OSHA Safety Guidelines for Retail Sales of Consumer Fireworks 

v. June 2004 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has compiled the following 

list of safety guidelines designed to advise owners of retail sales establishments 

and other affected employers of some procedures to enhance employee safety 

during the retail sale of consumer fireworks. It is important to understand that the 

accidental ignition and fire prevention measures should be followed to ensure a 

safe retail environment. Employers are encouraged to follow these or other more 

protective safety guidelines for the retail sale of consumer fireworks. The 

following safety guidelines do not supersede any regulatory requirements 

adopted at the Federal, State, or local levels. 

General guidelines for all sales venues 

• Obtain all necessary state and local permits, licenses, and inspections. 

• Post and enforce no smoking within 50 feet of fireworks sales areas. 

• Post and enforce no fireworks discharge within 300 feet of fireworks retail 

sales facilities and stores. 

• Maintain clear exit routes with a minimum of two ways out from every 

point. 

• Exit doors: 

o should not be locked when occupied; 

o should swing outward; 

o should not be obstructed; and 

o should have panic hardware if they latch (except for temporary 

stands). 

• Fire extinguishers should be operational and accessible. At least one 

should be a water type. 

• Secure (lock) the facility when closed and fireworks remain. 

• Remove damaged fireworks and loose pyrotechnic composition promptly 

and dispose of properly. Use non-sparking cleaning tools; not vacuum 

cleaners. 

• Maintain fixed fire protection features (i.e., keep fire doors closed). 

• Maintain required flame breaks in the retail sales displays unless the 

facility is sprinklered or temporary. 

• Maintain visual supervision of the fireworks sales area. 

• Do not store combustibles directly above fireworks displays unless 

properly separated. 

• Do not use open flames or heating devices with exposed elements. 

• Participate in safety training. 
2

• Aerial devices and audible ground devices require special attention and 

treatment. See NFPA 1124 Sections 7.10.5 (4) and 7.10.6. 

Consumer fireworks retail sales facilities* and stores* (except temporary 

Stands*) 

• Post an evacuation plan and understand how to implement it in an 

emergency. 

• Maintain aisles with a minimum 48 inches of clear width. 

• Maintain safe display arrangements not exceeding 6 feet in height except 

around the perimeter of the retail sales area which can not exceed 12 feet. 

• Ensure that all fireworks displayed for sale have fuses which are covered 

or are contained in packaging. 

• Know the location of manual pull stations and/or public address system 

controls and how to use them to sound a fire alarm. 

• Check emergency lighting to see that it is functional. 

• Check for exit signs: location, visibility, and illumination. 

• Verify that there are at least three ways out of the fireworks sales areas 

(except one-story stores not exceeding 3,000 square feet can have two). 

Consumer fireworks retail sales facilities* only 

• Keep combustible debris at least 30 feet away from the facility. 

• Don't park vehicles within 10 feet of the facility. 

• Keep portable generators and their fuels at least 20 feet away from the 

facility. 

Temporary stands* only 

• Maintain aisles with a minimum 28 inches of clear width. 

• Maintain a safe display arrangement of consumer fireworks not to exceed 

8 feet in height. 

• Do not allow the public into the temporary stand. 

• Verify there are at least two exit doors (doorways) that swing out. 

Tents* only 

• Verify that no open flame cooking is located within 50 feet of tents (20 feet 

for other types of cooking). 

• Exit openings must be 44-inches wide. 

* Venues are defined in NFPA 1124, Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, 

Storage and Retail Sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles.