Roy Merrifield
ABSTRACT: Large quantities of a whole range of materials, including fireworks, are moved around the world in steel ISO containers. In recent years in the UK, manufacturers and retailers have used such containers to store fireworks. It has been long recognised that confinement can increase the hazard of energetic materials such as pyrotechnics and propellants. Recent incidents involving fireworks and large-scale fire engulfment trials on ISO containers filled with fireworks have raised concerns about the possible effects of confinement on the hazards presented by the more energetic fireworks. This paper presents information on one such fireworks incident in the UK and the action taken following this incident; together with a summary of the fire trials conducted to date by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on packaged fireworks in ISO containers.
Keywords: fireworks storage, fire, explosion, hazard, explosive storage
Ref: JPyro, Issue 14, 2001, pp1-14
(J14_1)
© Journal of Pyrotechnics and CarnDu Ltd
