China has issued new guidelines to strengthen safety regulation across the entire chain of the fireworks and firecrackers industry, aiming to prevent major safety risks and curb accidents.
The guidelines, recently issued by the General Office of the State Council, call for stronger accountability among businesses, regulators and local authorities, while improving overall safety standards in the industry.
They set out specific measures covering production, storage, sales, transportation and use.
For production, authorities are required to strictly review licensing applications, strengthen controls over chemicals and semi-finished products used in manufacturing, and reduce safety risks throughout the production process.
Storage requirements will focus on tighter management of hazardous materials, including chemical raw material warehouses, temporary storage facilities for dangerous goods, explosive composition warehouses and finished-product storage sites.
The guidelines also call for strict licensing of fireworks and firecracker retailers and wholesalers, stronger tracking of product flows and closer supervision of online information related to the products. Export safety management will also be tightened.
In transportation, authorities are required to strengthen supervision of vehicles and personnel, strictly review road transport permits, and monitor loading, unloading and transportation. The guidelines prohibit fireworks and firecrackers from being transported through ordinary freight or parcel delivery channels.
Local authorities are also asked to formulate fireworks-use policies in a scientific and appropriate manner, strengthen safety management for large-scale fireworks displays and improve public awareness of safety.
The guidelines place additional emphasis on product quality, calling for regular quality inspections and prohibiting the production or sale of products that exceed permitted explosive charges or specifications under national standards.
Authorities are also required to strengthen safety standards, promote compliance of production facilities and equipment with relevant requirements, and ensure the effective implementation of mandatory standards.
Accidents involving fireworks and firecrackers must be thoroughly investigated to determine their causes and responsibilities. Authorities are required to draw lessons from individual cases and conduct broader inspections for similar risks.
The guidelines also call for tougher enforcement against illegal activities, stronger coordination between administrative and criminal enforcement, and deeper investigations across the entire production and distribution chain to trace sources and determine responsibilities.
The State Council Work Safety Committee and its office will strengthen overall coordination and guidance, while relevant government departments are required to fulfill their respective responsibilities and work closely together.
Local authorities were also instructed to strengthen implementation of the guidelines in light of local conditions and ensure that the measures are effectively carried out.
