Out of Date Flare's?

[Forest fella]

Evening, I've just found my old ''out of date'' Signalling Flares & Smokers, And I've made the calls to 999 and such, but had no luck and they have asked me to get in touch with the Coast Guards.
So I can get them taken away / make safe.
Any other tips or Methods known.
cheer's

 

[Mesquite]

Go into the middle of a big field after dark next Tuesday and have your own personal firework display with them

 

[Forest fella]

would that be safe? or even legal?.
that's my question

 

[Janne]

Fire brigade?

They should be absolute fine if kept dry, but as horrible accidents can potentially happen, you are doing the correct thing to dispose of them using professionals.

The best is to 'activate' the flares once a year ( New Year) and buy new ones.
That is what you see all around fishing communities in Norway, on the night of New Year.

 

[Van-Wild]

Are they still sealed? Casings not broken? Outer seals not cracked?

If the answer to that is yes, it's a simple case of taking them to your local cop shop and handing them in for amnesty. Same thing happens at football matches across the country when fans are found with flares and the like.

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[Forest fella]

Yes they are un-opened and in there cases / Packaging.
And Thank you very much for the info.
cheer's

 

[Van-Wild]

No probs

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[Mesquite]

would that be safe? or even legal?.
that's my question

So long as you take proper safety precautions and don't endanger anyone then it's fine.

They're not illegal to own and use and you're disposing of them safely so no probs. It's when you start doing dumb things withj them like setting them off in crowded places does it become a problem

 

[Van-Wild]

So long as you take proper safety precautions and don't endanger anyone then it's fine.

..... you're disposing of them safely so no probs. It's when you start doing dumb things withj them like setting them off in crowded places does it become a problem

This is incorrect. See below quote off RYA website:

'Disposing of out of date flares

Flares contain explosives, once they are past their expiry date it is essential that out of date flares or Time Expired Pyrotechnics (TEP) are disposed of carefully.

It is illegal to dump flares at sea, illegal to dump them on land and illegal to let them off in anything other than an emergency.'

Take them to the police station and hand them over buddy. Then it's all above board and legit.

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[Forest fella]

Ok cheers, I'll contact the Police 1st and see how it goes, And try the other option's if needed.
thank you.

 

[lou1661]

Www.gov.uk/guidance/disposing-of-unwanted-marine-flares
fairly straightforward, I assume your reference to 999 was about contacting the emergency services, not asking about how to dispose of the flares?

 

[Forest fella]

I had to contact 101 which is the ''Non Emergency'' contact number for my neck of the woods,that and I texted a pal who's a copper, And they have sorted it out for me, And there coming out to my house in afew days if not sooner.

 

[Toddy]

Go into the middle of a big field after dark next Tuesday and have your own personal firework display with them

I've got one too, I hadn't thought of doing that with it ! Inspired

M

 

[Toddy]

Oops, just read the rest of the thread.
Police station it is then

 

[demographic]

Would anyone even notice if you set em off on Bonfire night?

 

[Nomad64]

This is incorrect. See below quote off RYA website:

'Disposing of out of date flares

Flares contain explosives, once they are past their expiry date it is essential that out of date flares or Time Expired Pyrotechnics (TEP) are disposed of carefully.

It is illegal to dump flares at sea, illegal to dump them on land and illegal to let them off in anything other than an emergency.'

Take them to the police station and hand them over buddy. Then it's all above board and legit.

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I’d be interested to see what bit of legislation they are referring to?

I suspect that while it is an offence to let off signal flares in a situation where they are likely to be mistaken for a distress signal (a bit like calling 999 and mucking about), letting off a flare at a time when the sky is going to be full of pyrotechnics is hardly likely to result in lifeboats etc. being launched.

FWIW, I was in the same situation as the OP needing to dispose of some out of date flares and did exactly what other have suggested - waited until early November and managed to get rid of them discretely, safely and with no dramas!

 

[oldtimer]

Disappointed. I thought this thread was going to be about trousers I've had in the wardrobe since the 1970s.

 

[Janne]

Disappointed. I thought this thread was going to be about trousers I've had in the wardrobe since the 1970s.

They must be worth some good money now!

I guess it depends on the age of the flares, but the propellrant ages, and might become a bit more unstable.
Having been on Emergency room duty on some weekends where fireworks are used in Sweden, and assisted in the care of damaged hands, I would not fire them off.
Just not worth the risk, imo!

I personally replace my flares once a year.

 

[Van-Wild]

I’d be interested to see what bit of legislation they are referring to?

I suspect that while it is an offence to let off signal flares in a situation where they are likely to be mistaken for a distress signal (a bit like calling 999 and mucking about), letting off a flare at a time when the sky is going to be full of pyrotechnics is hardly likely to result in lifeboats etc. being launched.

FWIW, I was in the same situation as the OP needing to dispose of some out of date flares and did exactly what other have suggested - waited until early November and managed to get rid of them discretely, safely and with no dramas!

Here you go buddy. Tis the law ol' chap.

Www.gov.uk/guidance/disposing-of-unwanted-marine-flares

Do as ye wish. I am no law man, but if one should appear whilst someone let's off a flare without good cause you're on your own!

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[Nomad64]

Here you go buddy. Tis the law ol' chap.

Www.gov.uk/guidance/disposing-of-unwanted-marine-flares

Do as ye wish. I am no law man, but if one should appear whilst someone let's off a flare without good cause you're on your own!

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At the risk of splitting hairs ‘ol chap, that is not “legislation” just guidance on the law relating to marine distress flares issued by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

A quick bit of g00gle-fu threw up various threads on forums where yachty types were getting blazer buttons in a bit of muddle over this but the closest anyone could come up with was the Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/75/made

Regulation 3 sets out the responsibilities of the masters of vessels in relation to distress signals. However, at the time I was disposing of my old signal flares, rather than being the master of a ship, I was leaning out of a window in a flat in central Brum, which is about as far from the sea in the UK as it is possible to get while the sky was lit up with fireworks from bonfire night, Diwali celebrations and (probably), drive by shootings.

Happy to be pointed in the direction of specific legislation relating to letting off flares on land and I’m sure there are potential public order offences if the flares are being used dangerously (IIRC a few years ago someone let off a flare at a football stadium and killed someone in the opposite stand) or to cause a nuisance or to deliberately hoax the emergency services, but in the real world, letting off what is basically a firework during a firework display in the middle of a city 50 plus miles from the sea is unlikely to be of interest to anyone in authority even if they could tell the difference between a distress flare and a Harmonious Mega Scarlet Interplanetary Sky Shredder Delux rocket from the cornershop.

If the OP can find someone to take his old flare away for disposal then great but if not, as he is a long way from the sea or any mountain or moorland and the countryside is as soggy as it can get, next week would seem an ideal opportunity to get rid of them and personally, I would feel far safer letting off an out of date distress flare than a firework.

TBH rather than being worried about the firework police, the sheer number of unnecessary apostrophe’s () on this thread has probably got the grammar police careering around the country with their blue’s () and two’s () on to execute multiple arrest warrant’s ().