Burying time expired flares

[PilotWolf]

Given that certain posters feel the need to ridicule me on other threads and lie instead of discussing facts I am out of this discussion.

Good luck with your reliance on technology and sales to the misinformed...

PW

 

[webcraft]

Don't bury them please...

What do you suggest I do with them?

Some of them are over 20 years old. I don't want them in my shed beside the house, I don't want to drive 200 miles to get rid of them and I certainly don't want to risk injury by letting them off.

- W

 

[FishyInverness]

Webby, I know I should know, but my brain leaks sometimes....where exactly are you based? Might have a solution....drop me a p/m?

 

[maby]

What do you suggest I do with them?

Some of them are over 20 years old. I don't want them in my shed beside the house, I don't want to drive 200 miles to get rid of them and I certainly don't want to risk injury by letting them off.

- W

I'm afraid I don't have the staying power to read this entire thread - has anyone suggested burying them, but attaching a nice long string to the pull cord and then letting them off? I can't see any particular downside to that.

 

[claymore]

Webster - ok, I will come and get them, however, don't believe for a moment that that will be the last you will ever see of them

 

[AngusMcDoon]

What do you suggest I do with them?

Take them to a big police station and claim that you found them and you are being a responsible citizen and handing them in for public safety. This has always worked for me. Just make up a name and address and there will be no comeback. You won't be asked for identification. The police would almost certainly not approve if they knew what you were doing but it gets them safely and properly disposed. Large police stations have a safe box for keeping handed in or confiscated dangerous stuff like this and guns and ammunition. They don't publicise it obviously, but the facility is there nonetheless. Don't bury them. They are polluting.

 

[NormanS]

Webby, just a few miles to the NW of you there is a "Dumping Ground, Explosives" marked on the (old) chart. Just remarking.

 

[MM5AHO]

Is there any reasonable distance from the sea to be setting off old flares on Nov 5th?

Obviously not a good idea at the beach, but if far inland would this be a problem?

 

[NormanS]

Is there any reasonable distance from the sea to be setting off old flares on Nov 5th?

Obviously not a good idea at the beach, but if far inland would this be a problem?

One possible problem is that a parachute flare may be still burning when it hits the ground. How do I know?......

 

[FishyInverness]

Webby, just a few miles to the NW of you there is a "Dumping Ground, Explosives" marked on the (old) chart. Just remarking.

*Laughs*, As per the P/m webby....seems it's not much of a secret!

 

[MinorSwing]

Webby, just a few miles to the NW of you there is a "Dumping Ground, Explosives" marked on the (old) chart. Just remarking.

Well that got me thinking. In the South of England people can dump all their old flares into the sea over the USS Richard Montgomery off Sheerness. Nobody would notice a bit more explosive.

 

[lw395]

Well that got me thinking. In the South of England people can dump all their old flares into the sea over the USS Richard Montgomery off Sheerness. Nobody would notice a bit more explosive.

Unless it's the little bit of explosive that starts something?
Go for it, not my favourite part of the world...

 

[lw395]

Take them to a big police station and claim that you found them and you are being a responsible citizen and handing them in for public safety. This has always worked for me. Just make up a name and address and there will be no comeback. You won't be asked for identification. The police would almost certainly not approve if they knew what you were doing but it gets them safely and properly disposed. Large police stations have a safe box for keeping handed in or confiscated dangerous stuff like this and guns and ammunition. They don't publicise it obviously, but the facility is there nonetheless. Don't bury them. They are polluting.

A few years ago when there was no possibility of the CG taking flares I phoned a big police station in Portsmouth and asked if I could hand them in. They said yes.
So I turned up at the counter.
Behind the counter was a poster explaining about gun amnesties, and a memo about what the staff should do with handed in guns'n'ammo.
But they refused to take the flares and started asking questions
When I said I'd phoned and asked etc, they got really awkward.
I left, with my flares.
About 2 years later I took them to the CG.

 

[jerrytug]

Well that got me thinking. In the South of England people can dump all their old flares into the sea over the USS Richard Montgomery off Sheerness. Nobody would notice a bit more explosive.

You can't actually drive right over the Monty, because it is buoyed off and Medway VTS would be on your case unless you are invisible to radar or even Mk1 EB. So forget the 'South of England', perhaps somewhere closer to home such as your local deep fat fryer?

 

[AngusMcDoon]

A few years ago when there was no possibility of the CG taking flares I phoned a big police station in Portsmouth and asked if I could hand them in. They said yes.
So I turned up at the counter.
Behind the counter was a poster explaining about gun amnesties, and a memo about what the staff should do with handed in guns'n'ammo.
But they refused to take the flares and started asking questions
When I said I'd phoned and asked etc, they got really awkward.
I left, with my flares.
About 2 years later I took them to the CG.

So you see they do have the capability to take them off you. You just need the right approach to get them to do so, i.e. not ring them up before hand or let them know that they are really yours.

 

[Daydream believer]

When i handed in my verey pistol as i could no longer get shells for it the lady in the police station in Maldon took the pistol but said she could not take the shells.
I took the pistol back & said " no problem i will go outside & let them off first"
Needless to say she grabbed the lot
Have not tried it with flares though

 

[MinorSwing]

You can't actually drive right over the Monty, because it is buoyed off and Medway VTS would be on your case unless you are invisible to radar or even Mk1 EB. So forget the 'South of England', perhaps somewhere closer to home such as your local deep fat fryer?

I went round it fairly recently. You could quite easily lob the flares inside the cardinal marks.

 

[Mrs FG]

What do you suggest I do with them?

Some of them are over 20 years old. I don't want them in my shed beside the house, I don't want to drive 200 miles to get rid of them and I certainly don't want to risk injury by letting them off.

- W

PM Oldfatgit, who is a member of the Institute of Explosive Engineers.

 

[webcraft]

.
Tx

PM sent

- W

 

[oldfatgit]

For those that are interested this is the relevant part of my reply to Webcraft.

The point is that you are right to be cautious, pyrotechnics (including fireworks) are explosives and must be, by law, treated and handled properly. I have not read the entire thread and don't intend to, other than to say that disposal by burying, burning and dumping at sea or in a pond as some might think suitable are rightly illegal and can be dangerous, either immediately (burning) or in the fullness of time probably to a third party

The official way of disposing of them is as advised by the MCA, I did a search of TEP on their website and found the latest advise. They basically want you to try and dispose of them by one of the following before turning to them.

They want to try:

The place you brought them. They may offer a ‘take back’ scheme
Marinas (a small charge may apply).
Life Raft Service Stations (some offer a service).
The Council. They may be accepted at local recycling centres.

Once you have exhausted the above (which might incur a charge and refusing to pay is not a good reason give up) then you can contact one of their centres and arrange to take them for disposal. The important thing is that you are constrained by what is termed "Can Consignee Accept" procedures. If you turn up out of the blue then they will turn you away, you must arrange to hand them over according to their timetable. If you use a 3rd party courier then they must be trained, licensed and equipped to carry explosives (this is not cheap). As the amateur owner/user you just need to move them as you would hold them on a boat. Preferably in their original packaging or in an original waterproof plastic box. Packaging is very important when moving and handling explosives as it greatly effects how they react to such thing as a fire or a handling/traffic accident.

Eventually, once off your hands the items will be incinerated in a licensed facility which includes integrated pollution control measures to minimise the effect on the environment.

Obviously you need to inspect your flares in order to let them know their condition, over this you must be honest and take their advice. However, in respect of you own safety you need only be concerned if the body of the flare is split and the filling is coming out, either as a powder or as a damp mush. If you have any like that then you have a potential safety problem and this needs careful handling by properly EOD trained and licensed operators. In order to get this help you need to call the police (not 999) and explain exactly your situation. You will then have to follow their instructions and those of the Army/Navy/RAF EOD team who turn up, depending on urgency, to deal with the item. Most likely they will take them away unless they are so dangerous that they must be dealt with in place by a controlled burn/initiation of some form.

For background it is worth noting that the time expiry date is that date within which the manufacturers are sure that the items will be safe to use and will work with a failure rate of only 1 in a million. This assumes that the pyrotechnics have been stored and handled properly throughout their life, for instance my flares are stored on board in a sealed plastic container with a large amount of desiccant. I don't have any ready use ones clipped to the inside of locker lids etc where they can get damp and damaged. After the expiry date the items are outside of their design life and so may not work as reliably as the manufacturer states they should. They do not, however, become dangerous or unreliable overnight and it is likely that they will remain safe and reliable for a long time. What is more, so long as they are stored carefully, they are not likely to become dangerous, just unreliable.