World

What Are The Laws On Homemade Fireworks?

Published

3 years ago

February 2, 2022

Having fireworks at home can be a fun way to celebrate special occasions as well as Bonfire night and New Year’s Eve. However, as there are laws and regulations around their purchase and use, it is crucial that guidance is followed to avoid committing an offence. When looking for fireworks for sale in the UK, you’ll want to ensure you use only reputable sellers and that they carry the British Standard on the packaging, BS 7114. Whilst it’s clear on the rules around purchasing fireworks, what are the rules if you want to make your own at home and is it an offence?

Rules around homemade fireworks

Most guidance you will find will centre around the purchase and use of fireworks, as this is the most common way people will look to access and enjoy them outside of a public display. However, as fireworks are a form of explosive, this means they fall under UK law regarding manufacture and storage. It clearly states that “explosives not to be manufactured without a licence” in The Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations Act 2005. This means that without the proper licence requirements, it is an offence to make homemade fireworks.

There are exceptions to this, but this still will mean making DIY or homemade fireworks should be avoided. If explosives are made for laboratory testing and analysis, demonstration, and experimentation they can be exempt if the quantity doesn’t exceed 100 grams. However, to be safe and ensure you are not committing an offence, it is best to not make your own fireworks unless you have a licence for manufacture. A licence would have to be obtained from your local council if you’re looking to manufacture or store, for example, if you are a retailer or wholesaler. This will allow for up to 2,000 kg to be stored as long you are licenced with the fire service and your local council trading standards department. Any quantities higher than this would need a different licence from the Health and Safety Executive.

Staying safe with fireworks

Safety is the number one priority with fireworks, and it is best to avoid considering making your own when there are plenty of great options available. As long as you are using a reputable seller that follows UK law and regulations, you can purchase category 2 and 3 fireworks for garden and display use. There are many reasons to avoid making your own fireworks, with the biggest one being the handling of explosive materials.

Whilst some fireworks look to have a simple structure and seem easy to replicate, experimenting with hazardous chemicals and materials is dangerous. Not only that but your home, garden or garage is not equipped to be a controlled environment for this. The risks include fire, contamination, and danger to other people whether it’s family, friends, or your neighbours. To avoid committing an offence or endangering yourself or others, ensure you understand the UK law and regulations around fireworks. It is better and safer to buy regulated fireworks that have been tested, rather than experiment with your own.

World

Creating Better Hiring Practices: How KENTECH Can Improve New Employees

Published

4 days ago

September 15, 2024

Rosario Farell

Although some may think background checks are only necessary for high-security jobs like government positions or teaching roles, most employers could benefit from the additional insights that a background check provides. In addition to providing information about an applicant’s criminal history, employers can use background checks to understand their abbreviated credit history or confirm information like employment, educational, and licensure history.

Why background checks are important

Unfortunately, while one would like always to assume the best, the truth is that not everyone is telling the truth. A study by SHRM found that 31% of people admitted to lying on resumes, while 56% admitted to “stretching the truth.”

This statistic makes it abundantly clear that business leaders must not feel comfortable simply trusting prospective employees’ applications at face value. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so a background check is used to confirm important information about an applicant and help make a better, more informed hiring decision.

At KENTECH, a leading background check technology provider, the team likes to say that they help their clients hire “not just the best person, but the right person.” After all, the cost of hiring and onboarding a new employee is extensive. Indeed reports that these costs can range from $4,000 to $20,000 per new employee.

If a hiring decision is made, only for that person to not perform well in the role and have to be let go shortly after, that’s a lot of money wasted. It’s better to make sure that you are making the right decision from the beginning.

KENTECH’s revolutionary background check technology

Some of KENTECH’s cutting-edge background check technology solutions include:

● Employment Verification Program (EVP): KENTECH’s Employment Verification Program is a web-based service designed to help streamline the background check process for employers. It gives employers one location through which they can manage the entire process from start to finish. Users can order background checks and verifications and easily manage documents — all from a single, convenient dashboard.

● Report Investigative Scoring Count (RISC): KENTECH’s RISC system helps organizations quickly interpret screening results at a glance. An organization can set up the criteria that matter most to them for screenings, and each background check will be labeled with a color code corresponding to the criteria set by the business. This provides employers with a visual cue for what applications may require closer scrutiny and helps identify which candidates may be most qualified.

● Rapid Application Center (RAC): KENTECH’s Rapid Application Center technology allows applicants to input their information and order background checks themselves. This saves hiring teams time with minimal burden to the applicant. An applicant signs onto a custom-built website and enters their information so administrative staff don’t have to. Administrators then receive email notifications when a candidate posts their information and when results are returned, allowing them to sign on at their convenience to view them.

● Unified Bulk Screening (UBS): For businesses that screen a high volume of candidates, KENTECH also offers a solution called Unified Bulk Screening (UBS). Once business leaders sign into their EVP account and import a list of candidates and their required information, they can see up-to-the-minute results in their portal or opt to receive a consolidated report that displays all results at once.

However, although the primary audience of these developments is the business and its leaders, there are also some significant benefits to the candidate experience. If a background check feels obstructive and frustrating to an applicant, they may form a negative first impression of the business or even give up. The KENTECH team designed their technology to be easy to use, often able to be integrated into the application and HR management system to make the process as seamless and intuitive as possible.

Although background checks might seem like an extreme step for the average employer, with the help of technology like that offered by KENTECH, it doesn’t have to be. KENTECH’s advanced background check technology helps streamline the process, allowing employers to get better insight into their prospective employees without significantly burdening themselves or their applicants. With this, background checks can become a standard, beneficial step in virtually every job application.