Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) - Be careful when dealing with New Year's Eve fireworks: Before the start of sales for rockets and firecrackers, Hessen's authorities warned of the risks and appealed to be careful. Again and again, their use leads to serious injuries and damage to property, Health Minister Kai Klose (Greens) said on Tuesday in Wiesbaden, according to a statement. If you want to bang, you should make sure that you only buy tested products. Klose warned against illegally imported goods, cheap imports and home-made fireworks without a certification mark. The supervisory authorities therefore focus on ensuring that only approved firecrackers are available.
In the past two years, there had been restrictions and bans on the purchase and use of New Year's Eve fireworks due to the corona pandemic. At this turn of the year firecracker fans can buy rockets and co. from December 29th to 31st.
Tested fireworks are marked with an officially assigned registration number and with the CE mark, followed by a four-digit number, as explained by the regional council (RP) in Kassel. "It looks like this, for example: 0489-F2-1234, CE 0489," said the authority. The RP also warned against buying fireworks of dubious origin online.
In general, the following applies: "The New Year's Eve banging is always dangerous," according to the authority. And the Presidium in Darmstadt warned: "With all the joy of the colorful bang effects, the improper handling of fireworks unfortunately leads to serious accidents every year - with sometimes irreparable damage to hands and face." Hearing and eyes are particularly at risk.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and the regional councils responsible for monitoring the sale of fireworks gave tips for the safest possible firecrackers. This includes: reading the instructions for use and observing warnings, maintaining a safe distance, not firing duds a second time, never leaving fireworks unattended, never firing firecrackers in your hand and firing rockets from crates and not from free-standing bottles.
And: Pyrotechnics may only be burned on December 31 and January 1 and not in the immediate vicinity of hospitals, churches, children's and old people's homes as well as thatched buildings and half-timbered houses, according to the ministry.
