Source: Rule of Law Daily-Legal Network
Cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" have low ignition points, which can be ignited with matches or lighters, which means that there is fire danger in the process of transportation, storage and sales, and the burning speed is relatively fast, and once a fire occurs, it will spread rapidly.
● According to China’s Regulations on the Safety Management of Fireworks and Firecrackers and Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, the production, transportation, storage and sales of cold light fireworks as fireworks and firecrackers or "steel wool fireworks" as inflammable dangerous goods shall be subject to the administrative permission of the relevant regulatory authorities.
● After several notices are issued, there are still online stores selling cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks", and there are loopholes in the security inspection of subway and express delivery, so buyers and sellers can still collect and sell goods normally.
□ Rule of Law Daily All-Media Reporter Wang Yang
□ Trainee reporter Zhang Shoukun
During the Spring Festival, fireworks accidents occurred in many places, and the safety risks of cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" attracted attention.
On February 14th, official website, the Emergency Management Department, issued a notice, clearly incorporating cold light fireworks into the management of fireworks and firecrackers, and centrally cleaning up and rectifying illegal online sales; On February 16th, the Office of the State Council Safety Production Committee put forward rectification requirements, and all the "steel wool fireworks" currently sold in physical storefronts and online platforms should be taken off the shelves and properly disposed of; On February 19th, the State Post Bureau issued an urgent notice, requiring postal administrations and postal and express delivery enterprises to strictly guard against illegal delivery of cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks".
In just a few days, many departments have issued documents intensively, and there is no "transition period" and "buffer period", which shows the determination of the relevant departments to govern.
However, according to a recent investigation by the reporter of Rule of Law Daily, there are still online stores selling cold fireworks such as "fairy glow sticks" and "electronic fireworks" and "steel wool fireworks" that can throw out cool visual effects. From the actual implementation situation, there are still many gaps with the requirements of "all off the shelves" and "prohibiting illegal delivery"; There are loopholes in the security inspection of subway, express delivery and other links, and buyers and sellers can still collect and sell goods normally. In addition, there is still no clear regulation on how to detect and identify, and how to properly handle the "steel wool fireworks" taken off the shelves by sellers and purchased by buyers.
Low ignition point and high risk.
There are misunderstandings in public cognition.
In January this year, in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, a woman played "throwing flowers" with "steel wool fireworks" in the parking lot to shoot a video, which caused the vehicle to catch fire. In Shanghai, a man was playing with "steel wool fireworks" on the roof, and the sparks caused two cars to be damaged …
Why are cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" so dangerous?
Kou Liping, a professor at the School of Public Security of the People’s Public Security University of China and director of the Urban Emergency Management Research Center of the Capital Social Security Research Base, explained that both cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" have low ignition points and can be ignited with matches or lighters, which means that there is a fire hazard in the transportation, storage and sales process, and the burning speed is relatively fast, and once a fire occurs, it will spread rapidly.
"The temperature of the cold light fireworks nozzle is as high as 700℃ to 800℃, and the temperature of’ steel wool fireworks’ can reach 2000℃, which will not only burn the skin, but also ignite the surrounding combustibles when used." Yan Liping said.
It is worth noting that the reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" found in the interview that the public has misunderstandings about these two products.
The first is the name and classification. The "Rule of Law Daily" reporter found that many people don’t know what cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" are. After the reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" showed the photos of cold light fireworks, some talents suddenly realized: "Isn’t this a flower? I used to play it when I was a child." "Steel wool fireworks" looks like a flattened steel ball for washing dishes. Few people know what it is. These people who don’t know even include the boss, courier and security inspector of the fireworks and firecrackers sales point.
Many interviewees will regard cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" as one kind of items, and they all belong to fireworks and firecrackers. The reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" learned by calling Anhui Fireworks and Firecrackers Association and consulting relevant regulations that cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" are actually not the same thing.
"Safety and Quality of Fireworks and Firecrackers" stipulates that fireworks and firecrackers are made of pyrotechnics as the main raw materials. After ignition, they will produce light, sound, color, shape, smoke and other effects by burning or exploding, which are used for viewing and are inflammable and explosive.
"Steel wool fireworks" is a filament-shaped low-carbon steel, which contains no smoke powder. It is a material mainly used for polishing stone materials, which has a low ignition point and will form a liquid state at high temperature, and belongs to flammable materials. Cold light fireworks are flammable and explosive, and have been included in the management of fireworks and firecrackers.
Secondly, safety awareness. The "Rule of Law Daily" reporter found that both sellers and buyers have weak awareness of fire safety.
In many online stores selling cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks", the introductions of merchants are "no danger" and "photographic props and artifacts". A shopkeeper said, just follow the instructions and online videos, but don’t wear down jackets or woolen fabrics. A consumer who has bought "steel wool fireworks" also thinks that it is ok to find a bigger open space and there will be no danger.
Can we set off cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" in the future? Kou Liping said that according to the notice, cold light fireworks can still be sold and set off in areas where fireworks and firecrackers are allowed, but they should be managed in accordance with the Regulations on the Safety Management of Fireworks and Firecrackers.
Du Leqi, an associate professor at the Law School of Jiangsu University, also told the reporter of the Rule of Law Daily that according to China’s Regulations on the Safety Management of Fireworks and Firecrackers and the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, the production, transportation, storage and sales of "steel wool fireworks", whether used as fireworks or flammable dangerous goods, should obtain administrative permission from relevant regulatory authorities.
The network platform is still on sale.
There are loopholes in the transportation link.
What is the current consignment situation of cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks"?
Shortly after the rectification request was put forward by the Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee on February 16th, the reporter of Rule of Law Daily went to Heping District, Hedong District, Hebei District and other urban areas in Tianjin for on-the-spot visits, and consulted the sales situation of some towns and villages in Tianjin, Lianyungang City, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province and Suzhou City, Anhui Province by telephone and WeChat.
Through the summary of the news obtained, the reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" found that at present, for "steel wool fireworks", the fireworks stores in many cities are basically supervised, and the stores basically said that they have never received goods; For cold light fireworks, there are some cases of illegal purchase and sale of private goods in some areas where burning and releasing are prohibited, but this situation is rare.
What about the sales of some online stores and platforms with tens of thousands of sales and "online celebrity Fireworks" flooding?
The "Rule of Law Daily" reporter found that after the relevant notice was issued, cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" have become prohibited words on several e-commerce platforms, and direct search has failed to find related products. However, using keywords such as "fairy wand", "online celebrity Fireworks" and "Hand-cranked Iron Mianhua" to search, you will find that there are still many stores selling, and most of these online stores can still deliver goods normally, and some online stores have more orders during the Spring Festival.
On February 17th, the reporter of Rule of Law Daily contacted a Taobao merchant who sold "steel wool fireworks". The store said that the logistics was updated normally, and now it can be delivered immediately, but it will not be sold after two days of strict management.
In the afternoon, the reporter of Rule of Law Daily tried to place an order for "15 pieces of steel wool fireworks with tools", and the next day it showed that it had been delivered successfully. On February 19th, the reporter of Rule of Law Daily found that the goods in the store had been emptied, so he contacted the seller again and said what to do if he wanted to buy it in the future. As a result, he received the address of the WeChat store (micro-store) sent by the seller. At present, the Taobao store has no goods on the shelves, but as of press time, the micro store can still buy and sell normally.
On February 22nd, the reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" received the goods normally, indicating that there were some tips on the paper, such as "You can pass the security check and take the train and plane".
In order to verify the seller’s statement, on the afternoon of receiving the goods, the reporter of Rule of Law Daily came to Jingjiang Road subway station in Tianjin. After explaining the purpose in advance, the reporter of Rule of Law Daily put some "steel wool fireworks" on his body and successfully entered the subway station without triggering the security alarm. Here, you can take Metro Line 2 directly to tianjin railway station, and you can get into the station directly without repeating the security check.
It is understood that X-ray detectors, portable detectors, detection inspection doors and other security equipment in railway stations, buses and subways can detect similar things; Aircraft security will be stricter, and "steel wool fireworks" may be detected.
According to the Regulations on the Administration of Prohibited Delivery of Articles, "steel wool fireworks" should belong to "explosive, flammable, corrosive, toxic, infectious, radioactive and other articles that endanger the delivery safety", and the delivery enterprises should strictly implement the acceptance inspection system and inspect whether the articles delivered by users belong to prohibited items on the spot according to law. However, the "Rule of Law Daily" reporter still received the goods normally.
The reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" observed that "fine vegetables" were written on the seal used to package the box of "steel wool fireworks". Wang, the person in charge of SF Express in Xiaoxian County, Suzhou City, Anhui Province, told the reporter of Rule of Law Daily that this situation may be caused by the seller telling the courier that it was vegetables or other items after packaging in advance, and the courier did not open the box for inspection.
Wang said that according to the formal process of express delivery, even if the package has been packaged, the courier should open the box for inspection after notifying the customer. Some things, such as "steel wool fireworks", may not be found during the express delivery; If the courier doesn’t know or the seller can’t tell what this kind of thing is, the courier should also refuse to send it in a serious and responsible manner.
Why do cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" have these loopholes in production, transportation and sales?
Du Leqi believes that on the one hand, driven by interests, unlicensed enterprises produce, transport, store and sell these products in a more subtle way. For example, when selling, merchants will dilute or even cover up the commodity attributes of fireworks or flammable products, making it impossible for regulatory authorities to investigate and deal with such illegal acts quickly and efficiently, or the investigation cost is high; On the other hand, the contrast between the scarcity of regulatory power and resources and the susceptibility and multiplicity of illegal acts also weakens the effect of market supervision objectively.
Supervision in various places has increased.
How to properly handle the pending solution
It is understood that emergency bureaus, public security bureaus, State Administration for Market Regulation, transportation bureau, post office, fire rescue brigade and other departments have urgently carried out relevant activities to severely investigate and deal with the production, transportation, sale and discharge of cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks".
On February 18, Pingchang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province launched a centralized rectification campaign, investigated and dealt with 4 illegal acts of selling fireworks and firecrackers without a license, and confiscated 17 "time lanterns" of cold fireworks and more than 300 boxes of "golden electro-optic flowers"; Tianjin Dongli District Emergency Bureau set up four inspection teams to inspect 48 stores of various types, found 12 potential safety problems, rectified 12 on the spot, and investigated and dealt with one according to law (2 cold fireworks sticks were confiscated on the spot); Yang Junnan, a policeman from Taogou Police Station, Yongqiao Branch of Public Security Bureau of Suzhou City, Anhui Province, told the reporter of Rule of Law Daily that all kinds of fireworks sales stalls have become the product targets of the police, and at the same time, dealers’ purchase channels will be strictly controlled to ensure that these products do not flow to the market.
Du Leqi said that the relevant departments responsible for the supervision of the production, transportation and sales of fireworks and firecrackers should closely cooperate and share illegal information in the process of supervision and law enforcement while implementing their main supervisory responsibilities, so as to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of supervision; Safety supervision departments responsible for the production and operation of fireworks and firecrackers should cooperate with network platform operators to comprehensively investigate and crack down on illegal acts related to such products; The public security departments and other departments that supervise the transportation safety of fireworks and firecrackers should also cooperate with the express delivery industry regulatory agencies, industry associations and other subjects to block the transportation channels of such products.
It is worth noting that the rectification of "steel wool fireworks" should also avoid accidental injury to steel wool.
It is understood that steel wool is actually a polishing material, mainly used for grinding and polishing stone products, metal products and wood products. The rectification requirements put forward by the Office of the State Council Safety Production Committee mentioned that the normal production and supply of steel wool used in industrial production and residents’ life should be guaranteed to prevent simplification and "one size fits all".
What should I do with the cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" that I bought online at home after the merchants properly removed the products? This problem also troubled the reporter of "Rule of Law Daily" who bought "steel wool fireworks".
Kou Liping said that the destruction of flammable and explosive materials is a highly professional job. She suggested that the cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" stored at home should be handed in and destroyed by professionals.
But who to give the product to becomes a problem.
To this end, the "Rule of Law Daily" reporter contacted Tianjin Public Security Bureau, Tianjin Fire and Rescue Corps and Tianjin Hedong District Emergency Management Bureau respectively. The person in charge of the Public Security Management Corps of Tianjin Public Security Bureau said that according to the regulations, fireworks and firecrackers can be handed over to the public security department, but "steel wool fireworks" may belong to fire protection. The person in charge of the Fire Prevention Department of Tianjin Fire Rescue Corps said that no relevant notice was received on this matter. The person in charge of the relevant departments of the Hedong District Emergency Management Bureau in Tianjin said that the cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" collected in the law enforcement of market supervision and other departments will be handled in a unified manner, but the voluntary surrender may be related to fire protection and public security.
The reporter of the Rule of Law Daily found through inquiry that according to the Regulations on the Safety Management of Fireworks and Firecrackers and the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, the public security department is responsible for the public safety management of fireworks and firecrackers and hazardous chemicals. However, the "steel wool fireworks" are not fireworks and firecrackers. The person in charge of the relevant departments of China Chemical Safety Association told the reporter of Rule of Law Daily that the "steel wool fireworks" are not dangerous chemicals either.
So how to properly dispose of cold light fireworks and "steel wool fireworks" is still to be solved at present.
