30 replies to this topic

[crystal palace fireworks]

What do you chaps make of this?


http://www.parentdis...hinese-lantern/

[Atom Fireworks]

What is their to make of it? they didnt follow the instructions. If you let a toddler go and light a fireworks and he got hurt because he didnt move out of the way would that be a need to ban fireworks? NO it would be a reason for social services to take the children of the parent who let it happen.

Yes lanterns are dangerous in that they could POTENTIALLY harm someone, but then again so could a rocket sick falling into a kiddies pram. Its an accident that could have been prevented with better precautions, I.E if you intend to push your child around on bonfire night its a good idea to make sure your pram has a sturdy hood to prevent the above situation hapening. If you wish to set lanterns of stand upwind from it, there are many precautions the parents of this child could have taken. Its a shame and a real tradgedy the child has been hurt, i appreciate the seriousness of this event however i must stress there are other solutions other than banning things, its the user at fault not the product

Not having a dig at you there mate lol i just read the comments on the site n got a little wound up so thought seen astho you have asked ide give me full opinion

[pyrotechnist]

100% agree with you its always the product blamed for other peoples ignorance at using the product, as soon as they do something wrong and it hurts them its like 'oooh my god look what it did lets go and get some bad press on it and try get it banned' not like its their fault and just deal with it and follow correct instruction and guidance next time.

[dr thrust]

poor nipper, looks like he was lucky with his eye, i wonder what kind of lanterns they were??
the ones i got had a solid piece of fuel impregnated " cloth type stuff" so there was no container of molten wax/oil in my lanterns, sounds like a candle was used?

Edited by dr thrust, 10 November 2010 - 07:28 PM.

[phildunford]

TV was unclear, focusing on the shock horror angle. It did state that wax fell from the lantern & if this is the case, it is a design fault.

Very sorry for the toddler, but the parents must take their share of the blame, you must have eyes everywhere when you are a parent - it's part of the deal! I think the injuries look worse than they are, he was filmed dashing about playing football, so hopefully nothing long-term.

I'm afraid in the next couple of years lanterns are very likely to be off the market, not because of this accident, but the number of genuine fires they have caused. Pity, because they do look nice.



Edit: Just noticed the superb journalism in this article. In the same article they say the lantern fell in his face AND that it was 40 feet in the air - one or the other chaps...

Edited by phildunford, 10 November 2010 - 09:49 PM.

[Rocky Raccoon]

eugh.. why is it - its always get rid of the thing that's caused harm... OH NO ITS HURT SOMEONE! theyve only been around for 100s of years but LETS BAN THEM NOW!! sheesh, why cant some parents have some common sense. Fire is hot.. and hot things + kids = bad things.. why cant some people understand they need to keep kids away from fireworks and fire in general? Some people are far too quick to try to take the blame from themselves, ultimately ruining it for everyone else - when they could have been the ones who could have prevented the accident in the first place..

[darkfang77]

How close would the child have to be in order to get burnt?
Surely if it was 40 ft in the air, it would have cooled before it hit the ground?
I am assuming that these candles are not made of the usual paraffin wax?

[helix]

Its a very unfortunate accident - but how many kids get burned by tipping a cup of tea or coffee over themselves each year?

Should we think about banning hot drinks as well?

[crystal palace fireworks]

What is their to make of it? they didnt follow the instructions. If you let a toddler go and light a fireworks and he got hurt because he didnt move out of the way would that be a need to ban fireworks? NO it would be a reason for social services to take the children of the parent who let it happen.

Yes lanterns are dangerous in that they could POTENTIALLY harm someone, but then again so could a rocket sick falling into a kiddies pram. Its an accident that could have been prevented with better precautions, I.E if you intend to push your child around on bonfire night its a good idea to make sure your pram has a sturdy hood to prevent the above situation hapening. If you wish to set lanterns of stand upwind from it, there are many precautions the parents of this child could have taken. Its a shame and a real tradgedy the child has been hurt, i appreciate the seriousness of this event however i must stress there are other solutions other than banning things, its the user at fault not the product

Not having a dig at you there mate lol i just read the comments on the site n got a little wound up so thought seen astho you have asked ide give me full opinion

Oops sorry dumper truck, I did`nt mean to stir the juices as such, but LOL I totally agree with your sentiments.

I was briefly watching the chavistic five o`clock news on channel five when this news item came on, it too had me shaking my head in disbelief at these parents.

They interviewed the mother (OMG), a opportunist representative from one of the accident prevention societies who also wanted them banned, plus the supplier (sky lanterns ltd).

I can only assume this particular lantern had a manufacturing fault = the other 19 they launched were ok, or it most likely seems as if the child was unsupervised = he may have accidently dislodged the wax block before it was lit = causing it to fall on the toddlers face, either way, as Phil said, unfortunately it looks as if they could be banned because pilots, the farmers union, and the coastguard don`t like them either.

Having said that, to counteract this negative publicity and banning culture we have today.

I would like to see the return of firework public information films to show exactly how to handle & light a variety of firework related products,......perhaps this is something the UKPS could get involved with?.

Edited by crystal palace fireworks, 11 November 2010 - 12:47 AM.

[Peret]

Conventional sympathies for the victim, of course, but I wonder what is the ratio of kids injured by Chinese lanterns to kids injured by hot liquids in the kitchen, and how relatively horrific the injuries are? If the news media were to give the same proportional coverage to domestic injuries as to freak accidents, pressure groups would be calling for a ban on boiling water and frying pans.

[BrightStar]

From the article it does looks like the 'fuel unit' fell off the lantern at height and on to the child. If true, it certainly seems like a dangerous design fault to me.

I have to say I'm not very enthusiastic about these things. They caused a massive crop fire near Woodstock the same weekend as the AGM and there have been many incidents where grazing livestock have eaten them and ripped up their stomachs.

As for using them responsibly, some of you may remember the cancelled launch at Stanford Hall due to the wind direction and dry fields. They asked everyone not to light them and compensated buyers with free lanterns. Of course, as soon as they started packing up after the show plenty of people lit them anyway.

[crystal palace fireworks]

From the article it does looks like the 'fuel unit' fell off the lantern at height and on to the child. If true, it certainly seems like a dangerous design fault to me.

I have to say I'm not very enthusiastic about these things. They caused a massive crop fire near Woodstock the same weekend as the AGM and there have been many incidents where grazing livestock have eaten them and ripped up their stomachs.

As for using them responsibly, some of you may remember the cancelled launch at Stanford Hall due to the wind direction and dry fields. They asked everyone not to light them and compensated buyers with free lanterns. Of course, as soon as they started packing up after the show plenty of people lit them anyway.

I know in recent years they have developed wireless varieties, but Im wondering if they could improve on a shorter burning fuel unit?

I do believe they are now banned in Germany and Thailand for the very reasons you mention.

[Rocky Raccoon]

I would like to see the return of firework public information films to show exactly how to handle & light a variety of firework related products,......perhaps this is something the UKPS could get involved with?.

i agree - definately should bring back the public info films for fireworks.. dont know why they stopped showwing them o.O

Edited by Rocky Raccoon, 12 November 2010 - 12:29 AM.

[phildunford]

My favourite public information film was the family having a picnic on the hard shoulder of the motorway! - Is anyone else that old?

[ToFe]

I don't want to be funny but a 3 year old should not be using what looks like a teated bottle to drink from..
Poor lad.