'We take safety very seriously'

Fireworks enthusiasts are gearing up for the Our Saviour village feast of Lija, which reaches its climax today and tomorrow. But those working with the St Michael's Fireworks Factory are taking extra precautions to make sure everything runs smoothly.

This year, more than €8,000 has been spent on fibreglass to protect a glasshouse in the vicinity. A similar investment was made last year when €3,000 was spent on covering a football ground with fire-retardant wood.

"We take safety very seriously. Whenever we set off the fireworks we don't leave until we clean everything up," public relations officer Joseph Mangion said.

He preferred not to comment on the recent Marsa Sports Club incident, when a locker room containing expensive golfing equipment was engulfed in fire as ash from fireworks rained down on it, but said his factory's members were well aware of their responsibilities.

A number of unexploded petards were found on the Marsa golf course after the feast, which the Armed Forces of Malta said could kill or maim anyone who handled them.

"We keep a fire-engine close by, and we are constantly on the look-out for chunks of unexploded petards. We clear up everything to make sure no child can end up finding and playing with them by mistake," he said.

The man responsible for everything is Manwel Farrugia, 67, who has been in charge for 39 years. He says the fireworks business runs in the blood, in fact most of his family has been involved in the factory at some point or another.

"No one has had his factory licence longer than me. But sometimes the responsibility is hard to cope with because everything rests on your shoulders," he said, adding that fireworks are constantly on his mind. The thing that he enjoys most is the satisfaction of having finished everything as planned, but as the licensee, one of his difficulties is keeping up with the constant regulations being added.

"We are constantly bombarded with more regulations. They're stifling us... it's like they're tightening a vice on us. Some of the rules do not even make sense, it's like someone just dreamt up something and decides to make it a regulation," Mr Farrugia claimed.

In November 2007, one of the factory's most experienced fireworks enthusiasts, Anthony Farrugia, died in an accident at the factory, but both Mr Mangion and Mr Farrugia prefer not to dwell on the past.

"Twanny was not the only one who died up there. I think it's unfair to mention him and pretend the others did not exist.

"We keep him in our hearts, but no matter who died, the feast still always went on, and that is how it should be," Mr Mangion said.

"We will just do our best and we hope people will appreciate it," Mr Farrugia said, adding that the factory spends thousands of euros every year and depends on donations from the public.

When asked about the morning bangs that so many people complain about, the two men looked back in astonishment and answered: "What's wrong with them?"

The display today will start at 6.15 p.m. and another session will be held at 9.30 p.m. Ground fireworks will begin at 11.30 p.m. Tomorrow the fireworks will accompany the procession which begins at 7 p.m.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com