Whether it is new year eve, Christmas, Chinese new year, Diwali, or even a wedding, fireworks and sparklers have become an integral part of all celebrations. And why not? They make an event vibrant and colourful. The outburst of dazzling colours, lights, and their effects bring joy to spectators. I remember so many remarkable fireworks in Manchester on many occasions that lit the entire city.
However, we all need to remember that the impressive glittery display of colours and light is due to chemical explosions. Therefore, it is essential to keep ourselves at the backfoot amid the colourful bangs. It means that we need to use the right approaches to light fireworks and use the required precautionary measures.
There are basically three ways to light fireworks:
1. By Hand
The most common way to light fireworks, used by almost everyone, is by hand. It is a method of lighting up the fireworks with our hands. You hold a long lighter to ignite the fuse that sets them off. This method is the easiest and the cheapest among others, as you have to buy the fireworks and set them off in the sky yourself.
In order to make the fireworks bang consecutively one after the other through this method is not easy. However, you can do it by asking people to light fireworks from different positions at the same time. In this way, you can successfully orchestrate the display of a series of fireworks.
Safety Precautions to Consider While using Buy Hand Method
· Wearing Protective Gear
First of all, it is very essential to wear protective gear before you go on the field to light fireworks by hand. The protective gear includes glasses, gloves, and a headcover. It is very crucial to keep your hands, eyes, and ears safe when lighting a firework. Because these are the essential senses that fireworks can dangerously affect.
· Using a Long Lighter or Torch
Secondly, it is inevitable to use a lighter or torch with a very long handle. The length of the handle is directly proportional to your safety. It helps you keep a distance while lighting up the fireworks. You must always remember to light up the fireworks from a distance.
· Running Away After Lighting the Fireworks
Running away after lighting the fireworks is as essential as using a long handle for lighting. The moment you light up the firework by hand, run away as far as you can. Running prevents you in case of an explosion on the ground.
· Avoiding lighting multiple fireworks
When you are lighting up fireworks, remember not to light up multiple fuses at the same time, as it is very hazardous to do so. If you want multiple explosions at the same time, you can light up multiple fuses from different positions.
· Keeping a bucket of water alongside
Make sure you keep a bucket of water to put the exploded fuses inside. Don’t touch them with naked hands.. The temperature of the fuses is extremely high, it can actually burn your hand. Pick them up wearing gloves and put them inside the bucket of water.
· Avoiding going nearby a dud
Most of the time, when you light up a fuse, it does not explode. Most people think that it is a dud, and they approach it. However, nothing could be more dangerous than this. Chances are that it may explode the moment you approach it. Wait for at least 5-10 minutes to let the failed firework sit.
2. Chain Fusing
Chain fusing is a technique of lighting two or more fuses from one source system. There are two kinds of chain fusing. It is the alternative to a by-hands method that allows you to fire multiple fireworks at the same time. It is quite a tricky approach than the by-hand method and requires following precautionary measures more strictly.
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Instantaneous chain fusing:
The instantaneous chain fusing is the method in which the fuses are kept at a very small distance to let all the fuses blow one after the other instantaneously. When one fuse is lit up, the other fuses immediately catch the ignition and blow correspondingly.
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Delay chain fusing:
In a delay chain fusing, the fuses are linked with a slow-burning fuse. When one fuse is lighted up, the other fuses take some time to catch the light.
Precautionary measures to take in chain fusing method:
The precautionary measure for lighting fireworks with the chain fusing method is the same as for the by-hand method. The things that you have to consider include:
- Read the instructions on the package if the fuse is a slow match or quick match. Keep the distance of the fuses according to the nature of the fuse.
- Secondly, make sure you adjust the fuses safely by following the accurate method to avoid any threat.
- It is essential to wear protective gear before lighting them up.
- Runaway right after igniting one fuse.
- Use a long igniting lighter.
- Keep a bucket of water nearby.
- Avoid keeping alcohol or any fire catching substance near the fireworks launching area.
- Carry out a firework display in an open area.
3. Electrical firing system:
The electrical firing method, as the name suggests, is the method of lighting up fireworks electrically. The electrical current is used in this approach to light up a highly resistive wire or the E-match(electric match). It is the safest approach to lighting a firework, as it offers to do it from a distance. It is safe for the people watching fireworks as well as the operator. But due to its high-end safety, this approach is expensive. Only licenced professionals can buy e-matches as they need technical expertise to operate. Despite being a safe and sound system, this method can also cause potential dangers at times. A technical glitch can cause a big explosion, so their connections must be checked and assessed before they are ignited.
Bottom Line:
Three main approaches are used when it comes to lighting up fireworks. They include the by-hand method, chain fusing method, and electrical firing system. The by-hand method is an easy and cheap method but has more risk. The chain fusing method allows blowing multiple fireworks but is even riskier than the By hand. The electrical firing system is the safest approach to light up fireworks, but it is expensive and requires professional experience.
