Fire safety status in the Vitebsk region

Compliance with fire safety requirements is one of the priority tasks in the activities of state bodies, aimed at strengthening public safety, preventing loss of life, damage to the economy and ecology of the country.

To speak more specifically on the above topic, I will present statistical data for 11 months of 2015:

Thus, 773 fires were registered in the region, which is 217 cases or 22% less than in the same period last year [990]. 82 people died from fires, which is 23 people (22%) less than in the same period last year [105], including 3 children died from fires (11 months of 2014 – the same number [3]). 42 fires were registered at the facilities of enterprises and organizations of the region, compared to 77 in the same period of 2014. Fires destroyed 282 buildings (11 months of 2014 – 302), 37 units of equipment (61), 646 tons of feed (100), 8 heads of livestock (54). Units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the region rescued 126 people from fires. Direct damage from fires amounted to 30,966,020,000 rubles, and total losses from fires amounted to 70,438,050,000 rubles.

In general, as follows from the data provided, a positive trend of decrease has emerged in the region

With the aim of maintaining the positive trend of reducing fires, on the eve of the upcoming New Year, it is advisable to pay special attention to observing fire safety rules during the holidays. As experience from previous years shows, the use of pyrotechnic products or careless handling of them often becomes the cause of New Year's fires. Unfortunately, not only adults but also children become victims of carelessness and negligence.

To avoid tragic consequences, it is necessary to comply with a number of specific requirements and rules for the storage, sale, and use of pyrotechnic products.

All pyrotechnic products are divided into 2 groups according to their purpose and conditions of use:

– household use;

– technical and special purpose.

Each type of pyrotechnic product, depending on the radius of the hazardous factors' impact zone during its use, is assigned to a specific class of potential hazard (5 classes).

Pyrotechnic products of hazard classes 1-2 are available in retail. Handling them does not require special knowledge and skills. These include sparklers, poppers, cake candles, as well as firecrackers and fountains with a scattering radius of up to 0.5 m. The sale of pyrotechnic products of hazard class 3 is allowed in specialized stores and departments selling these products. Pyrotechnic products for domestic use do not include products that are manually launched directly,exploding on the ground with an effect of explosion, which is accompanied by destruction of the casing, a short-term light and sound effect (firecrackers and similar items).

The sale of technical and special-purpose pyrotechnic devices must be carried out only in specialized stores in compliance with the relevant fire safety regulations. The sale of such items is permitted to persons who have permission to use them. Handling them requires special knowledge and skills, appropriate certification of performers, and provision of certain technical equipment conditions. Such items include Roman candles, rockets, firework batteries, and a number of other fire hazardous types of pyrotechnics with a dangerous zone radius of more than 20 meters.

A pyrotechnic device must be accompanied by an instruction manual containing information on the shelf life, hazards, and application restrictions. Imported pyrotechnic devices must have an instruction manual and a certificate of conformity of the country where these items were manufactured, as well as a translation of these documents into Russian or Belarusian. When displaying pyrotechnic devices in the sales area, a display must be used where the buyer does not have direct access to these items. Their storage in sales outlets must be carried out in cabinets and safes made of non-combustible materials, and the quantity of pyrotechnic devices at the point of sale must not exceed 50 kg.

The sale of any pyrotechnic devices is prohibited to minors under the age of 15. In the places of sale of these goods, information about the prohibition of their sale to minors is posted. In case of a dispute, the buyer is obliged to present a document confirming their age.

Inin accordance with Art. 23.48 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus, violation of the rules for storage and use of pyrotechnic products entails a warning or a fine of up to 10 basic units. Repeated commission of the same offense entails a fine of ten to twenty basic units with or without confiscation of the item of administrative offense, or deprivation of a special right with or without confiscation of the item of administrative offense.

For violation of fire safety legislation during the storage and sale of pyrotechnic products, in accordance with Art. 23.56 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus, individuals are subject to a fine of up to 30 basic units, and legal entities – up to 200 basic units.

If citizens' peace is disturbed by the use of pyrotechnics, internal affairs officers have the right to impose a fine on the offender in the amount of two to 30 basic units or administrative arrest (Art. 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Parents must remember that children who have reached the age of 14 can be held administratively liable for minor hooliganism. If a child has not reached this age, their parents may be held administratively liable (Art. 9.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - Failure to fulfill parental duties).

Pyrotechnics should be purchased only in specialized stores or departments, and the instructions for their use must be strictly followed. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the expiration date and the integrity of the packaging.

Pyrotechnics should be stored as far as possible from sources of fire. Under no circumstances should they be kept in the kitchen or near heating radiators, as, gradually heating up, the products may detonate spontaneously. Damp premises should not be used for storage. If a device filled with gunpowder gets damp first,

then it dries out, in the best case the firework will not detonate, and in the worst case it will detonate with a delay at the most inopportune moment. In addition, it is desirable that the places where pyrotechnics are stored are inaccessible to children.

It is strictly forbidden to launch pyrotechnics from windows or balconies. The launch site for pyrotechnics should be chosen so that it is at a distance of at least 50 m from residential buildings and cars, and there are no trees, power lines, etc. obstacles above it. Ensure that other people are at a distance of at least 15-20 meters on the windward side.

If all the rules are followed, the pyrotechnic device will leave a vivid memory, not a test for the nerves...