WorkSafe Victoria recently released a Safety Alert following an incident where four people were injured at a firework display after being struck by falling debris.
Of the four, one was a child, and two were taken to hospital by ambulance with head injuries.
WorkSafe believes that the use of deteriorated fireworks, and a change in wind direction and speed, caused firework debris to fall outside of the exclusion zone.
Both deteriorated explosives and adverse weather conditions can affect the trajectory of fireworks. This can create significant hazards including:
- falling debris
- misfires
- explosions
The safety alert lists the ways to control the risks, and WorkSafe has reminded pyrotechnicians of their duties under both the OHS Act and other legislation.
Read more: VWA Safety Alert
