Out of date Flares and Flarepack Special offers
21 Mar 2010
We are happy to take your out of date flares when you purchase new ones from The Chandlery. Special Offer Flare Packs: Inshore Flare Pack £48.75, Coastal Flare Pack £86.95, Offshore Flare Pack £165.95, RORC Flare Pack £195.50. Sorry we will not send out Flarepacks please reserve and collect from The Chandlery.
Information from the Aberdeen Coastguard Website
Find out how to safely dispose of time expired pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics in this case means marine distress flares / signals.
Do Not
- Do Not Throw pyrotechnics overboard. see note 1 below
- Do Not Throw pyrotechnics in the bin.
- Do Not Use any pyrotechnic, which have been lying in salt water. see note 1 below
- Do Not Fire them off except in case of emergency. see note 2 below
Note 1 Salt water causes the flares internal aluminium casing to corrode and swell, it also makes the propellant unstable. Therefore if you pick one up it may go off of its own accord and if you are holding it, it may explode as it cannot exit the casing via the top as it may get stuck in the casing. These get washed up on beaches and can cause injuries to young children who find them and pick them up.
Note 2 This not only wastes the emergency services time but could delay the response to a real emergency
It is also a criminal offence under the The Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations, punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years and a fine. The Merchant Shipping Regulations and a Prosecution
So what can you do to safely dispose of marine pyrotechnics!
1.) Hand them back to the Ships Chandler when you buy new ones as they have their own network and facilities to dispose of them.
The MCA / HM Coastguard has not and does not accept pyrotechnics from companies or organisations.
i.e. public money is not used to subsidise private business.
2.) View the latest advice from the MCA Time expired Pyrotechnics Disposal Advice
Point of interest. The most out of date pyrotechnic handed in to us was 38 years out of date.
Would you feel safe firing that one off.
