CE mark on fireworks may have to go!

[AnthonyUKpyro]

I've been reading online that when the UK leaves the EU, the CE mark that is applied to many goods, including consumer fireworks, can no longer be used by the UK and companies that manufacture and export goods abroad and those that import goods into the UK i.e. fireworks companies and sell here will have to adopt a UK mark of some kind. It could also mean that we could get back to developing our own safety standards for fireworks, but UK manufacturers say that developing a UK mark for goods could complicate matters and lead to more costs if the UK can no longer use the CE mark for it's products. Interesting times ahead.

 

[Somersetpyro]

It'll depend what deal we have. Like so many areas it's all full of uncertainty until we know which way brexit is going

 

[Vladster]

We're definitely leaving the EU one way or another, that's for certain, fk knows what happens after that tbh

 

[Maxywell]

I'm guessing that won't actually come into effect on March 29th... there's no way everything ce marked could be changed in time it would cause chaos and likely cost the UK billions.It'll be a fazed change over 2 or 3 years much like the change to ce was probably.

 

[AnthonyUKpyro]

I'm guessing that won't actually come into effect on March 29th... there's no way everything ce marked could be changed in time it would cause chaos and likely cost the UK billions.It'll be a fazed change over 2 or 3 years much like the change to ce was probably.

I think they'll run down CE stock in 2 years and remark products with the new UK mark product while those existing CE products are run out.

 

[Krony]

Tbh imo nothing will change for a while and if it does it will be the same CE products and testing but the UK will have to use a different legislation mark, i.e. the testing has been done for CE so the UK accepts that but just sticks a BS stamp on it.

 

[Somersetpyro]

Tbh imo nothing will change for a while and if it does it will be the same CE products and testing but the UK will have to use a different legislation mark, i.e. the testing has been done for CE so the UK accepts that but just sticks a BS stamp on it.

Definitely agree there, the industry would strongly resent a complete legislation change I think, also seems a bit pointless to me lol

 

[AnthonyUKpyro]

Tbh imo nothing will change for a while and if it does it will be the same CE products and testing but the UK will have to use a different legislation mark, i.e. the testing has been done for CE so the UK accepts that but just sticks a BS stamp on it.

But if the UK has been told it can no longer use the CE mark on consumer products like fireworks, then there has to be a strategy to introduce a new BS mark of our own in some form and introduce it so we are not breaking EU laws by using something that we are NOT entitled to use no more as a non member of the European Union.

When a country leaves Europe then it CANNOT technically keep using European Standards for its own country products and has to refrain from it as soon as is practicably possible, which is why they have to be phased out in favour of a countries own standards.

A two to three year phase out of CE Fireworks in the United Kingdom is enough time to quickly formulate a new British product standard mark and bring in any new product standard testing regimes that may also be required.

European Standards for UK consumer goods are weak and utterly dangerous with less safe product parameters and requirements which is why the British Fireworks Association and Firework Makers Guild were absolutely livid at what they had to adopt and accept from idiots in Europe who have absolutely no clue whatsoever as what contributes to safe consumer product and they STILL don't to this very day - idiots in Brussels have a mentality of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing...

 

[Maxywell]

Almost everything in the UK is ce marked from fridges to hoovers to fireworks.It won't be a case of the EU just telling us we can no longer use it as it would cost billions not just to the UK but to other foreign manufacturers to retest everything to a different standard.Most likely the ce mark will just be copied over and given a different name and eventually certain items will start to differ slightly because we'll be able to use our own safety standards but that likely won't be for at least a couple of years.CE fireworks won't change before 2021 at the earliest in my opinion.

 

[AnthonyUKpyro]

Almost everything in the UK is ce marked from fridges to hoovers to fireworks.It won't be a case of the EU just telling us we can no longer use it as it would cost billions not just to the UK but to other foreign manufacturers to retest everything to a different standard.Most likely the ce mark will just be copied over and given a different name and eventually certain items will start to differ slightly because we'll be able to use our own safety standards but that likely won't be for at least a couple of years.CE fireworks won't change before 2021 at the earliest in my opinion.

Those countries in the EU won't have to change a single thing as those countries still in the EU will essentially stick to it and keep using CE marks as per normal on their product, on the other hand we, the UK, ARE affected, because we are pulling out of the European Union and as such, have been told as such, that we cannot carry on using the CE mark on UK product after March 29th.

You are right @Maxywell, there will probably be a transitional period for a new UK mark to be phased in and become permanent, at least over 2-3 years at most, that is assured, it's not going to just disappear overnight in a flash, as Tommy Cooper would say "just like that!", and yet it remains to be seen what UK manufacturers and importers what they will actually do.

An option would be to stick a UK mark sticker of some sort over the CE mark as this would help somewhat and prevent any discord, alarm, worry and upset amongst UK firework retail product companies and those companies who provide F4 compliant professional fireworks, which are also marked CE, for display companies, that would be an obvious easy way to do it as Krony says, and this would help in the short term until something new comes along which UK firework retail products companies and suppliers to professional display firms can follow and work to.

 

[Pyrobrummie]

If the labelling does have to change and they put an end date to when old labelled stock needs to be sold then there's a possibility of some severely reduced pyro at that moment in time... Ahhhhh cheap pyro 

Be rude not to indulge

 

[FATKAT24]

Apparently the new marking will be UKCA and will be introduced once we leave the EU

 

[Somersetpyro]

Don't be surprised if the new marking has exactly the same safety standards and rules as existing CE legislation. At least for a number of years until they sort everything out lol

 

[AnthonyUKpyro]

Just read online, it's a very tight transition of 1 year to change UK fireworks products from CE to UKCA marking which must be complete at the end of this year.

The only way the fireworks manufacturers can satisfy this requirement if there's CE stock is to sell existing stock at normal pricing and get the producers of their fireworks in China to make their existing products and any new additions with the new UKCA mark on the fireworks and their packaging.

The old excuse "we didn't have enough notice to do it" wouldn't wash with the law and could very well land UK fireworks companies in trouble if they don't prepare quickly enough to exit the CE mark on new 2022 stock.

 

[Firework madness]

Just read online, it's a very tight transition of 1 year to change UK fireworks products from CE to UKCA marking which must be complete at the end of this year.

The only way the fireworks manufacturers can satisfy this requirement if there's CE stock is to sell existing stock at normal pricing and get the producers of their fireworks in China to make their existing products and any new additions with the new UKCA mark on the fireworks and their packaging.

The old excuse "we didn't have enough notice to do it" wouldn't wash with the law and could very well land UK fireworks companies in trouble if they don't prepare quickly enough to exit the CE mark on new 2022 stock.

Rather the make new rules surely it would be easier to adjust the bs rules as manufacturers have used them before so they have a better idea

 

[AnthonyUKpyro]

Rather the make new rules surely it would be easier to adjust the bs rules as manufacturers have used them before so they have a better idea

Trouble is, UK consumer retail fireworks comply to the European Standard BS-EN15947 requirements as we abolished BS7114 totally in July 4th 2017 and the UK have no replacement requirements in place to supersede this set of standards.

The UK would have to set up a brand new testing regime and new set of requirements for UK firework spectator safety distances, requirements for fallout and debris, fusing, effect heights etc and given all the excessive (and at times nonsensical) European enforced legislation imposed on UK firework manufacturers / distributors / importers, it would effectively end up killing some companies and end up with them either leaving the UK fireworks game or going bust altogether, but on another advantage having said that, we are no longer at the mercy of CE certification / labelling etc as we are out of the EU, and manufacturers / importers and distributors can jolly well do what they like such as bringing back the stuff the EU outlawed from UK consumer use ie setpieces, waterfalls, multigerb devices, large wheels / rotating devices etc and multi-roman candle tridents and bouquets, and similar.

Things will eventually get to a level where we can bring back the joy in fireworks once more getting back what the EU has taken away from us.