Let me first express my sincere condolences to all those who have been affected by the recent spate of accidents involving fireworks factories all over the islands.
The situation requires urgent addressing.
The authorities have commissioned a board of inquiry whose terms of reference include the identification of causes, following which I would imagine we will see a change in laws and regulations and, more importantly, enforcement aimed at improving the current miserable situation.
From past events I dare say it is very improbable these investigations will discover the exact cause and effects of such disasters, especially since no one survived. However, the board, given its massive knowledge in the area of chemistry, should review the materials used, the procedures adopted as well as the environment within which the procedures are carried out.
Local factories still make extensive use of chlorates (barium and potassium chlorate), for the production of flash powder (berqa u bomba) and coloured stars used in coloured shells. Adding insult to injury, most factories still persist in screening the mixed flash (berqa) pyrotechnic mixture, which is considered highly unsafe by world-renowned pyrotechnic experts due to issues of airborne mixture dust and friction while screening. Furthermore, there are still ‘cowboys’ around who mix green flash using barium chlorate and sulphur which, besides being forbidden by law, is tantamount to suicide. Put all this in an environment which is not protected against risks of electrostatic discharge and exposure to UV light and you have the perfect concoction for the disaster we are unfortunately experiencing.
The authorities should seek ways to divert factories from the use of potassium and barium chlorate and adopt the much safer and less sensitive potassium perchlorat, whose bond energy makes it practically insensitive to friction and impact, drastically reducing the risks of unintended ignitions.
Material quality is also very important and all imported materials should be tested for purity levels. I personally doubt there is anything wrong with the materials currently at hand simply because should this be the case we would have had many more incidences with ignitions in the mixing stage and star pressing stages.
A point requiring further analysis is definitely the issue of pyrotechnic igniters and how their pyrotechnic composition reacts with black powder and other compositions used for lift charges (tiri) and ignition fuses (miċċa).
Rather than focusing on the ignition of these devices by electric induction, such as the use of mobile phones, we should concentrate on the chemical composition of the igniters and how these may react with other compositions should the shellac or lacquer coating normally acting as a physical barrier to such reaction be defective.
Also, the government should try and source funds to assist factories upgrade facilities in line with the board’s recommendations. In this regard it is important to note that the vast majority of fireworks factories are run by non-profit organisations whose funds are extremely limited and stressed by the costs of raw materials.
The time is now ripe to take an art in which the Maltese are regarded as world leaders to the next level. It will always be a risky business, and it’s up to all involved in the manufacturing to make each and every step of the cycle as safe as possible.
Accidents will always happen, but there is a significant difference between lightning hitting the fireworks shed, and a whole complex blowing up because of gross mismanagement, negligence and sometimes also gross ignorance of the subject.