PFD report

Names not published · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 19 Jun 2014•West Somerset

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
9

Raised in this report

Recipients
4

Named on the report

Responses found
0

Of 4 recipients

Stated actions
0

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

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Concerns raised9

  1. Failure to position lookouts for smoke or fog approaching nearby highways or railway lines
  2. Lack of immediate communication access to emergency services during firework displays
    Part of recurring concern: Unreliable access to emergency communication
  3. Failure to assess humidity and wind conditions immediately before firework displays
    Part of recurring concern: Failure to assess risks before hazardous work tasks
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

No linked response statements

No respondent-stated action or position is clearly linked to these concerns.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to position lookouts for smoke or fog approaching nearby highways or railway lines

Wider context from the report

““B” To consider whether or not risks arising from firework displays being held in periods of very high humidity can be greatly reduced if the City and Guild’s courses for Firers and Senior Firers (being the only persons able to conduct a firework display using class IV fireworks) had instruction in realising when such risks arose. AND before operating any display Firers had prepared :- (i) a risk assessment which took account of the topography of the area, nearby watercourses, prevailing wind conditions, identifying highways and all other matters relevant for the safety of the users thereof onlookers and nearby residents. (ii) Assessed the humidity, wind direction and speed immediately before the display, (iii) Positioned lookouts to see if any smoke or fog was approaching a highway or railway line in the immediate vicinity. (iv) Had immediate access to a communication link to the emergency services and (v) Be able to stop the display immediately if an emergency arises AND to consider whether Firers and Senior Firers should be licensed by law for periods of five year AND whether Local Licensing Authorities shall advise persons holding firework displays of the risks referred to herein. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of immediate communication access to emergency services during firework displays

Wider context from the report

““B” To consider whether or not risks arising from firework displays being held in periods of very high humidity can be greatly reduced if the City and Guild’s courses for Firers and Senior Firers (being the only persons able to conduct a firework display using class IV fireworks) had instruction in realising when such risks arose. AND before operating any display Firers had prepared :- (i) a risk assessment which took account of the topography of the area, nearby watercourses, prevailing wind conditions, identifying highways and all other matters relevant for the safety of the users thereof onlookers and nearby residents. (ii) Assessed the humidity, wind direction and speed immediately before the display, (iii) Positioned lookouts to see if any smoke or fog was approaching a highway or railway line in the immediate vicinity. (iv) Had immediate access to a communication link to the emergency services and (v) Be able to stop the display immediately if an emergency arises AND to consider whether Firers and Senior Firers should be licensed by law for periods of five year AND whether Local Licensing Authorities shall advise persons holding firework displays of the risks referred to herein. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable access to emergency communication.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to assess humidity and wind conditions immediately before firework displays

Wider context from the report

““B” To consider whether or not risks arising from firework displays being held in periods of very high humidity can be greatly reduced if the City and Guild’s courses for Firers and Senior Firers (being the only persons able to conduct a firework display using class IV fireworks) had instruction in realising when such risks arose. AND before operating any display Firers had prepared :- (i) a risk assessment which took account of the topography of the area, nearby watercourses, prevailing wind conditions, identifying highways and all other matters relevant for the safety of the users thereof onlookers and nearby residents. (ii) Assessed the humidity, wind direction and speed immediately before the display, (iii) Positioned lookouts to see if any smoke or fog was approaching a highway or railway line in the immediate vicinity. (iv) Had immediate access to a communication link to the emergency services and (v) Be able to stop the display immediately if an emergency arises AND to consider whether Firers and Senior Firers should be licensed by law for periods of five year AND whether Local Licensing Authorities shall advise persons holding firework displays of the risks referred to herein. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Failure to assess risks before hazardous work tasks.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of firework-firer training on recognising risks arising from high humidity

Wider context from the report

““B” To consider whether or not risks arising from firework displays being held in periods of very high humidity can be greatly reduced if the City and Guild’s courses for Firers and Senior Firers (being the only persons able to conduct a firework display using class IV fireworks) had instruction in realising when such risks arose. AND before operating any display Firers had prepared :- (i) a risk assessment which took account of the topography of the area, nearby watercourses, prevailing wind conditions, identifying highways and all other matters relevant for the safety of the users thereof onlookers and nearby residents. (ii) Assessed the humidity, wind direction and speed immediately before the display, (iii) Positioned lookouts to see if any smoke or fog was approaching a highway or railway line in the immediate vicinity. (iv) Had immediate access to a communication link to the emergency services and (v) Be able to stop the display immediately if an emergency arises AND to consider whether Firers and Senior Firers should be licensed by law for periods of five year AND whether Local Licensing Authorities shall advise persons holding firework displays of the risks referred to herein. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to prepare a comprehensive firework-display risk assessment

Wider context from the report

““B” To consider whether or not risks arising from firework displays being held in periods of very high humidity can be greatly reduced if the City and Guild’s courses for Firers and Senior Firers (being the only persons able to conduct a firework display using class IV fireworks) had instruction in realising when such risks arose. AND before operating any display Firers had prepared :- (i) a risk assessment which took account of the topography of the area, nearby watercourses, prevailing wind conditions, identifying highways and all other matters relevant for the safety of the users thereof onlookers and nearby residents. (ii) Assessed the humidity, wind direction and speed immediately before the display, (iii) Positioned lookouts to see if any smoke or fog was approaching a highway or railway line in the immediate vicinity. (iv) Had immediate access to a communication link to the emergency services and (v) Be able to stop the display immediately if an emergency arises AND to consider whether Firers and Senior Firers should be licensed by law for periods of five year AND whether Local Licensing Authorities shall advise persons holding firework displays of the risks referred to herein. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure of road-safety-equipment deployment criteria to provide special consideration below six personal injury collisions in three years

Wider context from the report

““A” I am concerned that the Highway Agency's proposals whilst possibly preventing further vehicles entering an accident scene or a large area of reduced visibility would not prevent the initial incident and that this can only be achieved by the erection of fog detection devises and greater use of overhead gantries displaying signs warning of events that may cause reduced visibility. AND as the criterion for deploying road safety equipment is six personal injury collisions in three years the present incident would not qualify for special consideration. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable highway safety risk assessment and remedial-work prioritisation.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of fog detection devices to identify reduced visibility before an initial incident

Wider context from the report

““A” I am concerned that the Highway Agency's proposals whilst possibly preventing further vehicles entering an accident scene or a large area of reduced visibility would not prevent the initial incident and that this can only be achieved by the erection of fog detection devises and greater use of overhead gantries displaying signs warning of events that may cause reduced visibility. AND as the criterion for deploying road safety equipment is six personal injury collisions in three years the present incident would not qualify for special consideration. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Insufficient use of overhead gantries displaying reduced-visibility warnings

Wider context from the report

““A” I am concerned that the Highway Agency's proposals whilst possibly preventing further vehicles entering an accident scene or a large area of reduced visibility would not prevent the initial incident and that this can only be achieved by the erection of fog detection devises and greater use of overhead gantries displaying signs warning of events that may cause reduced visibility. AND as the criterion for deploying road safety equipment is six personal injury collisions in three years the present incident would not qualify for special consideration. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate road warning signage.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to ensure immediate stopping of firework displays when emergencies arise

Wider context from the report

““B” To consider whether or not risks arising from firework displays being held in periods of very high humidity can be greatly reduced if the City and Guild’s courses for Firers and Senior Firers (being the only persons able to conduct a firework display using class IV fireworks) had instruction in realising when such risks arose. AND before operating any display Firers had prepared :- (i) a risk assessment which took account of the topography of the area, nearby watercourses, prevailing wind conditions, identifying highways and all other matters relevant for the safety of the users thereof onlookers and nearby residents. (ii) Assessed the humidity, wind direction and speed immediately before the display, (iii) Positioned lookouts to see if any smoke or fog was approaching a highway or railway line in the immediate vicinity. (iv) Had immediate access to a communication link to the emergency services and (v) Be able to stop the display immediately if an emergency arises AND to consider whether Firers and Senior Firers should be licensed by law for periods of five year AND whether Local Licensing Authorities shall advise persons holding firework displays of the risks referred to herein. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

Open source report
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026