In the run up to the New Year, many convenience retailers will be maximising their sales in store through a range of seasonal products including fireworks.
However, there are a number of rules and guidelines around the sale of fireworks as they are a particularly dangerous product. ACS has produced an Assured Advice Guide about ‘Selling Fireworks’. The guide provides extensive information about the laws and guidelines regarding the sale and storage of fireworks. Some of the essential tips have been picked out below, but the full guide, information about ACS Assured Advice and how you can sign up can be found here: http://www.acs.org.uk/advice
Selling fireworks is a highly regulated area, so you will need to know exactly how to store, display and sell them correctly to remain on the right side of the law. To store fireworks, you should keep them in their transport boxes sealed with tape and in a dedicated store room or in a fire resistant store cupboard, container or cabinet. They should be stored in a dry area, away from light fittings, electric supplies and flammable items. There are multiple safety regulations you should comply with when displaying fireworks to customers in store. If fireworks are being stored in a display cabinet, you should ensure that the cabinet is not connected to an electric supply.
The number of fireworks allowed within the shop area will also be regulated which will be set by your local Trading Standards or Fire Authority, and so you will need to double check with them before stocking your store. Legally, you should only stock fireworks that comply with European safety standards and carry the CE mark.
In addition, only fireworks which are correctly labelled with the details of the manufacturer and importer can be sold to customers. This is all to ensure that the fireworks are safe and regulated to prevent dangerous, unexpected explosions both in store and after being sold to consumers. All fireworks carry an age restriction, the vast majority of adult fireworks and sparklers cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 18.
Caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns carry an age restriction of 16. ACS recommends that you adopt the ‘Challenge 25’ policy when selling fireworks.
Full information about the ‘Challenge 25’ policy, valid forms of I.D and an I.D checklist can be found in the ‘Preventing Underage Sales’ here: http://www.acs.org.uk/advice/age-restrictions/ Assured Advice has been developed for convenience store owners by ACS and Surrey County Council. By signing up to our Assured Advice scheme and following the guidance, your store procedures must be respected by ALL local enforcement officers including environmental health, police and trading standards – but you must sign up to the scheme to benefit from this privilege.
