Legislation about using distress flares

[John Kennett]

Can anyone point me to the legislation that makes firing of distress flares on land an offence?

So far, all I can come up with is the Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions regulations which apply only to distress signals fired from a vessel.

I've just put this in a separate thread as it got a bit lost in the big distress flare discussion!

[JSP]

According to THIS section of the RNLI site it is in the Merchant Shipping Act .
I've had a quick scan through but can't find anything on the subject.

[m chappelow]

obviously letting them off in a coastal area is going to cause problems and i was told that if you live within about 6 miles of an airport its against the law thats for rocket types over 250 feet ft high but neither can you fly a kite or let off a load of ballons at once without permission ,so as far as anything else i think they are classed as pyrotectics same laws as fireworks ,though as again with the rocket para types they are for use over the sea and could still be burning when they land ie on some ones roof ,ie thatched cottage or plastic guttering so it could be missuse of use that the law relates to if there is one ,the only thing that i can see from the manafacturers web sites is dont set off in a non emergency as it could lead to an emergency services response which could result in loss of life .

[DJL]

Flares aren't covered by the Fireworks Act at they aren't "intended as a form of entertainment" or covered under the BS standards for fireworks.

I can't find much covering the misuse of emergency services. Prank 999 calls are covered under the Telecommunications Act.

Its illegal to take flares to sports events under the Public Order Act - “controlled article or substance....and in particular it includes
distress flares..."

Other than some transport regulations and the Merchant Shipping related ones, which don't really apply in your back garden, I can't find anything else.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by DJL

Flares aren't covered by the Fireworks Act at they aren't "intended as a form of entertainment" or covered under the BS standards for fireworks.

Its illegal to take flares to sports events under the Public Order Act - “controlled article or substance....and in particular it includes
distress flares..."

That is prob because some poor bloke was killed at I think a Rugby match when some idiot in the crowd fired a red parachute flare. The idiot obviously didn't intend to kill some - he was just that - an idiot.

The flare hit the man in the chest and blew a dinner plate sized hole right through him.

Of course the media and politicians were calling for flares to be banned - until they realised they may just be needed. So they ended up banning small mulit launch flares as used by windsurfers etc. A bit ironic as they wouldn't have had the power to travel right across the stadium in the 1st place!!!

[codprawn]

It can't be illegal to use a flare in a non distress situation. You can use a white parachute flare to illuminate a large area and you can use white hand held flares to alert others to your position or for illumination purposes - not exactly a distress situation.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by DJL

Other than some transport regulations and the Merchant Shipping related ones, which don't really apply in your back garden, I can't find anything else.

That's what I'm thinking. I'll email the MCA and see what they say.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by codprawn

It can't be illegal to use a flare in a non distress situation. You can use a white parachute flare to illuminate a large area and you can use white hand held flares to alert others to your position or for illumination purposes - not exactly a distress situation.

Yes, but a white flare is not a distress signal. It is (in marine parlance) specifically a training aid.

jky

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by codprawn

So they ended up banning small mulit launch flares as used by windsurfers etc. A bit ironic as they wouldn't have had the power to travel right across the stadium in the 1st place!!!

You mean like these - which are still available?

[JSP]

Originally Posted by codprawn

It can't be illegal to use a flare in a non distress situation. You can use a white parachute flare to illuminate a large area and you can use white hand held flares to alert others to your position or for illumination purposes - not exactly a distress situation.

From what I can see (and there isn't much to go off) only Red flares are illegal, if it is illegal