Caroline Muscat
Fireworks regulations are being changed to boost safety measures and minimise the number of related accidents, according to the Home Affairs Ministry.
Changes to the Explosives Ordinance Act published yesterday in The Malta Government Gazette are based on the findings of an inquiry board set up in September 2010 following a spate of tragic firework accidents.
“The aim of the regulations is to enhance security without removing the viability and sustainability of the fireworks sector, which also has its importance culturally and is an important contributor to the tourism sector,” the ministry said.
The regulations fall short of endorsing the full recommendations of the board led by chemistry expert Alfred Vella but they do include the proposed ban on mixtures combining potassium chlorate and metals.
Under the new regulations, potassium chlorate can still be used but cannot be mixed with metals.
The quantity of potassium chlorate that can be stored at a fireworks factory has been reduced by 150kg to 1,000kg. It is one of three main amendments in the new rules, which also now stipulate the amount of insurance cover fireworks factories require.
The figure, set at €300,000, has to cover third parties as well as personal damage.
The third main amendment is that product suppliers must submit written declarations on the purity of the primary material used in the manufacture of fireworks. This falls short of the board’s recommendation for all chemical mixtures to undergo rigorous scientific testing before they can be used in fireworks manufacture and suggested establishing a specialised testing centre for this purpose.
Prof. Vella had compared Maltese fireworks manufacturers to untrained musicians who could play elaborate symphonies but could only play by ear, without reading the score.
“Maltese pyrotechnicians are fantastic at what they do but many lack the scientific know-how necessary when dealing with volatile chemical compositions,” he said, adding that the result was a fireworks accident rate far higher than that in other European countries.
Under the new regulations, fireworks enthusiasts will no longer need to attend refresher courses every two years as this has been extended to five years.
The new rules will enter into force on October 1.
The ministry’s policy developer, Joseph St John, said consultations were held with the pyrotechnics lobby and with the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Michael Falzon, who was the lobby’s lawyer until recently.