More than six in 10 parents plan to take their children to Bonfire Night events this weekend – but have never talked to them about being safe near fireworks and sparklers.
Research of 1,000 parents of children aged seven or under revealed 70 per cent planned to attend organised events, while 26 per cent intended to set off their own fireworks.
Although the research showed teaching children about fire safety was a priority for 81 per cent of parents, many said they did not know where to find child-friendly information to help educate them.
And 76 per cent hoped someone else would tell them how far back to stand from bonfires – while 37 per cent were not sure how to hold a sparkler.
The research was commissioned by the Fireman Sam brand, which has partnered with the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) to produce a set of safety tips ahead of the night to help get people switched on to safety.
Jon Spalding, from Mattel, said: “Bonfire Night can be a spectacular event for families to enjoy together, but they also provide significant safety risks.
“We know that discussing fire safety is a huge priority for parents, but many don’t know where to access trusted information, so we hope the release of our tips with CAPT will help solve this, keeping everyone safe and having fun this November.”
It also emerged 29 per cent of parents had been concerned about their child’s safety at an official event, while 35 per cent had been worried due to the lack of precautions at an event hosted at someone’s house.
Accidents with sparklers, burns from fireworks and bonfires, and road incidents were parents’ top concerns on Guy Fawkes Night, and 24 per cent had experienced an accident or injury at such an event.
One-third of parents (29 per cent) were not confident their child would know how to avoid an accident with fire on Bonfire Night.
And 61 per cent said their children would not know to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothes or costumes caught on fire. Almost one-quarter (24 per cent) said they would not feel confident themselves in how to react to such a happening.
One in six said it was difficult to find child-friendly safety information or educational materials, according to the research carried out via OnePoll.
However, nearly half (48 per cent) believed their child would know to call emergency services were there a fire issue.
Nearly all parents (94 per cent) agreed it was important that children’s characters talk to children about Bonfire Night safety.
Katrina Phillips, CAPT’s chief executive, said: “Bonfire Night is magical but with sparklers burning 16 times hotter than your kettle, they can badly burn a child.
“Many parents aren’t clear what to tell their children about staying safe on Bonfire Night or what to do if the worst happens.
“That’s why we’ve partnered with Fireman Sam to create some essential family safety tips to keep little ones safe.”
Safety tips for children on Bonfire Night
- Fireworks are exciting, but they can be very dangerous. Listen to your grown-up about where is a safe place to stand
- Keep your sparkly sparkler safely away from other people and don’t run with them. Wear your gloves when you hold sparklers and keep them away from your body
- Once sparklers are finished, put them into a bucket of water, don’t pick them back up
- Leave your dressing up clothes at home on fireworks night, wrap up warm instead
- Stand at a safe distance from the bonfire and stay close to the grown-ups
- Don’t be tempted to throw things into the bonfire or poke at it with sticks
- If you’re going to a firework display, hold hands with your grown-up and stay with them all the time
- Put toys and phones away when you’re out and about so you can focus on keeping safe and having fun
- If you do catch your clothes on a flame, don’t panic – stop, drop, and roll. That means: stop what you are doing, drop to the ground and cover your face with your hands, then roll over and over to put out the flames
