Storage

Where you store your illegal fireworks is very important.

It should

• be as far away as possible from your house, and any neighbour's house
• be in a locked, wood-lined, waterproof box
• be in the manufacturers original packaging (including the wax paper), where possible
• be out of reach of minors
• be away from all power lines and electricity of all kinds not be stored with any other chemicals, e.g.. Fuels, solvents, pool chemicals, and gas cylinders (so storage in the garden shed is a really bad idea)
• not be stored with black powder and have signs for no smoking
• have ready access to an 80B dry chemical extinguisher and a 9 litre water extinguisher (for stopping fire reaching the storage area only)

If you cannot provide this sort of storage environment see Step 1.

Transport
Transporting illegal fireworks is even more dangerous than storing them.

When transporting illegal fireworks you should

• drive a mechanically sound vehicle and provide protection from such events as inadvertent ignition, spark, jolting, uncontrollable movement, unauthorised access and theft
• not smoke within 10m of the vehicle
• not carry matches or any other ignition source unless in a sealed container in the front of the vehicle
• take extra care when loading and unloading
• carry a 30B dry chemical fire extinguisher and know how to use it

If you cannot provide a low risk transportation method like this, see Step 1.

Protective clothing
Protective clothing should be worn at all times when handling and lighting fireworks to minimise the effects of accidental or premature ignition of the item to your body.
When handling illegal fireworks you should wear non flammable clothing like full length cotton pants and a long sleeve cotton shirt, cotton overalls, jeans and a long sleeve shirt etc

When lighting illegal fireworks you should wear

• a long sleeve cotton shirt and long cotton pants
• hearing protection
• eye protection (clear Australian Standard quality goggles)
• safety footwear (leather steel capped boots)
• safety helmet
• at least one glove (welders fireproof gloves preferred)

If you don't have this safety equipment, go buy it or see Step 1.

Site preparation
You will need to investigate the site chosen to let off your illegal fireworks thoroughly. Here's what you should be looking for

• clearance from overhead objects - trees, powerlines, football posts & houses
• access to water - hoses, fire extinguishers and buckets of water for bush fires, skin burns etc
• a clear surface, free from dry grass and leaves for at least 10m radius
• access for emergency vehicles for when you burn or injure somebody
• all vehicles or buildings should be at least 50m from the display site
• proximity to "sensitive" areas, like hospitals, stables, dog kennels (just stay away or you're asking for trouble)
• clearance from any anything flammable, gas bottles, petrol, other flammable liquids

If you site doesn't have all of these clearances, select another site or see Step 1.

The Environment
The environmental characteristics of the site are extremely important. If you want to light illegal fireworks in a bushland area in a time of "Complete Fire Ban" you are simply asking to get taken to jail for some time. See Step 1.

If there are strong winds (winds speeds greater then 8 knots, 16kmph or 10mph) at the time you wish to light the fireworks, wait a little longer to see if the wind dies down. High winds will carry the firework effect as well as the very light burning paper embers a long way. You may not even notice these burning embers until afterwards when the surrounding bushland is alight.
Basically if you have high winds, wait longer, do it another day or see Step 1.

Lighting fireworks in the rain is also another recipe for disaster. Wet fireworks change their characteristics and performance greatly and can become very unstable and unpredictable. Wait out the rain and keep the fireworks perfectly dry or see Step 1.

Continued in Part 2...