Dutch authorities reject one in four F2 fireworks, safety concerns remain

The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) rejected 25.8 percent of F2 consumer fireworks tested this year, a notable drop from last year’s 40.9 percent failure rate. F2 fireworks cover items like ground spinners and fountains.

Reinder Auwema from the ILT says that a 25 percent rejection rate is still too high. “High-quality fireworks are achievable. Importers simply need to take responsibility and invest in safety, such as personally verifying that the fireworks comply with all safety standards.”

Every year, the ILT examines the riskiest F2 fireworks. This year, 186 different products were tested. Notably, fireworks with extremely short (under three seconds) or long (over eight seconds) fuse delays drew attention.

“A fuse that’s too short doesn’t give enough time to move to a safe distance, while a long fuse increases the risk that someone will approach to see why it hasn’t lit,” Auwema explains.

Additional causes for failing inspection included unintended explosions, duds, and burning fragments traveling more than 8 meters from the firework. Importers are required to withdraw rejected fireworks from the market and destroy them at their own cost. The ILT also noted deviations in 19.3 percent of products, though these were not severe enough to warrant rejection.

Consumers can only purchase F2 fireworks on the designated sales days. For 2025, these fall on Monday, December 29, Tuesday, December 30, and Wednesday, December 31.