With Bonfire Night celebrations taking place across the country tonight, many of us will be wrapped up warm, standing (not too) close to the bonfire and gazing up at fireworks cracking through the sky. It’s easy to forget that behind every display are environmental health, health and safety, and trading standards professionals who’ve been working hard behind the scenes to keep us safe.

Whether it be through the licensing of events or storage facilities for explosives, issuing temporary event notices, auditing risk assessments or ensuring the hotdog we’ve just bought is manufactured and cooked to safe standards, there are so many services that the general public doesn’t see. 

Safety doesn’t happen without education and regulation, and professional practitioners working in partnership with emergency services are fulfilling this role every day, particularly during periods of festivity.   

On RIAMS Libraries, we have a sizeable collection of procedures and documents covering all areas of environmental health, which offers support to local authority practitioners in carrying out their duties; these include:  

Licensing – Explosives manufacture and storage, fireworks licensing and temporary event notices 

Health and safety – Investigating complaints and accidents and serving notices 

Food safety – Food allergens, detention and seizure of food, complaints, infectious diseases and foodborne Illness 

Safety and events aren’t the only consideration during Halloween and Bonfire Night. ASB and criminal behaviour have a real impact on communities.  

In the Greater Manchester area, police and fire services recorded 1,198 deliberate fires between 1 Sept and 10 Nov 2024 (up on 2023), with 1,014 incidents of ASB related to fireworks in the same period — and on 5 November alone they responded to 507 ASB calls, 203 of which were firework-related. Meanwhile in Cheshire the number of bonfire-related incidents in 2024 fell to 132, the 3rd lowest in six years, demonstrating that trends vary significantly by region. 

I spoke to Jim Nixon, our Director of Community Safety, for his insight on year-round ASB concerning the use of fireworks and ways in which The Noise App can support local authorities and communities to manage complaints of this nature: 

In the UK, fireworks are regulated under the Fireworks Regulations 2004, which set strict guidelines on when and where they can be used. Generally, fireworks are allowed on specific days, including Bonfire Night, but using them outside of these times can lead to legal repercussions. 

For those affected by persistent noise from nearby fireworks, The Noise App can be an invaluable tool. This innovative app allows users to document noise nuisance incidents, providing clear evidence that can support a noise complaint.  

When neighbours set off fireworks excessively or at inappropriate times, users can record these disturbances, timestamping each event for accuracy. 

Housing associations and local authorities can use this data to address complaints effectively. By combining community reports with documented evidence from The Noise App, complimented by back-office support provided through RIAMS Libraries, they can take appropriate action against irresponsible firework use, ensuring a safer and more peaceful environment for everyone. 

Visit thenoiseapp.com for more information or to book a demo. 

Documents, templates and guidance that support practitioners responding to ASB are available on RIAMS Libraries, including procedures on community protection notices, criminal behaviour orders and closure powers, as well as those for investigating noise and nuisance complaints. RIAMS Libraries is a subscription service; contact RHE Global for more information or to book a free trial and demonstration.