The republican campaign "Safe New Year!" has started.

With the aim of preventing fires and accidents resulting from the use of pyrotechnic devices, the republican campaign "Safe New Year!" started on December 14.

It is difficult to find a person in the world who does not like fireworks. Bright lights blooming in the dark sky have long been considered one of the best attributes of any celebration. It is even more difficult to imagine such a wonderful holiday as New Year without a fiery show.

However, this colourful entertainment, unfortunately, can lead to deplorable consequences. If we analyse the situation as a whole, tragedies are often caused by "grey" devices, or more simply, those bought from hand-to-hand sellers, and also by the banal carelessness of those who launch them. Even pyrotechnics sellers advise: read the instructions. They are available even for Chinese-made products, and in Russian. They describe almost all possible scenarios. But, alas, people warmed up by alcoholic beverages not only cease to behave adequately but also completely lose the ability to think rationally and consider the consequences. Most often, novice pyrotechnicians end up in the emergency room with burns to the face, eyes, and fingers.

It should be remembered that fireworks, salutes, and other pyrotechnic devices must be installed so stably that, once ignited, they do not fall over and start throwing sparks at the astonished audience. Therefore, do not be lazy and surround the salute batteries with bricks, stones, earth, or simply snow. When lighting fireworks, do not lean over them. Squat down, ignite the fuse at arm's length, and quickly move away to a safe distance. If the rocket does not ignite immediately, do not run up to see what the matter is: you risk getting a burst of fire right in the face. Wait a little, and if no flame ignites from the spark, dispose of the device according to the instructions to be safe. Due to the fact that the flight path of flying pyrotechnic devices cannot be predicted, it can easily fly onto the balcony of a nearby house or even enter an apartment through a ventilation window and cause a fire. When launching fireworks, you need to move away to a safe distance from buildings and structures, as well as cars. If you want to launch a salute, it is best to do it in a wasteland, while watching out for.

so that there are no accidental passers-by nearby. Pyrotechnics must not be used in public places under any circumstances.

And, of course, what is New Year without a Christmas tree. It must be securely fixed on a stable stand. It is better to remove carpets and rugs from under the Christmas tree. When looking for a place for the green beauty, you need to think not only about where it will look more impressive, but also about where it will be safer - this is usually as far as possible from heating appliances, televisions, and radiators.

Most artificial Christmas trees are flammable, and when burning, they release toxic substances. This applies to a greater extent to those that were released a long time ago, since many modern Christmas trees (as a rule, imported and quite expensive) are made of non-flammable materials or are impregnated with a special compound that protects them from ignition. Therefore, it is better to replace an old artificial Christmas tree with a real one - there is more joy and less danger. But do not keep it for too long: it dries quickly and can ignite from the slightest spark.

The best decoration for a Christmas tree is an electric garland. The most important recommendation is to buy it in stores, not from street vendors in underpasses and markets.

As for candles, they should be securely fixed on non-combustible stands (porcelain, ceramic, glass, metal), located away from the Christmas tree, furniture, and curtains. Special caution should be exercised when using sparklers - if you have lit a sparkler, move away from the Christmas tree, hold it by the metal part. After the fire has gone out, dip the burnt stick into a container of water.

We would like to wish that examples of accidents remain in the past. Happy, and most importantly safe, New Year to you!

Lepel ROChS