Reloading Display Shells?

[displayfireworks1]

Over the last few years most professional fireworks companies in United States eliminated reloading of professional fireworks. If you want to reload be careful, because it may be easier then you think to load one upside down or in a wrong size mortar. To all the professional pyrotechnicans out there be careful, if you want to reload.
My initial thoughts on this incident was the shell malfunctioned but after reviewing the video and incident I discovered how it occurred.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X9az0EfEJ4

[Pyro Nation]

WOW...... It scared me just watching it again and even knowing it was coming...

[crackerbomb]

Just after we graduated high school some buddies and I got some shells. The one guy never messed with fireworks before and put a shell in upside down. It blew the card board tube apart and the shell hit my new truck. It hit the drivers side door of my truck with the windows down. From that day on I gave fireworks a new respect and if someone didn't know what they were doing I explained to them how it would worked.

[blown2bits]

what is sad is this happens a lot, and it makes fireworks look bad, not in the display portion as much as the consumer market. I believe retailers should have a small class to explain to people what they are purchasing, and all the safety/techniques to be used while using them when someone buys a product from them.

[tennpyro1]

i agree with blown2bit if any one buys a reloadable they at firework store should give some kind of short but to the point schooling to the person all i have to say is whoever was there was very lucky

[Pyro Nation]

Been said many times over... in other parts of the forum. If fireworks are for sale there should be some training, a video, pamphlet, or something showing safe manner of use

[Palermitano2]

I shot a show in 2008 and my job was shooting 300 excals out of 6 tubes ...Never again!!!! Thats why I now own 400 tubes......Manual is not allowed on my shoots.

[californiapyro]

jeez, if you buy 300 excals you should get at least 50 tubes coming with the shells!

[Palermitano2]

The cheepskate I was helping sold them for 2 dollars a piece.........lol

[californiapyro]

oh wow.......

[BAJohn1954]

Blown2bits

You make a very good point about consumer end. Most of these people have Zero education and are most likely to get injured. The retailer should be held responsible to provide basic information to the consumer so they CYA in light of any accidents that happen.

Ideal situation would be a 3 division building. The first section would be to place orders. After your order is place, the next room would be a 10 minute Video class on safety and injury provention. I know this sound like Big Brother BUT an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of Cure. When your Video class is completed, your order can be picked up in the 3rd section of the building. I'm sure this could give the the fireworks company Insurance premium relief. A $5 Safety surcharge would pay for the cost of the class. At 200 customers per day and 30 days in June is an additonal $30,000.00 of revenue that could pay towards company Insurance cost.
Also, outlaw roadside vendors who never cares about this problem.
I did Displays for the Presutti Family (formally Ohio Fireworks) from 1960 til 1995 ( an NEVER Injuried) and have always felt that the safest 4th is left to Professionals.

John B.
West Palm Beach

[indianahx]

Although its great on paper, that's like saying Phillips Morris should have an ordering room, then make you corral into a video room about cancer and smokings risks, then you can go pick up your smokes in the next room.....it'll never happen