Call for regular inspections at fireworks factories

Regular on-site inspections of fireworks factories would serve to make the practice safer, according to 63.5 per cent of those who responded to an online poll by The Times.

The rest of the respondents were split on whether tougher laws (18.8 per cent) or more enforcement (17.6 per cent) could finally spell an end to the tragedies that keep occurring.

A total of 2,018 people logged on to take part in the poll, which ran for just under seven days and posed the question "what will make the manufacture of fireworks safer?"

The question comes after two men - Antoine Cilia (Il-Pexx), 34, and Charles Farrugia (il-Bagalji), 59, - died after the fireworks factory of St Joseph's De Rohan Band Club in Wied Qirda was rocked by two powerful explosions on June 4.

Another five men were involved in the accident, but while three were released that same day, two remained critical. Luckily, Joe Zammit (Iz-Zelli), 38, has just been released but his other friend, Anthony Agius (Il-Haruf), 42, has not been so fortunate and he remains in the hospital's intensive care unit battling for his life.

This tragedy has sparked a heated debate on whether fireworks should be enjoyed at the expense of losing lives. One person made the point that saving the lives of the people who worked in these "hothouses" could only be achieved through regular and thorough inspections. It was not right to sacrifice lives for the beauty of fireworks, he said.

A Maltese residing in Canada expressed bafflement at how people in Malta "were still blowing themselves up while making fireworks, in this day and age".

"Obviously they are taking shortcuts and not following proper safety procedures. There should be a government-sponsored effort to properly train fireworks' makers both in the manufacture and safety procedure. Safety procedures should be enforced through regular inspection and refresher training," he suggested.

Another man suggested that fireworks should be manufactured a safe distance from where they are stored, and when a petard was ready it should be stored immediately.

"The safest solution is to ban fireworks, but who is prepared to celebrate a festa without the excellent pyrotechnic shows that we are accustomed to in Malta," he added.

Others suggested this practice should be made illegal, with one person going as far as to say that: "The author Marco Puzo, who wrote The Godfather, also wrote an otherwise uninspiring novel called Fools Die. I rest my case. Some people never learn."

Another followed this train of thought and commented that the country would benefit from the absence of loud blasts in the early morning hours of the weekend.

One cynic vented his frustration on the matter: "It is laughable. The Maltese pride themselves as a Christian people and yet there is scant regard for human life, except the life on an embryo of course. Every year or so firework factories keep claiming lives... All it takes is determination to eradicate this carnage. Can it happen? Yes. Will it happen? No."

This sentiment was echoed by another person who felt there were absolutely no safety measures that could be adopted when "handling a time bomb ready to explode".

"We should ban fireworks, which cost the lives of citizens. We should do this for the suffering wives, children and relatives. Human life is irreplaceable," he insisted. One person felt that none of the poll's choices really captured his sentiments.

"Safety is not an issue relevant only to Malta or the fireworks industry. To paraphrase David Learmount of Flight International, what is needed (in any industry) is a 'safety culture' - i.e. how people act when they're not being watched."