WorkSafe has issued a reminder that only qualified and licenced pyrotechnicians are permitted to use or possess fireworks in Victoria following the death of a man in Kalkallo on Christmas Day.
The 19-year-old man from Whittlesea was found by emergency services in a fenced off residential construction site suffering extensive injuries. He was declared dead at the scene. CCTV footage of the area revealed the moment of the explosion in scenes described by police as “very distressing”.
Local residents reported hearing fireworks in the area on the previous Tuesday and said that there was a large hole in the fencing surrounding the construction site.
It is a criminal offence to discharge a firework within Victoria, unless you are a qualified and licensed pyrotechnician. It is also a criminal offence to possess fireworks unless you are a licenced pyrotechnician.
If you are found in possession of fireworks without a licence, they may be seized by a WorkSafe inspector or a police officer, and you may be prosecuted.
Read more: Man killed by firework explosion | WorkSafe Victoria