Nearly half of all fireworks made in China fail to meet basic quality standards, according to a survey released on January 23 by the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (SAQSIQ).

"The standards of many small and medium-sized fireworks producers in townships and villages do not meet state requirements," said Zhang Guanghua, director of the State Administration of Work Safety's Chemical Safety Supervision and Management Department.

A spot check was conducted on 120 producers in seven provinces by the SAQSIQ and found that only 57 percent of the fireworks checked met quality standards.

Four defects were identified during the inspection.

Thirty-four percent failed the inspection due to too-short or too-long blasting fuses, which could potentially cause injury if a person does not move away in time or re-approaches to investigate a delay.

Another major defect was the use of banned chemicals, substances that burn or explode too easily.

One-fifth of the products were found to have hidden safety problems, which could lead to fire or detonation too close to the ground.

The packaging of 19 of the brands was not in line with requirements, which could lead to accidents in transportation or storage.

Inferior fireworks cause fire and injuries every year, and pose a great threat to public safety. "Deficient factories will be closed or improved," Zhang said, and managers brought to account.

In March, five new national standards on fireworks will come into effect to guarantee quality improvements.

Standards are a major concern for the public during this, and other festive seasons as it is traditional to use fireworks to celebrate.

"Every Spring Festival we set off fireworks to celebrate the Lunar New Year and have a great time," said Han Xiaofei, from Tieling City, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

In the city's Changtu County, a tragic explosion took place in December 2003 that killed 38 and wounded another 44.

Han's family always takes protective measures when lighting fireworks, because small quality problems are common, he said.

Since the 1990s, many cities, including Beijing, have adopted firework bans. But 105 cities, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Qingdao and Hangzhou, have relaxed their bans for the festive period.

(China Daily February 7, 2005)