1. Purpose and scope
The use of smokes and pyrotechnics among the public poses a serious and immediate danger which, at worst, may lead to life-threatening situations. Inhalation of combustion gases, high temperatures and explosive properties can cause health hazards and injuries.
These instructions apply to events where the public or other actors use smokes or pyrotechnics in a crowd. The instructions do not apply to special effect displays organised by professionals subject to a permit or the use of smokes and pyrotechnics in accordance with a safety plan.
The use of smokes and pyrotechnics involves safety risks especially indoors, but hazards may also occur outdoors. In outdoor areas, the danger may be amplified by operating conditions that prevent smoke and gases from freely escaping. For example, sheets such as tifos and overheads, walls, canopies and other structures can prevent dangerous substances from escaping and clean air from entering the area. Building ventilation and smoke extraction systems are not designed to remove dangerous substances and gases in such situations. Ventilation and smoke extraction systems are also unable to remove hazardous compounds from the air quickly enough, so their use alone is usually not enough to eliminate the danger, but other means are needed to ensure the safety of people. However, ventilation and smoke extraction systems may accelerate the removal of the hazard. This must be planned and tested in advance.
The organiser of a public event is responsible for ensuring that the event meets the requirements of the Consumer Services Act and that the activities do not pose any risk to the participants or third parties. These instructions present recommendations and options that the event organiser can use to ensure a safety level in accordance with legislation. The instructions are not binding, and the event organiser can achieve a similar level of safety also by other means.
If smokes or pyrotechnics are used among the public at an event, it poses a serious and immediate risk and the activity must be immediately suspended, at least where the risk is involved. The activities can only resume once the event organiser has ensured that the danger has been eliminated (section 4 of the Consumer Services Act). If the danger cannot be eliminated, the event cannot be continued.
2. Prevention is priority
The starting point for a safe service is to ensure that the service does not pose any risk to people. The event organiser's priority is to prevent dangerous objects and substances from entering the event area and ban their entry and use at the event.
The dangers of possible smoke and pyrotechnic products must be identified in advance in the risk assessment. In addition, preparedness in this respect must be taken into account in the emergency plan. Section 16 of the Rescue Act obliges: "The dangers and risks concerning the event shall be detailed and assessed in the emergency plan for a public event. The safety arrangements for the event and the instructions issued to the personnel responsible for the carrying out of the event and the public taking part in the event on how to prevent accidents and what action to take in accidents or dangerous situations shall be defined on the basis of them."
In events where smokes or pyrotechnics are expected to be used by the public, security checks, for example, must be used to prevent their entry into the area.
A good preventive practice is to train a safety officer to identify the products and to act correctly in situations where they are detected.
If, despite prevention, a risk occurs in the service, the organiser must ensure safety in accordance with the Consumer Services Act. This means taking adequate measures to eliminate the danger and to protect the life and health of people. The courses of action presented in these instructions reflect the authority's view of the adequate minimum level to act in a dangerous situation and to eliminate the danger.
3. Dangers of smokes and pyrotechnics
Smokes and pyrotechnics cannot be considered safe or harmless if misused. The way they are used among the public is always wrong and illegal.
The use of smokes and pyrotechnics among the public poses a serious and immediate danger to people. Even life-threatening situations may occur. In the event of danger, adequate measures must be taken immediately to ensure the safety of people. In such situations, the organiser does not have detailed information on the type of product causing the danger or its properties.
Examples of dangerous situations:
- A smoke grenade or flare is launched in the audience and left in the stand or thrown in another stand.
- Fireworks or other explosives are used in the audience.
- Combustible products are used in the audience, the heat of which poses a danger to people and property.
Dangers caused by the misuse of smokes and pyrotechnics:
- Poisoning symptoms from smoke and combustion gases
- Respiratory difficulties and other respiratory symptoms
- Fire, explosion, eye and hearing injuries
- Property damage (e.g. ignition of clothes, structural damage, fire risk)
- Fear, panic and large-scale movement or violent behaviour
- Sound and pressure wave effects
- Danger from projectiles, throwables and fireworks
- Explosions during or at the end of a fire
- High heat
- Occupational safety
Hazardous agents:
- Fine particles and nanoparticles
- Gases and toxins (including metallic combustion gases), which may be visible or invisible and lighter or heavier than air
Consequences for people:
- Eye injuries, stinging of eyes, visual disorders
- Burning of mouth and pharynx, cough, weakness
- Burns, explosion injuries, hearing damage
- Irritation of mucous membranes
- Poisoning symptoms
- Respiratory symptoms, dizziness, headache, vomiting, rapid breathing, increased heart rate
- Skin irritation
- Impacts on motor skills and mobility
- Behavioural changes, such as the emergence of fear, terror and panic
- Loss of consciousness, unconsciousness
- Convulsions
- Decreased heart rate
4. Instructions for the presence of smokes or pyrotechnics among the public
The event organiser must prepare in advance for such hazardous situations and plan actions to eliminate the danger. The following approach is commonly used in Europe:
1. Move away
- Stand back.
- Avoid approaching and warn others of the danger.
- Instruct the audience to act safely in the situation.
- Rescue those in danger, enclose and empty the immediate danger area.
- Call the emergency number 112 to report the danger.
- Pause the event at least in the area in question.
- Help those in need (with your own safety in mind).
2. Leave them alone
- Smokes or pyrotechnics cannot be extinguished.
- Any attempts to move or handle the product poses an additional risk.
3. Let them burn out
- Some products may take several minutes to burn out.
- Possible after-effects, such as explosions or secondary reactions, may occur after a delay.
- Only those who have been trained may handle the remaining products.
- The danger area can only be opened once its safety has been guaranteed.
It is up to the event organiser to ensure that preparations have been made in advance for such situations and that the personnel know what to do in case of danger.
5. Acting and informing those at risk
The event organiser is obliged to provide safety-related information to the public in accordance with section 7 of the Consumer Services Act. Safety information must be communicated in a clear and comprehensible manner, taking different groups of people into account. In addition, the organiser must act in a way that prevents dangerous situations and injuries. A person with symptoms must be treated as an injured person.
Tasks of the event organiser in a dangerous situation:
- Assess the situation and take immediate adequate action.
- Suspend the event, at least where the risk is present.
- Report the incident to the emergency response centre by calling 112 if the public has been exposed to smoke or other effects. This enables the rescue and health services to react accordingly.
- Inform the public which part of the event area is at risk.
- Instruct the public that inhaling smoke may be dangerous and that the pyrotechnic product may cause other hazards, such as explosion or loud sound.
- Provide instructions to the public on how to leave the sphere of smoke or other hazard.
- Encourage the audience to monitor possible symptoms and reactions in their body.
- Instruct the public to ask for help if symptoms occur and to report them to the event staff or organiser.
- Instruct the public to seek first aid at the event and, if necessary, further treatment in health care.
Good practices for helping and informing those exposed:
- The event organiser should collect information and check the condition and possible symptoms of those who have been exposed.
- It is a good idea to provide instructions to those exposed also after the event so that they know what they may have been exposed to and what to do if the symptoms persist.
- The effects of hazardous substances may occur with a delay, so the organiser must ensure that information reaches the public also after the event, for example through the media.
The event organiser is responsible for ensuring the safety of the event also in situations where customers pose a safety risk through their own actions that violate the safety instructions.
The event organiser must act responsibly and in accordance with a good safety culture, taking their responsibilities and obligations into account. Responsible activities include taking care of people's health and well-being.
Further information
Senior Officer Kari Erkko, [email protected], tel. +358 295 05 2094
Sources and websites
Pyrotechnics in Stadia, Health and Safety issues relating to the use of pyrotechnics in football stadia
Pyrotechnics education campaign toolkit
Pyrotechnics
Nanoparticle exposure due to pyrotechnics during a football match
