By the end of this week many councils, organisations and clubs will be hosting their annual bonfire and firework displays, for most this will be a night filled with kids laughing and screaming, the smell of hot food meandering through the air and constant explosions of light and sound. This tradition goes back hundreds of years and was to remember the failed attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up parliament and King James 1 and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.

Although this is a tradition that has spanned many generations there has always been an element of danger attached to bonfire night. As people sit and watch these cardboard tubes which are filled with explosives, being lit and then travel into the night sky where they explode in an array of colour. There is another side to the laughter and good times, each year hundreds of people are rushed into hospital with severe burns to their face, hands and bodies.

Many people will be holding their own family displays in their own gardens, these are great fun for all involved however like any display they must be properly set up. Firstly, many people will be trying to save money and some fireworks may be sold in the local pub, please remember that all fireworks MUST conform to British Standard number (BS 7114).

Once you purchased your fireworks from a reputable seller there are other precautions that MUST be followed in order you have a great night spent in the garden and not in the Emergency Department of your local hospital:

• Keep all fireworks in a fireproof sealed container, only taken them out when you require them for use, reseal the container.

• Always use a torch to read the instructions.

• When lighten your fireworks do not use a lighter or matches, use a proper taper (often supplied in good firework boxes).

• Some people think it's fine to hold the lighted firework, or even place it in a bottle this is very dangerous as to WILL burn you or a bottle will fall over, always place your firework in a container filled with sand or dirt-making sure it is properly secured and will not fall over.

• Never ever return to a lighted firework even if you think it has gone out.

By following these simple rules you will ensure that your bonfire night goes off with a bang for all the right reasons.