This article is brought to you from the Times of Malta concerning dangerous chemicals in fireworks.
Experts behind a 2011 report on the fireworks industry have called for an urgent ban on dangerous chemical mixtures that are still used by local pyrotechnics enthusiasts despite being banned abroad.
The report, commissioned in the wake of the September 2010 tragedy at the Farrugia Brothers Factory in G?arb that killed six people, found that Maltese enthusiasts used highly volatile chemical mixtures prohibited in many other countries, and that manufacturers were often rash when making fireworks.
Speaking to The Times yesterday, Prof. Alfred Vella, chairman of the board of inquiry, said banning specific chemical mixtures would be a relatively easy measure that could be taken immediately.
The overriding concern is with mixtures combining potassium chlorate (putassa) and metals. Potassium perchlorate (perkolat) could be used instead but the report recommended limiting the use of this chemical too.
The concentration of products in fewer factories has been a growing concern following a series of accidents in the past years that destroyed major factories, such as the one used by Mosta for its feast.
For more information and the full article please refer to the link above.