Wednesday’s blast at a private fireworks unit at Mudalipatti near Sivakasi may have taken place when the mixing of chemicals, meant for fancy cracker items, was being carried out, according to a senior government official.
Such fancy items are much in demand as they emit bright colours and produce loud bang. Unlike in the case of conventional firecrackers, a special mix of chemical products is done in respect of the fancy cracker items, says the official, who visited the site of the blast on Thursday.
The production of such fire crackers underscores the need for renewed emphasis on training of workers of fireworks units, the official says, adding that the government is giving utmost importance to this aspect. A training institute is going to be established there, for which the site has been identified by the district administration. A training programme is also being implemented.
Emphasising that the firecracker industry has to be transparent in its functioning, the official says it would be better if each company had a website that provided complete details about it. This can be done without divulging “trade secrets.”
Apart from devising a standard operating procedure, the industry should go in for an insurance policy scheme, covering factories’ premises and workers. When the entire factory is covered under the insurance scheme, the management concerned is required to share information on various aspects of the premises with the insurance company.
The State Government has been implementing a group personal accident insurance scheme with coverage of Rs. 50,000 made mandatory on the part of the employer, to render relief in the event of death, loss of limbs, loss of eyesight and other physical disabilities caused to the insured workers in Match and Fireworks Factories in the State. Between July 2011 and March 2012, about 1.11 lakh workers were covered.
