Burns Fireworks - Headlines

Going Up In Smoke
June 30, 2008

In the land where fireworks were invented,
the ancient industry is struggling to survive

Chen Tiezhong will likely spend the Fourth of July worrying about the future of his sprawling fireworks factory. China, where fireworks were invented, is running short of ports from which to ship the dangerous cargoes abroad.

China's fireworks industry provides 98 percent of America's overall needs, and 80 percent of the pyrotechnics needed for professional displays. But the U.S. fireworks business stands to lose $25 million to $30 million this year because of lost orders, says Julie Heckman, executive director for the American Pyrotechnics Association.

A Missouri firm says it backed out of some shows because of the shortage. Meanwhile, some Chinese factories are being pushed close to bankruptcy.

"Our factory will be forced to close, whether we want it or not," said Chen Tiezhong at his sprawling 500 employee operation in Liuyang in central Hunan province.

His factory is one of 900 around this small city that is known as China's fireworks capital. A traffic circle features a massive metal sculpture of rockets soaring and bursting into flower-like shapes.

The Chinese word for fireworks is "yanhua" or "smoke flowers."

Most of the factories are far from town, tucked safely away among the farms in surrounding hills and valleys. Chen rattles off a litany of woes: micro-thin profit margins, rising labor costs and soaring prices for raw materials.

Now, the closure of some Chinese ports to fireworks may be the final straw.

In February, a blast at a fireworks warehouse led to a ban on fireworks shipments at the southern port of Sanshui, Guangdong province, which previously handled 20 percent of China's pyrotechnic exports.

Then, in late March, officials stopped fireworks shipments at Nanshan, another Guangdong port, after inspectors found explosives that had been declared as something else.

Guangdong may not allow fireworks shipments to resume, because the province is trying to shift its economy to more sophisticated goods.

Adding to the industry woes, China has ordered major ports such as Shanghai and Hong Kong to suspend shipments of explosives as part of tightened security ahead of August's Beijing Olympics.

"It's been extremely difficult," Chen said. "There is simply no way out even if we're willing to pay 10,000 yuan (more than U.S. $1,400) extra for each container."

In China, 30 to 40 percent of fireworks for overseas customers have not shipped, forcing many of the country's 7,000 factories to curtail or even stop taking orders, said Liu Donghui, the secretary-general of China-based International Fireworks Association.

Many Ships Refuse to Transport Fireworks
June 30, 2008

On the U.S. end, 10 percent to 15 percent of orders didn't show up, said Heckman.

China ordinarily sends 9,000 shipping containers of fireworks a year to the U.S., she said, and the shortfall "is by far the most difficult challenge the U.S. fireworks industry has had to face."

Matt Sutcliffe of Premier Pyrotechnics Inc. in Richland, Mo., realized six weeks ago that he would run short and have to cancel some shows.

He said he contacted every company he knew to pick up the slack, but "No company that I talked to said they could take additional shows."

Heckman said this year's shortage would probably go largely unnoticed by Independence Day spectators because retailers and pyrotechnicians will be sharing their stockpiles.

"As competitive as this industry is, we bleed red, white and blue, and we'll do anything to try to make certain each community gets their Fourth of July Independence Day show," she said.

Liuyang's factories alone produced $1 billion worth of fireworks last year, some $430 million of it to meet overseas orders, the association's Liu said.

Chen's Southern Fireworks Manufacture Co. includes a cluster of long single-story concrete buildings. Inside, women sitting at concrete tables paste together rocket tubes with labels in Russian. Some stick fuses into loaded fireworks and bind them together.

Most of the work is done by hand because machines can overheat or throw sparks, Chen said.

Red strips of paper glued to each building door carry a Buddhist inscription for good luck.

"It's getting harder and harder to find people who will do this work," said Chen.

"They think it's too dangerous. They can find work in other factories that don't deal with explosives."

The most dangerous job is loading the gunpowder. This work is done in 130 small concrete buildings, little bunkers scattered around the site or partially dug into hillsides.

"Only one person works in each structure," Chen said.

"If there's an explosion, there will be little or no damage to the surrounding buildings and workers."

At Jinlian Fireworks Manufacturing and Export Co., also in Liuyang, U.S. sales once accounted for one-third of the business, but that's going to change.

"We are not taking overseas orders," said Song Wei, a manager. "We dare not."

Only one shipping company, Denmark-based AP Moeller-Maersk, is willing to transport fireworks used in U.S. shows.

The shipping problems are likely to hit hardest at smaller makers, and this may be the government's intention.

It's often the small companies that embarrass the country by employing children, polluting or producing shoddy goods.

But Chen said he can't imagine the government allowing so many businesses to collapse in an industry with centuries-old roots in Chinese culture, and put so many people out of work.

"If we're not making fireworks," he said, "we'll have nothing to eat.

Half of all fireworks break safety rules
February 8, 2005

Half of all China-made fireworks fail to meet basic safety standards, state media said Monday, ahead of the Lunar New Year when the hazardous products will be used in massive numbers.

``The production and standards of many small and medium-sized fireworks producers in townships and villages do not meet state requirements,'' Zhang Guanghua, a work safety official, said according to the China Daily.

Fireworks are an indispensable part of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, leading to large numbers of injuries and even deaths every year.

The State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine made recent spot checks on 120 fireworks enterprises and found that only 56.7 percent met quality standards, the paper said.

A frequent problem was fireworks with too-short fuses or those with banned chemicals that easily burn or explode, according to the paper.

In a country notorious for its lax work safety regulations, fireworks production is a particularly dangerous industry. In the period from 1985 to 2003, a total of 8,448 explosions caused by fireworks took place across China, or more than one every day on average, previously released statistics showed.

According to most recent official figures, 192 people died in explosions at fireworks plants in the first nine months last year.

An explosion at a fireworks factory in the northern province of Shanxi last month killed 25 people and injured nine.

Work safety officials have said for years they want to improve safety but so far apparently with scant results.

The latest series of measures involves merging small workshops into larger production facilities, where safety procedures can be more easily monitored.

``(Unsafe) workshops are to be phased out or developed into more advanced factories,'' Zhang, the work safety official, told the paper.

Previous measures, including outright bans, have had limited success, and often unsafe factories have been reopened soon after being closed down.

The fireworks industry is a major employer in many parts of China and local officials cannot afford to throw large numbers of workers out of jobs.

An earlier crackdown on fireworks production in Jiangxi, where production has a long tradition, cost 200,000 jobs.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

��m illegal fireworks seized
in Bonfire Night raid Nov 10 2004

2004 -- Almost a quarter of a million pounds worth of illegal fireworks have been seized after a raid on a factory in Newmains.

The former Costain site was the subject of a joint operation by police and North Lanarkshire Council trading standards which netted 18 tonnes of illegal goods.

It took 10 hours to remove the haul after the discovery on Friday, November 5, running into the early hours of the morning.

The bulk of the goods were fireworks which had been stored both illegally and dangerously, and could potentially have caused a great deal of damage had they not been removed.

Attending the raid, North Lanarkshire Council trading standards’ team leader Peter Fergie, said: “At this time of year, we always pay particular attention to the storage and sale of fireworks across North Lanarkshire and the seizure of more than �200,000 worth of illegal goods, based on current retail value, is a terrific result for everyone involved.

“It doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened if something had gone wrong at the premises where these fireworks were being stored.

“I am delighted that these goods will not now find their way into the hands of unsuspecting members of the public who could easily have been injured by using illegal fireworks which had not been stored in the correct and safe manner.

“We have been working tirelessly to ensure that Bonfire Night could be enjoyed in a safe and fun environment and the removal of illegal products like this is a major part of that process.

"We will now be continuing our investigations into this matter and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.“

Superintendent Jackie Law added: “As a result of this operation it is safe to say that we have averted potential serious injury or worse.

Fireworks curfew to halt night nuisance
Noisiest rockets outlawed

2004 -- A curfew outlawing late-night fireworks, and a ban on the noisiest rockets comes into force on Friday.

Under-18s have already been banned from using or carrying fireworks in streets, parks and other public places. Possession of powerful fireworks by the public has also been outlawed.

The new Government regulation makes the use of fireworks between 11pm and 7am illegal, but on certain nights – such as Guy Fawkes Night, Diwali, New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year – the night-time ban comes into force at 2am.

Breaching the curfew could lead to a maximum fine of �5,000 or six months in jail.

A noise limit of 120 decibels, said to be equivalent to a jet aircraft taking off, is also being imposed on each firecracker or device, although that has previously caused concern among some in MPs in Yorkshire. They wanted a lower 95-decibel limit called for by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The new rules have been spearheaded by Consumer Affairs Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, MP for Bradford South, who said: "We think the curfew is legitimate and will be welcomed. The 120-decibel limit will also reduce tension.

"The regulations will together tackle the complaint of year-round disturbance to people, particularly children, shift workers and animals."

In spite of initial reservations among many Tory MPs, Shadow Home Secretary and Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis conceded that the rules were likely to be beneficial. He said: "Regulations are often over-used or misused by this Government, but given the strength of public opinion on this issue, I think that restrictions in the sale and use of fireworks are justified and fair. The important thing now as the fireworks season approaches is to ensure that they are properly and consistently implemented so that that we can minimize the injury and disruption caused to both people and animals."

On fireworks louder than 120 decibels, Bradford North MP Terry Rooney said: "Many of my constituents have complained about very noisy fireworks being used in completely the wrong places.

"In a professional display, in a large park, noisy fireworks are part of the fun; but going off in your neighbor's back garden is different. "

The final regulations are due to come into force in January 2005.

They will include the creation of a licensing regime – shops intending to supply fireworks to the public all year round will have to apply for a license from their local council or from the Health and Safety Executive.

Also included is a new requirement forcing all firework importers to provide Customs and Excise with details of the destination of their products.

The new rules follow tireless work by the late campaigner Marjorie Johnson, of Harrogate, who died just over a year ago. She began a campaign to restrict the use of fireworks and became part of a national lobby group that petitioned MPs for change.

The British Fireworks Association, which represents fireworks retailers, favors stricter laws but argues against a total ban. It claims banning the sale of fireworks altogether would drive them underground – a view endorsed by the Government.

Councils around the country receive thousands of complaints and more than 1,000 people are injured by fireworks annually.

Chinese fireworks factories shut for safety checks

Xi'an authorities in Fengxiang County, a main fireworks production center in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, have ordered the closure of 2,180 fireworks factories, mostly home workshops, after a series of fatal explosions.

Officials said they had sealed up 2,100 cases of fireworks.

The latest two deadly fireworks accidents sounded warning bells for the industry as the Chinese lunar new year is drawing near. During the festival, Chinese normally set off huge amounts of fireworks and firecrackers, except in a few cities that have banned the practice.

Nine people were killed and five injured in an explosion Wednesday morning at a village factory in Liling City, central China's Hunan Province. It killed the owner of the factory and family members, said officials from the city government.

Liling is one of the major fireworks production bases in Hunan. In 2003, 69 owners of illegal factories were arrested, 12 of whom were jailed.

Another fireworks factory explosion in northeast China on Tuesday morning killed at least 37. Police had arrested the owner of the factory who had fled after the blast.

The State Council, China's highest governing body, decided at its executive meeting Wednesday to immediately organize safety supervision groups to conduct strict safety inspections across the country.

The meeting, presided over by Premier ----, called on governments at all levels to focus on safety problems, saying the situation in work and transport is extremely poor.

The meeting decided to organize safety supervision groups to inspect the implementation of safety measures, stressing that@efforts should be made in coal mining, the chemical industry, fireworks manufacturing, water and electricity supply and the transport sector to prevent accidents.

Glouco boy hurt in fireworks explosion
awarded $1.6M

2003 -- A Gloucester County jury awarded $1.6 million to a Woodbury Heights boy who lost most of his left hand in a 1995 fireworks explosion. The jury decided $896,000, or 56 percent of the judgment awarded to the boy, should be paid by Deptford Township, which hosted a May 1995 fireworks display at Fasola Park in the township. The boy, then 10, found an unexploded fireworks device in the park after the show that he took home and attempted to light six weeks later, according to testimony at the two- week trial. The explosion, more than two hundred times as powerful as blasts from firecrackers sold to consumers, left the boy with only his little finger and part of his thumb on his left hand, said his lawyer. Fireworks by a Vineland company, conducted the fireworks show for Deptford and was a defendant in the boy's lawsuit. The Vineland company previously settled with his client for an undisclosed amount. The verdict "was a clear signal to others conducting these displays that dangerous explosives can't be left behind." Deptford's lawyer, said still to be resolved are township claims against the Vineland company's insurer, which had issued a $1 million surety bond covering the fireworks show. Deptford contends the Vineland company's settlement "was made in bad faith" because it did not include the township. Witnesses in the trial included Deptford fire marshal, who testified he was unaware of Deptford's contractual requirement with the Vineland company to conduct a "first light" inspection of the grounds around the fireworks show the next day. the Vineland company checked the area immediately after the nighttime show. The boy testified he found the six-inch long, three- quarter-inch round aerial fireworks device on a basketball court. He hid it at home for six weeks before lighting it outdoors at a friend's house, he said. The jury determined the boy was 11 percent responsible for his injuries.

Ottawa Millennial Display
Pale In Comparison

-- The glass is half empty, tall poppies need cutting down ... Offer Canadians a lovely picture and they'll turn it down in favor of the negative ... For once, however, the national penchant for moaning and groaning and dumping on from high seems to have found a timely justification: the Parliament Hill New Year's Eve celebrations. "People are calling it a national embarrassment," says one government insider. "There are lots of calls coming in." And e-mails, and letters. One newspaper devoted an entire page yesterday to the profound disenchantment felt by those who suffered through the $833,000 National Capital Commission production, In Motion -- A Story of Time.     "We were ready to be part of history," a disgruntled person wrote. "Instead, we were part of a confused, disappointed, milling throng desperately craning our necks for some fleeting glimpse of something even remotely entertaining or meaningful."    "It was," added a reader "a pathetic lead-up to the only millennial New Year's Eve most of us will ever experience; completely unworthy of its magnitude, and those responsible for it should resign. Shame, shame."    According to many of those who made up the 50,000-strong crowd that waited on the Hill for the stroke of midnight and the end of the century that was once predicted to belong to Canada, the NCC production was about as captivating as a Senate amendment.   An art show flashed over
the Peace Tower while New Age music -- "a dirge," many readers called it -- built to a dreary crescendo and, in the readers words, " whipped the crowd into a rousing contemplative funk."    One of the sound banks shut down, then started up again. A run of lights froze. The countdown was a disaster.   It began, as it should, with the No. 10, but, according to witnesses, then skipped through to eight, then showed what some took to be an upside-down six, some to be a flipped six, hit three, offered a quick seven and -- finally -- struck one for a baffled and discouraged crowd.    "Welcome to Canada, world,". "Check your enthusiasm at the door."   Actually, it wasn't the only thing being checked that night.   Some
were outraged at the vigilance of the RCMP searching for miscreants who dared think they might welcome in the new millennium the way everyone else in the world seemed to be that night. "Heaven forbid," wrote someone, "that for a 1,000-year celebration someone might try to sneak in a bottle of champagne."     Kids couldn't see the stage. Those who could see, couldn't comprehend the meaning behind such "entertainments" as the puppets held on the ends of sticks. The large skeleton, in particular, baffled -- though it may well have been a dinosaur. They cheered for the paratroopers scaling up to the clock at the final moment and, "It would have been lovely had they remembered to turn on the lights."    Even the fireworks seemed to disappoint.    Many complained they could see very little because the Parliament buildings got in the way.   Some felt they paled compared to the long-celebrated fireworks of Canada Day, which has never had a bad review.    The best view of the Parliament Hill fireworks was from across the Ottawa River, on the Quebec side, but more gathered there to watch the spectacular, and successful, celebration and fireworks display at the nearby Hull Casino.  "They put on a better show," says the government insider.   "Good headline -- 'Quebec saves Canada.' "    Blame for the National Hangover has fallen directly on the NCC, which deliberately cut back from the $2-million usually spent on Canada Day specials. According to officials, a bigger event was originally planned, but when they found out how much recognizable performers were asking -- two and three times normal rates -- the NCC decided to cut way back and trust in the fireworks to carry the night.    "We can only apologize," said aptly named NCC spokesperson. Whether the Prime Minister's Office -- as upset, apparently, as some of the letter writers -- will demand more than that is unlikely, but it is certain no one is amused by the feedback.     Prior to New Year's Eve, the Government of Canada had only been criticized for over spending on projects that do nothing other than celebrate the country: particularly the $26-million free flag program and the $145-million Millennium Partnership Program that includes $257,635 to carve the face of John the Baptist into the side of an isolated Quebec mountain and $250,000 to build a 20-metre-high dinosaur on top of the information centre in Drumheller, Alta.   The Province of Ontario has also been widely criticized for questionable millennium spending, such as the $2.8-million it spent on distributing 2.2 million momento books -- with 56 of the 160 pages blank for "personal" notes -- to Ontario students, only to have thousands of the students send it back.    Yet Ontario refused to scrimp on its key New Year's Eve celebrations, staging the largest fireworks show in Canadian history off the Toronto waterfront.   At $1.5-million, the Toronto bang cost nearly twice what the NCC spent on its entire Parliament Hill show. Normally, such tight-fistedness would delight Canadians, who fret and wail over such mundane matters as cabinet ministers taking flights to get somewhere and senators getting discount dry-cleaning -- but in this singular case Canadians felt they were being measured against the world, not each other.     Having watched the millennium roll in from the east -- the Eiffel Tower exploding in colour, the Thames magnificently on fire -- they were trusting in something more than a blown countdown.    What they got instead, wrote someone from Kanata, was a dreary production that, "brought new understanding to the idea that a camel is a horse designed by a committee."   "Perhaps," suggests the government insider, "we could just say this was a dress rehearsal.     OTTAWA-- OTTAWA - Bitch, bitch, bitch ...   Whine, complain, criticize.     "After all, everyone knows that the real millennium doesn't happen until next year."

Fumigation risks in containerized and bulk cargoes

2003 -- China’s recent enactment of a law requiring the fumigation of all wooden packaging used in shipments to the country is another indication of the increasing prevalence of this cargo treatment practice. Yet fumigation poses risks that are easily underestimated.

The UK P&I Club has advised its ship owner and operator members to ensure that adequate warnings are posted on containers under fumigation and that proper procedures are followed when entering such units. As experience has shown, contact with residual fumigants can lead to permanent disability, severe injury or even death.

The Club issued its warning following a recent survey in Rotterdam which found that 21 per cent of 300 containers chosen at random for inspection contained methyl bromide, formaldehyde or phosphine. Only three units displayed the required "Under Fumigation" warning label.

Fumigants are typically used to protect foodstuffs from rodents, insects, mould and fungi. Of nine leading fumigants, the three most commonly used in containers are phosphine, sulphuryl fluoride and methyl bromide. Phosphine is readily absorbed by inhalation and through the gastrointestinal tract. At low levels of inhalation, symptoms include headache, weakness, faintness and pains in the chest. At high levels, nausea, vomiting and pulmonary edema can occur. Contact with methyl bromide through inhalation and absorption through the skin can cause damage to the brain, nervous system, skin, lungs and possibly kidneys.

While the high toxicity of phosphine gas has long been recognized, its flammability risk is not widely appreciated. Its lower flammability limit is only 1.8 per cent by volume in air. If an air/phosphine mixture in which the phosphine concentration exceeds this limit is ignited in a confined space, it is highly probable that an explosion will occur.

Phosphine gas is generated from aluminum phosphide tablets when the aluminum phosphide reacts with moisture in the air. This process, in addition to liberating phosphine, produces aluminum oxide as a byproduct and, occasionally, small quantities of diphosphine gas. Unlike phosphine, diphosphine is spontaneously combustible. Diphosphine is more likely to be generated if the aluminum phosphide tablets contain amounts of phosphorous in excess of that specified in an acceptable formulation.

Aluminum phosphide tablets are routinely used in fumigation and a very large number of shipments are fumigated annually without any problems. It appears that fumigant explosions have only occurred when cheaper brands of aluminum phosphide tablets produced in developing countries were used.

Deliberate attacks

-- John Barrett, the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, has tabled a parliamentary motion, calling for better regulation of the sale and use of fireworks.

The move follows the release of new information by the Scottish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), which estimates that over 8,000 animals were injured or killed last year, directly because of fireworks. The statistics came as part of the SSPCA's recent report entitled "Fireworks and Animals", which surveyed veterinary surgeons throughout Scotland.   In a statement, John Barrett said:      "The SSPCA report makes for horrifying reading. Specific reports of deliberate attacks on animals with fireworks are particularly disturbing, including one reported case where fireworks were set off in a car containing two dogs.     "This new information only adds to the widespread feeling in the House of Commons and throughout the country, that action is now urgently required and preferably ahead of the traditional firework season. Local councils should be given more powers to control firework sales through licensed retailers to better regulate the times of the year and times of the day in which fireworks can be set off and to clamp down on under-age sales.     "I am delighted to have received cross party support for my motion. I hope it will add to the considerable pressure that already exists on the Government to take action."

More than 90 percent of veterinarians in Scotland treated animals for problems related to fireworks from stress and anxiety to deliberate attacks."    The problem is growing because fireworks are no longer restricted to Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th.    "The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) recently released a report indicating that approximately 10,000 pets and farm animals were injured or killed by fireworks in Scotland last year.    More than 8,000 animals were injured or killed by fireworks on or shortly before or after the Day last year.     The SSPCA has already begun lobbying government officials for stricter control of the use of fireworks, not calling for an outright ban on fireworks, but tighter regulation on their sale and use.

Last year a whole aviary of birds at Cowdenbeath died of shock during a firework display.    In Kilmarnock a collie dog bolted and was run over by a car. There are also deliberate attacks on animals with fireworks.   In Rosyth a family of six mallard ducks died, and in Glasgow a kitten was killed when a firework was dropped through the letterbox of a house in the Ballieston area of the city.   The SSPCA has called on MPs at Westminster to go beyond the present voluntary code and ban the general sale of fireworks, except in the three weeks before 5 November and it wants MSPs to tighten the licensing of shops which sell fireworks.

AG REILLY ORDERS FIREWORKS DEALER
TO STOP SALES INTO MASSACHUSETTS

-- A company that sells fireworks over the Internet has been ordered to stop making sales to Massachusetts consumers immediately and will face civil prosecution, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced today. AG Reilly today issued a letter to � Price Fireworks, Inc. of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, demanding that it cease and desist selling fireworks into Massachusetts and notifying the company that AG Reilly intends to bring civil action against it for violations of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. The letter was sent as the result of an ongoing investigation into the online sale of fireworks by the Office's Investigations Division. "Fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts, and we will take steps to stop the Internet-based shipment of illegal products into the Commonwealth—particularly when those products pose a danger to Massachusetts consumers," AG Reilly said. "Let's face it, fireworks is big business in this country and the fire service appreciates the efforts of the Attorney General to ensure fireworks laws are enforced here in Massachusetts," State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said. "It is hard for our safety message to be heard when national corporations spend millions of dollars on glitzy advertising. They use direct mail, billboards, Internet sites, and radio ads that entice our citizens, especially our young people, into using illegal fireworks," he added. This announcement follows similar enforcement actions last year, in which AG Reilly filed suit against three online fireworks sellers who made deliveries into Massachusetts. Two of those companies agreed to judgments banning future sales and paid a civil penalty of $5000. AG Reilly's office obtained an injunction against the third company, American Eagle Fireworks of Lansing, Michigan, and that case is still in litigation. The undercover investigation revealed that all three of these companies refused to sell fireworks into Massachusetts this year. "Most companies, including the fireworks sellers that we sued last year, have gotten the message that they simply cannot make sales to Massachusetts consumers. Those businesses that think that the Internet somehow shields them from complying with Massachusetts law are wrong, and we are going to let them know that," AG Reilly added. The sale, use or possession of fireworks in Massachusetts, except by licensed professionals, is prohibited by law. Each summer many Massachusetts citizens buy fireworks in neighboring states and illegally transport them back into Massachusetts. With the advent of the Internet, this practice has moved online. Many online retailers respect state law and do not ship to Massachusetts, but some do not. Each year, illegal fireworks brought into Massachusetts cause personal injury and property damage. In the past decade, 74 people have been treated in Massachusetts emergency rooms for severe burn injuries from fireworks. Nearly two-thirds of those victims, 65 percent, were children under the age of 18. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 8,800 persons nationwide were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 2002 for fireworks-related injuries, and that children under 15 accounted for approximately half of those injured. The vast majority of injuries occur on or near the Fourth of July. In past years, Massachusetts residents have been killed while celebrating the Fourth of July with illegal fireworks. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that over $20 million in property damage is caused by fireworks accidents annually. The case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Jack Christin, Jr. of AG Reilly's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division, with assistance from Investigator Todd Davis and Chris Beaupere of the Investigations Division

Fireworks vibrations 'dislodging masonry
on Edinburgh buildings'

-- A structural expert claims vibrations from fireworks celebrations are damaging Edinburgh's old buildings. Arnold Hendry believes the tonnes of explosives used to mark the Edinburgh Festival, Hogmanay and military Tattoo are dislodging pieces of masonry. Leisure chief, Councillor Steve Cardownie, is backing calls for an investigation into the impact of fireworks. Earlier this month a two-foot-long chunk of stone fell off a city centre bank. Such incidents have previously been put down to poor workmanship or lack of maintenance. The Edinburgh Evening News reports the local authority is already questioning owners of 16,000 buildings to try and identify potential dangers. Mr. Hendry, a former head of civil engineering at Edinburgh University and founder president of the British Masonry Association, claims vibrations from fireworks displays are taking their toll on the city's buildings. He said: "In the last few years fireworks seem to be becoming more frequent and more elaborate. These buildings are very old and anything that gives a bit of a shake to a building could cause something to fall off." Councillor Cardownie said: "Obviously, this is a very serious issue. The fireworks are spectacular and there's no better backdrop than the Castle, but if they're having a serious impact on buildings it's something that we have to look at." Martin Hulse, director of the Cockburn Association civic trust, says Mr. Hendry's claims are "far-fetched" and the real problem is building maintenance. Two years ago, a waitress at a city centre bar was killed when masonry fell on top of her. An accident inquiry blamed "shoddy" workmanship during a renovation project.

Fireworks-Smog Link Found 2001

-- The fireworks that delight crowds during celebrations like the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve create more than just dazzling colors. They produce smog, too. Scientists in India say fireworks can generate ground-level ozone - a key ingredient in lung-choking urban smog. They reached their conclusion after monitoring air quality during a Hindu festival when celebrants flooded New Delhi's streets to ignite sparklers. Previously, the interaction of sunlight and air pollutants had been the only known source of ground-level ozone, which poses a health threat to people with respiratory problems. But researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi found that the flickering light emitted by burning sparklers during the Diwali festival of lights in November 1999 was enough to cause an atmospheric reaction that produced ozone. They said the findings could give air quality experts something more to worry about, particularly since big fireworks displays often occur during the peak summer ozone season. Their research appears in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. But fireworks are far from a big concern in one of the United States' most notoriously smoggy regions - the Los Angeles area - said a spokesman for that area's air quality district. That's because the ozone increase detected in New Delhi - about 9 parts per billion - is minuscule in comparison to ozone produced in L.A. due in large part to auto pollution, said Bill Kelly, a spokesman for Southern California's South Coast Air Quality Management District. Los Angeles recorded a peak of 180 parts per billion of ozone in 1999, far above the EPA maximum of 124 parts per billion. "It's clear from their research that fireworks are producing ozone, but in terms of ozone, we're primarily concerned about the 10 million vehicles that operate in our region every day, 24-7," he said. Ozone, or smog, is the result of sunlight interacting with a number of pollutants including hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from tailpipes or evaporation from motor vehicles. At high levels, it is a severe irritant that can damage lung tissues and aggravate respiratory problems. An associate professor of biophysics at Jawaharlal Nehru University who led the research, said he suspects that all types of fireworks produce some amount of ozone. But he noted that most of the fireworks lit during the Diwali festival are hand-held sparklers that keep the ozone close to the ground. That's markedly different from fireworks displays elsewhere that send incendiaries high above cities to produce colorful explosions. He said his team's findings weren't entirely unexpected because many people with respiratory ailments flee Indian cities during the Diwali festival to avoid fireworks-induced pollution. He hopes the research prompts Indian officials to consider fireworks restrictions during the November festival, which marks the victory of the Hindu god Rama over the demon king Ravana in Hindu mythology. "Maybe they will listen to reason to make some changes," he said. Air quality experts with the Environmental Protection Agency declined to comment on the study because they had too many questions about the researchers' methodology, said EPA spokesman. "There just wasn't enough information for them to make a judgment on the validity of the study. There's just not enough there,". He said the EPA has no regulations governing fireworks displays, although the Clean Air Act permits state and local governments to enact such restrictions.

Where The Heck
were our fireworks this Canada Day?

Letter to the Editor

-- There I sat, out on the lakeshore, in anticipation, to finalize the birthday of my country with a blast 'n'sparkle. Instead, I walked away with tears of sadness in my eyes. I looked around me and I recognized countrymen and women who had just become citizens and men and women who had been here for years. I saw young men, women, teenagers, and most heartbreaking ... groups of children waiting to see their country's sky sparkle. And we all sat there staring at a dark sky. An hour later we began to walk away quietly. Some children in tears, all eyes disappointed and with a simple question - why? In one of the most populated and prominent cities of our country, why did we not have fireworks for our city core citizens to enjoy? The cities of Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Charlottetown did not forget their folk. This is a plea to every government member and citizen of Toronto to speak out. We are an example to every newcomer and child in this country. If our city government does not reflect our pride, what experience have they gained? As for ourselves, born or sworn into this country, we deserve to see her dark skies sparkle on her birthday. Next year - simply because in this country I have the privilege to hope for change - I will be waiting, on Canada's birthday, with Canadians young and old, old and new, to see her dark skies shine with our pride. Don't have us walk away disappointed again.

Sponsorship Cancelled

-- City council voted unanimously Tuesday to chip in close to $240,000 to help save the annual Symphony of Fire fireworks competition. Last November, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (Canada) Ltd. cancelled its sponsorship of three fireworks festivals as well as international film festivals in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. The decision was made in response to new federal rules governing tobacco products and advertising. ``We're running out of time here,'' the Mayor said Tuesday when several councilors wanted prospective sponsors to come to council before being approved as suitable sponsors. Coun. said Vancouver businesses benefited from the four-night fireworks competition, citing a Tourism Vancouver estimate that the economic spin-off of the event was about $28 million. He argued that Tourism Vancouver should pick up some of the city's costs and that surrounding municipalities should also pay because many people come into the city to see the show. In the end, council agreed to name the annual fireworks celebration a civic event and pick up the costs to police and clean up after the event - if somebody else can't be found to help pay. ``It's a great help,'' said a longtime Symphony of Fire organizer. ``It's a lot of money and it would be much harder to find sponsors if we didn't have that money.'' He said he had been talking to two possible sponsors, which he declined to name, and one would be taking the idea to its board of directors. Benson & Hedges spent about $2 million each year to sponsor the fireworks show in English Bay, which was watched by an estimated 500,000 people each night in August.

MEASURES TO TACKLE
FIREWORKS MISUSE

England, Scotland and Wales.

-- Tough new measures to cut the number of firework injuries including a ban on air bombs - a cheap and accessible 'pocket money' firework that caused up to a fifth of all firework accidents last year - were unveiled by Consumer Minister today.   The action plan was launched after the number of injuries among young teenagers rose by more than 50 per cent last year - the biggest increase for at least seven years.   The new measures, which will also cut down on the problems of noise and nuisance, include:   proposed new regulations banning air bombs; a crackdown on illegal markets in fireworks with improved co-ordination of intelligence between Customs and Excise, Health and Safety Executive and Trading Standards Departments; and a new drive to encourage local councils to use their powers to curb the problem of noise and nuisance caused by fireworks.
Home Office are piloting fixed penalty notices of �40 in four areas for over 18's caught throwing fireworks in the street.

The announcement coincides with the launch of a new hard-hitting national safety campaign.     The campaign's slogan 'fool with fireworks and bang goes your image' will highlight the injuries teenagers have suffered from fireworks misuse.   The poster and TV campaign will be targeted at 12 areas of the country where the problem of firework misuse and injury is most acute.    "We all want to enjoy the fireworks season, but too often this time of year is blighted by problems of fireworks misuse, noise and nuisance.    "It's vital we crack down on this problem, but also educate people to make sure they know the consequences of the anti-social use of fireworks.    "Teenagers thinking of messing around with fireworks this year should think again.   They are likely to spend Bonfire Night in casualty departments or worse.

The voluntary ban on the sale of air bombs to the public comes into effect on 1st January 2003.    The DTI intends to introduce regulations under the 1987 Consumer Protection Act to enforce the ban subject to consultation.    Fixed penalty notices came into force in three pilot areas on 12 August (with North Wales Police starting the pilot on 2nd September), under the seventh commencement order for the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.    Payment of a penalty involves no admission of guilt or record of criminal conviction, though the alleged offender has the right to opt for trial by court and risk conviction. Failure to pay the penalty or opt for trial by court may lead to a fine equivalent to one and a half times the amount of penalty being imposed on the defaulter.    The power is discretionary and will be used by officers where appropriate. All the usual powers will be available to arrest and charge an offender to be dealt with in the courts if necessary.    Persons under 18 years of age will not be eligible to receive penalty notices for disorder offences.

The Health and Safety Executive has set up a fireworks enforcement liaison working group with local authorities, DTI and Customs and Excise. The aim of the working group is to improve the sharing of information and intelligence. HSE has also developed, with Customs and Excise and local authorities, ways to obtain and disseminate timely information on importers of fireworks.

Letter to the Editor

-- SIR - Last year, after two fatal fireworks accidents, the then government reacted by introducing an emergency regulation to ban the sale of aerial shells and maroons to the general public. However, the interpretation of the regulation by suppliers has been more far reaching. These fireworks will be supplied only to those who run firework displays as a business - i.e. for financial gain - and they must be VAT registered. This has meant that people who have organized displays for the local community on a voluntary basis have been unable to buy these types of aerial fireworks, even though they may be experienced and trained to a high standard. A display for a large crowd watching from a safe distance becomes ineffective without these types of firework. The suppliers have realized this and offered to sell either a complete display or a "bolt-on" option, where they dictate the size and quantity of this pyrotechnic and provide a trained crew to fire it, all subject to their profit margin so that they can make a "killing" at this time of year. My village bonfire committee has been forced to go down this road this year, but what of the future? The regulation is due for review later in November. Will there be a place for the safe, well organized and planned display run by volunteer trained pyrotechnicians who feel they should provide this service for their local community and keep alive the traditional family event we call Bonfire Night?

On-the-spot fines for the banger hooligans

-- HOOLIGANS who throw fireworks on the streets of Coventry were today warned they face a pounds 40 on-the-spot fine. The government announced a crackdown on fireworks nuisance today in the run up to Bonfire night. Last year, hundreds of Coventry people complained about noisy fireworks being let off at all hours. Already complaints are coming in about bangers being let off in the street. Coventry councilors have already launched their own crackdown on fireworks. The fines - issued by the police - are being tried out in Coventry and other West Midlands cities and will be handed out to over 18's behaving irresponsibly with fireworks. Consumer minister Melanie Johnson also wants to pass a law banning air bombs which are responsible for a fifth of all firework accidents. Cllr John McNicholas (Lab, Lower Stoke), is Coventry City Council' s cabinet member for environmental services and is currently working on measures to tackle firework nuisance. He said: "I'm very pleased. It's a step in the right direction. It' s not enough but we will be encouraging the government to adopt our standard." Cllr McNicholas wants the government to go one step further and ban the sale of category three fireworks - which are a very powerful variety - to the public so only approved public display organizers can buy them. Some, but not all, air bombs fall in to this category. He also wants to bring in by laws to limit times which fireworks can be set off. Cllr McNicholas said: "The complaints are coming in already. I had a message on my answer phone on Sunday. My perception is that there are less than last year but I am certainly getting complaints." Eric Stevens, aged 68 of Whitmore Park, Coventry, said: "It's started already. It's completely out of hand. I don't really know what the solution is but I'd back anything the government is trying to do about it. The trouble is enforcing it. For instance, if we banned the sale of fireworks at certain times in Coventry, people could just go somewhere else and buy them and bring them back to Coventry." There were 126 accidents involving fireworks in the West Midlands last year. Walsgrave Hospital dealt with four firework injuries to children, another four caused by hooligans and three inflicted in back garden displays.

Canada Customs -- Seizures

-- Pre-Halloween fireworks sales are booming in B.C. because of increased security at the Canada-U.S. border. "Sales are up about 10 per cent," said the biggest wholesaler and manufacturer of fireworks in Canada. "Because the borders are so tight, people aren't bringing the illegal product across the line." The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency agree -- so far. "Fireworks seizures look to be lower," said a communications adviser for the agency. Last year Canada Customs made 23 seizures of 600 kilograms of fireworks that were illegal and branded dangerous because they hadn't been tested and approved by Natural Resources Canada (Explosive Branch). In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist tragedy in New York and Washington, stringent border checks have been instituted. Border traffic has also decreased by as much as 50 per cent at the Douglas-Peace Arch and Pacific Highway crossings. Fewer seizures are "probably a combination of all those things." There are tight federal regulations on fireworks, which are really only a Halloween tradition in B.C. "Canada has the most stringent fireworks legislation in the developed world". So the fans of fizzle, sparkle and boom have increasingly turned to the U.S. for banned products such as bottle rockets, firecrackers and M-80s, which are essentially one-eighth of a stick of dynamite. But the penalties, never mind the dangers, are serious. Fireworks that are declared at the border can be seized if not approved, but undeclared fireworks can result in the impounding of a vehicle and even criminal prosecution.

Black-market firecrackers
beat state government 2001

-- The Queensland government today admitted that illegal fireworks trading was almost impossible to stop but has criticized ACT and Northern Territory laws for fuelling the trade. New laws to improve the regulation of fireworks displays come into effect in Queensland in September, prompted by the death last year of an 11-year-old girl in a fireworks accident. Mines Minister said today the public remained at risk of injury from fireworks while they were sold illegally to members of the public. "It's very hard to prosecute buyers unless you actually catch them with the fireworks in their possession," he told a parliamentary budget estimates committee hearing. "Very often by the time authorities are made aware of illegal fireworks the evidence has gone up in smoke." Only in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory can members of the public purchase fireworks. He said the different fireworks laws in the two territories fuelled a dangerous black-market trade in fireworks across the rest of Australia. Queensland's new laws to regulate licensed fireworks operators were introduced after the death last year of an 11-year-old, who was hit by shrapnel from fireworks at a school fete in the northern Brisbane suburb of Bray Park. Since the tragedy, the use of metal components in fireworks equipment has been banned and the licensing procedures for fireworks operators have been reviewed. From 1972, only licensed fireworks operators have been able to purchase or possess fireworks in Queensland. Queensland authorities have prosecuted 50 cases of illegal sales, use or possession of fireworks in the past year. Penalties for offences can be a fine of up to $30,000 or six months imprisonment.

Insurance scam could douse
Fourth of July fireworks displays

An insurance scam could leave hundreds of Fourth of July fireworks displays across Texas and the nation uninsured and forced to cancel if they don't find new coverage, Texas officials said Thursday.

The scheme also sold worthless policies covering hundreds of trucks transporting petroleum products across the country, the Department of Insurance said. Insurance agent John Tesseyman III of Tyler, owner of Tesher Corp., was not licensed to sell general liability insurance, the agency said.

Insurance Commissioner Jose Montemayor issued an emergency order to stop the company from selling any more.

"Anyone holding a worthless policy should move rapidly to find other coverage," Montemayor said.

Tesseyman was on a vacation cruise out of the country and faces a felony arrest warrant when he returns, said insurance department spokesman Mark Hanna.

The agency began investigating Tesseyman in January. According to state officials, he sold the policies to individuals and companies that conduct indoor and outdoor public fireworks displays and sell fireworks at retail outlets. The policies also covered petroleum companies in dozens of states.

The scheme could douse many Fourth of July fireworks if companies don't find new insurance and are forced to cancel, Hanna said.

In Texas, the State Fire Marshal's Office issues permits for fireworks displays and requires a minimum of $500,000 in general liability coverage.

Permits may have been given to operators who in reality have no insurance backing them up, Hanna said. Affected permit holders for events on or after July 1 will not be authorized to proceed without proof of new coverage.

Investigators were working to notify those who bought the bogus policies and more than 600 letters have been mailed. Most of the companies are in Texas but many are out of state, Hanna said.

According to investigators, Tesseyman sold the policies through Tesher Corp., Southwest Pyro Consortium and Southwest Property and Casualty. Four insurance carriers in the last year have stopped doing business with him.