Labour Party leader Joseph Muscat has recommended a series of tighter, stricter measures in an attempt to curb fireworks disasters.
In a highly personal piece written for The Sunday Times (see page 13), Dr Muscat discloses how he has always feared the worst as the son of a man who lost part of a hand to a fireworks incident.
Dr Muscat recommended that plant licence holders should be obliged to log in, one day in advance, planned activities and materials to be handled for the following day. This log should be kept at a separate location and available for inspection.
He also proposed discussions on the feasibility of having CCTV cameras installed in strategic places within plants, with footage being transmitted to a separate location.
This would help identify what would have been going on in case of an accident, discourage unlicensed people from entering the premises, as well as report illegal practices. Emphasising the need for expert discussion on the matter, Dr Muscat said this is the closest one can get to a ‘black box’.
In his first reaction since the Għarb fireworks factory disaster last Sunday, the Labour leader proposed abolishing the current Licence A (manufacture and supervision) and Licence B (assistance) system and that all those wanting to take part in manufacturing should hold a new licence, which would be equivalent to today’s Licence A.
He acknowledged the 2008 changes to fireworks regulations were the best deterrent against illegal manufacturing in almost 25 years, especially since preventing this sector from going underground was important.
But he said that as a politician, he felt he had waited long enough and stricter action was required, especially where the production process was concerned.
“Authorities seem to act only on impulse of public pressure. Despite the rhetoric, even this pressure lasts only until funerals are over,” he said.
Dr Muscat concluded his piece by narrating the story of his father, who was injured in an accident as he tried to protect a young boy from banging an unignited petard against a wall.