Suphan Buri provincial authorities have been instructed by the governor to tighten up safety controls on the about 10 firework factories still operating in the province, to prevent a repetition of last week’s explosion, which killed 23 people.
Governor Natthapat Suwanprateep said that most of these factories do not have an operating license from the Industrial Works Department and they usually hire villagers, who have no knowledge of or experience in the handling of the volatile substances used in the making of pyrotechnics.
Most such factories are not required to be licensed, because they are small, hire only a handful of people and are equipped with machinery of a limited size.
He also said that those who work in such factories are mostly farmers earning extra income.
The site of last week’s explosion is cordoned off until this Tuesday, but the surrounding paddy fields have been reopened to villagers, after they were cleared of dangerous substances by inspectors from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
