Analysis of impact of proposed changes to separation distances for Mode A registered premises holding HT4 fireworks

Under proposed new legislation it is intended that Mode A registered premises holding between 200­
250kg net of shop good (HT4) fireworks will have to maintain a 5 metre separation distance to third
party buildings and 2.5 metres to footpaths and roads. In order to investigate the extent of any
problems for existing premises in complying with this requirement, a sample of Mode A premises
storing HT4 fireworks was selected from across 39 local authorities. This sample was deliberately
focused towards the type of premises expected to hold between 200-250kg of fireworks and to
potentially have problems with complying with the separation distance requirement (wholesalers and
distributors rather than shops or supermarkets). The owners of each of these premises were contacted
by telephone to obtain information on fireworks storage and separation distances. For the 102
premises for which information could be obtained, 23 were found to hold below 200kg of fireworks and
do therefore not need a separation distance. Of the remaining 79 premises, 76% had existing
separation greater than that required; 10% could comply with the separation distance after moving their
existing store or reducing inventories; and 14% (11 sites) had a problem with compliance that the
owners felt could not be satisfactorily resolved. This data indicates that some registered premises will
have a problem with the proposed separation distances that the owners consider will adversely affect
their operations. This is only a relatively small proportion of a sample deliberately biased towards the
type of premises expected to have separation distance problems. The significance of this regulatory
impact in the context of the proposed legislation therefore needs to be carefully evaluated.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its
contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do
not necessarily reflect HSE policy.