The following safety requirements apply to any use of fireworks reserved for certified display supervisors to produce visual and audio effects during a fireworks display.

General Requirements

  1. Any Display Supervisor on the site must have the appropriate certifications for the planned display. 
  2. Compliance with the safety precautions outlined in the Display Fireworks Manual prepared by the Explosives Regulatory Division (ERD) is required. 
  3. Only ERD-approved fireworks may be used. Position the fireworks as per the submitted and authorized plan. 
  4. The distance between the spectators and the fireworks must comply with the manufacturer's recommendations. The fallout area stipulated in the most recent Display Fireworks Manual must also be respected. 
  5. A security perimeter must be installed around the fireworks display site. The perimeter must be physically marked off (e.g. barriers, safety rope, etc.). 
  6. The supervisor in charge must take all necessary steps to ensure compliance with the security perimeter. 
  7. During set-up, install a security perimeter of at least a 30-metre radius before installing explosive devices on the site. 
  8. The supervisor in charge must certify that the mortars used during the display have been tested for the type of aerial shell that will be used. Mortar bases must also be built with the required spacing in accordance with the most recent Display Fireworks Manual. Attach the mortars tightly and protect the detonating cords. Plastic fasteners may not be used to attach projection-type articles.
  9. The site's safety distances and the angle of the mortars must be adjusted based on wind direction and speed as outlined in the most recent Display Fireworks Manual. If winds exceed 40 km/h, the fireworks display must be postponed or cancelled. 
  10. Public access to the fireworks fallout area is prohibited until clean-up operations have been completed. Clean-up operations must begin 30 minutes after the end of the fireworks display. The area must be cleared and any fireworks or debris must be collected.  
  11. Keep at least four approved class 3A-10BC portable fire extinguishers in the launch area. 
  12. Fireworks that have failed to explode must not be destroyed on site and the supervisor in charge must inform the SIM of where they will be sent for destruction. 
  13. A written report of any event that occurs during set-up or deployment or during any other stage of the activity must be sent to the SIM. 
  14. For a high-hazard fireworks display, a note must be sent to NAV Canada and Transport Canada. The note must contain the display location with specific details regarding street intersections, the type and calibre of the fireworks used, maximum  projection height, maximum burst height and radius as well as the contact information of the supervisor in charge on the site. Keep a copy of the acknowledgement of receipt or other evidence demonstrating that NAV Canada and/or Transport Canada has been informed of the activity.

Specific Requirements

  1. Any firework over 155 mm in diameter must be ignited using an electric firing unit with a two-step locking system (display supervisor with endorsements). 
  2. The mortars used for any firework over 205 mm must be buried in a barrel filled with sand and separated by a distance of at least 1 m from one another. 
  3. Any fireworks display carried out from a flatbed or floating platform must comply with the applicable requirements outlined in the most recent Display Fireworks Manual. 
  4. For a nautical fireworks display, the launch angle of the mortar must be set in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and directed away from the spectators. It must also take wind direction and speed into account. The safe distance must also be increased by 50 m compared with the manufacturer's specifications and an electric firing unit must be used.