Not all retailers had control over the sale of fireworks

The Safety Authority has inspected fireworks at 209 physical sales locations in the days leading up to New Year’s. Fireworks that are not allowed for sale were found at 26 locations. In addition, the authority has identified illegal fireworks sales from 139 profiles on social media and 23 websites.

This information was provided by the authority in a press release.

Both physical sales locations and online platforms have been inspected by the Safety Authority since the sale of fireworks was permitted on December 15.

A total of 209 physical sales locations nationwide were inspected, and at 26 locations, products that were not legally allowed for sale were found.

“We visit all types of sales locations but prioritize those where our experience shows there may be the greatest risk of finding illegal products. This year, we found batteries, rockets, and fountains at 11 locations where previous inspections had shown they were not safe, and importers had therefore been instructed to stop sales for consumer safety reasons. This demonstrates that our inspections are still necessary,” says Nicoline Zederkof Jensen, head of department at the Safety Authority.

Since 2017, fireworks sold to consumers must be CE-marked. Nevertheless, during recent inspections at sales locations, fireworks without CE marking were found at 15 locations, especially smaller fireworks such as firecrackers, star casters, and table bombs.

“Regardless of the type of fireworks, there are rules that must be followed for safety reasons. CE marking is the manufacturer’s indication that the fireworks comply with the prescribed requirements, and there should not be fireworks without CE marking at any retailer seven years after the marking became a requirement,” says Nicoline Zederkof Jensen.

She emphasizes that fireworks are generally a dangerous product, so people should follow safety advice, including wearing protective glasses and maintaining a safe distance.

“But in general, there is no need to be afraid to use the fireworks purchased from a retailer. If in doubt about whether one has bought fireworks that are not allowed for sale, it can be checked on the website Produkter.dk,” she says.

The Safety Authority has noted an increasing trend in online fireworks sales. Therefore, in addition to physical inspections in 2023, online controls have also been conducted leading up to New Year’s. Of the 44 websites selling fireworks to Danish consumers that were inspected, 23 did not comply with the rules for fireworks sales. Additionally, 139 instances of illegal fireworks sales were identified on social media profiles and groups. In these cases, the Safety Authority informed the social media platforms that illegal fireworks were being sold on their platforms, and many of the pages were subsequently closed.

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