fireworks that do not go off at the first attempt should therefore be left for 30 minutes or submerged thoroughly in water before being removed. They must then be kept in a safe place until they can be returned to the distributor.
The external fuses on fireworks burn slowly, giving you plenty of time to retreat to a safe distance. Inside the firework, there is a fast-burning fuse. Once this starts burning, it may only take a few tenths of a second to ignite the explosives. If you relight a short, half burnt fuse, you also risk lighting the fast-burning fuse at the same time. The firework could then explode before you have a chance to get out of the way. This could leave you with major burns and smoke injuries.
If there are any fireworks that you were unable to light, you must return these to the distributor – never put them in the dustbin. Many children go out on New Year’s Day to collect leftover fireworks. That is why you should never leave unburnt fireworks lying around until the next day. The firework must be kept in a safe place until you can return it to the distributor.
