The Office of Safety Standards (OPPS) has published the outcome of noise testing on fireworks sold to the public. The Health and Safety Executive tested 72 different items, across 9 firework types from 14 manufacturers/importers.
OPPS commissioned the testing to determine the average decibel level for common types of fireworks on sale, like rockets, shot tubes and roman candles. Fireworks tested are in two categories:
Category F2 – Fireworks which present a low level hazard and low noise level intended for outdoor use in confined areas. |
Category F3 – Fireworks which present a medium hazard, for outdoor use in large open areas and whose noise level is not harmful to human health.
Wide variability was found across each firework type and category, so attempting to group fireworks as more or less noisy was found not to be practicable. However, it is possible to indicate a range of noise levels for each firework type in each category.
The report concludes that when fireworks are used by the public, physical effects and environmental variables are unique, so it is not possible to predict with any degree of confidence which fireworks types would produce higher noise levels in any situation.
Read the full report: Noise Testing of Fireworks (publishing.service.gov.uk)
