a safe legal location for amateur experimentation and testing in N W Leicestershire

Icarus - looking v possible for a site visit late afternoon Monday 23rd January. I am working in Somerset on the morning of the 23rd and will be overnighting somewhere on the top side of Leicester ready to head off to  work at Chesterfield the next day. Perhaps you could PM me if this is ok.     

An update for those following the thread.

I was unable to meet Icarus as he didnt read my post or PM until after I had returned to base.

We are in contact and I hope to offer a site visit on 6th February when I will be passing through the area.

Site visit approximately 1500 hrs on 6th February.

Will post some thoughts ( with permission of Icarus) at the earliest opportunity afterwards.

Site visit approximately 1500 hrs on 6th February.

Will post some thoughts ( with permission of Icarus) at the earliest opportunity afterwards.

Very interested to read your report.

site visit  today . Thanks for advice received !! .Please publish all details ........   One  thought we had was  "what has happened to the sheds from Wells  firework factory ". I would be delighted to give them a new home until a suitable museum can be found . It would be wonderful to have them restored maintained and back to their original use all be it  on a smaller scale ....

So far it looks like we can have a casual camping area with barbecue fire pit and charcoal production Electricity available. Then through a field gate  into a separate safe area to build and test pyrotechnic devices on an  amateur hobby /informal group basis .  I have left the field totally empty  to make the planning and positioning easier . 

HELP WANTED----is there anyone  who is willing to offer qualified legal advice as to liabilities incurred best way to move forward  as an informal hobby group etc

also has anyone  small sheds  we can use to make  production area , storage,  rocket motor pressing  , drying  etc as separate widely spaced tiny units

.

Anyone supplying such a shed would be welcome to come and take it back off site if for example they moved house and  wished to take it with them at any future date.. What i am offering is free siting and maintenance in return for use by myself and other visiting hobby enthusiasts .

Please post the base dimensions and position of doors , I hope Danny will be able to allocate an optimum position and direction door faces on the site plan

The site plan is presently a blank sheet of paper

It would be nice to have hydraulic press  fly press , star rollers ,visco machine  etc later   (my wish list!!!! )

I do  not wish to micro-manage this project if anyone out there would like to take over any aspect of it they would be very welcome.

I have a title deed copy from land registry newly arrived  just in case we need it later.  the ordnance survey extract was wrong scale so replacement reqd

I will be posting field dimensions and shape to give everyone an idea of the scale of what is possible..

It appears that i can transfer  responsibility from myself to whoever is using the area   If this proves to be correct it will be possible for 7 day 24hr availability 

therefore

  ***THE AREA WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO BE USED  EVEN WHEN I AM AWAY OR  ON HOLIDAY!!!!  I DONT NEED TO BE THEIR ON EVERY OCCASION***

I do not wish to come a cross as difficult but.

Are you saying in other words, that if you're not there you can transfer liability to whoever is occupying your land.

Just to add.

I believe within bounds the society could help finance such a scheme. I don't know the view of other staff members but I believe it would be a progressive step in forwarding the pyrotechnic community at large.
 

site visit  today . Thanks for advice received !! .Please publish all details ........   One  thought we had was  "what has happened to the sheds from Wells  firework factory ". I would be delighted to give them a new home until a suitable museum can be found . It would be wonderful to have them restored maintained and back to their original use all be it  on a smaller scale ....

 

So far it looks like we can have a casual camping area with barbecue fire pit and charcoal production Electricity available. Then through a field gate  into a separate safe area to build and test pyrotechnic devices on an  amateur hobby /informal group basis .  I have left the field totally empty  to make the planning and positioning easier . 

Last I heard they were still at Amberley. If it could be established that they are still in a useable condition and transport could be arranged it would be great for them to be erected. Any home would be better than rusting away.

In answer to  Vics question on liability . Although not a commercially licensed facility we would have to adopt  safe working practices at all times  . . When you are at  work the health and safety at work act states that your personal safety and the safety of others is your responsibility .The same rule applies under British law in that if at any time you are acting irresponsibly  for example cycling at high speed on the pavement . you face not just the risk of prosecution but if as a result of this negligent action you collide with and injure someone they may well sue you and receive substantial financial payment from you.this is due to your negligence.

Therefore  I would be able to appoint anyone as site safety marshal for the day. they would simply sign to acknowledge acceptance of this responsibility. They would then  ensure that experimentation that day was carried out   within the rules we had agreed .

Working in pairs offers excellent safeguards  chemical quantities can be checked , procedures discussed  as an extreme example it would prevent a novice from tumbling flash composition in a ball mill

I believe Exat was of the opinion it would be possible for me to  appoint others to work in my absence    So  yes it can be used when i am not present with responsibility transferred

Working alone i made a mistake which had unsuspected consequences  had i sat back and thought it through they would not have happened!!

I was experimenting as to the effects of different binders resorcinol, araldite , silicon sealant  etc had on an oxidiser fuel mix .  To do this i caste the samples in ice cube trays..I was placing visco fuse into each sample as a safe ignition method . I had a large quantity of poor quality insensitive bridgeless igniters i was testing. I had my results and needed  to dispose of the igniters  so without careful consideration i placed some of  them into the ice cube tray mixes as an alternative to visco . fuse .  The result was as i should have predicted and didnt --- on firing the igniters lit the centre of a resin contained cube -this resulted in a loud report as pieces of ignited mix were expelled in all directions effectively a mini mine!!!

As this occurred behind my recycled riot shield screen it was entertaining and presented no danger .but it  served as to a Wake up call  not to continue work when tired ,

Just a quick update.

I hope to have a draft of the report on the site in the next day or so.

My day jobs have to take priority and I haven't been back at base very much lately. My diary is a bit quieter for the next week so stay tuned. 

In answer to Icarus if we follow Wayne's documentation in the Good Practice Guidance section V, it will give us a good starting point. Link to the relevant document  http://www.pyrosocie...evision-1.5.pdf

Will it be possible exat808 to see the draught report in some form.

It has been suggested the possibility that the Amberley sheds, if in a serviceable condition could be erected on site, is this something that Icarus would consider. Edit this has already been suggested.

Edited by Vic, 15 February 2017 - 08:43 PM.

I haven't abandoned the possibility of a safe site . I will erect some tiny sheds as soon as we have a draft suggestion as to optimum positioning. Sorry everyone that i missed the AGM  Also i  recently lost and had to replace my moby so i have my same phone number but i haven't got anyones phone number now  .