Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 837 - DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL › Division 12 - PUBLIC DISPLAY OF FIREWORKS IN OREGON › Section 837-012-0870 - Loading and Firing of Shells

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
(1)
			 Shells must be carried from the storage area to the discharge site only by
			 their bodies, never by their fuses.
EXCEPTION
: It is generally believed it is not safe
				to be loading mortars within ten feet of mortars being fired. When loading a
				shell into a recently fired mortar, the person should crouch alongside the
				mortar with his back toward the area where shells are being fired.
(2) Shells must be checked for
			 proper fit in their mortars prior to the display.
(3) When being loaded into the mortars,
			 shells must be held by their fuses or lowering cord if provided and carefully
			 lowered into the mortar. At no time may the person loading the shells place any
			 part of their body over the mouth of the mortar.
(4) The person loading shells must be
			 reasonably certain the shells are properly seated in the bottom of the mortars.
(5) Shells must not, under any
			 circumstances, be forced into a mortar too small to accept them. Shells that do
			 not fit properly into the mortars must not be fired.
(6) The safety cap protecting the fuse must
			 not be removed until immediately before the shell is to be fired.
EXCEPTION
: Where electrical ignition is used,
				there is no requirement for a safety cap.
(7) Shells may be ignited by lighting the tip
			 of the fuse with a fusee, torch, portfire, or similar device. The operator must
			 never place any part of their body over the mortar at any time. As soon as the
			 fuse is ignited, the operator must turn away from or retreat from the mortar
			 area.
EXCEPTION
: Alternatively, electrical ignition may
				be used.
(8) The first shell
			 fired must be observed carefully by the operator to determine that its
			 trajectory is such that the shell functions over the fall-out area and that any
			 dangerous debris or unexploded shells will land in the fall-out area. The
			 operator must determine whether or not to begin the display and must monitor
			 the display continuously to determine if the display continues to meet all
			 requirements for the continuance of the display.
(9) The display must be interrupted and the
			 mortars must be re-angled or repositioned as necessary for safety any time
			 during a display. In the case of a barge, the display must be interrupted and
			 the barge must be repositioned as necessary for safety any time during display.
(10) In the event of a shell
			 failing to ignite in the mortar, the mortar must be marked in some manner to
			 indicate the presence of an unfired shell, and the mortar may not be reloaded
			 or reused so long as the misfired shell remains. Immediately following the
			 display but no sooner than 15 minutes after the attempted firing, if the shell
			 still has not fired, the mortar must be cautiously flooded with water and let
			 stand for a minimum of five minutes before it is cautiously emptied of the
			 shell. The operator must be knowledgeable in the proper disposal methods.
NOTE
: Flooding the mortar with water may not be
				advisable in all cases, perhaps allow the mortar to stand additional time
				before removing the shell if it is not to be flooded.
EXCEPTION
: When electrical ignition is used and
				the firing failure is electrical in nature or the aerial shell was
				intentionally not fired, the shell may be salvaged by the operator.
(11) It is the responsibility of
			 the person igniting the aerial shells to detect when a shell does not fire from
			 a mortar. That person must warn others in the area and immediately cause the
			 mortar to be marked to indicate the presence of an unfired aerial shell.
EXCEPTION
: When electrically firing, it is not
				necessary to mark the mortar. However, individuals entering the area after the
				fireworks display must conduct themselves as though unfired shells remain until
				advised to the contrary by the operator.
(12) Manual re-ignition of chain fused aerial
			 shells may only be attempted at properly installed ignition points.
Stat. Auth.: ORS 480.150
Stats. Implemented: ORS 480.110 -
				  480.165