The Health and Safety Executive has opened a parallel investigation after a devastating explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta was captured on camera, raising urgent questions about workplace safety in the explosives industry. The blast, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon at the Pyrotechnic Works facility outside Valletta, sent a plume of black smoke into the sky and was heard miles away. Emergency services confirmed that at least two workers are confirmed dead, with three others hospitalised with serious injuries.
Footage circulating on social media shows the moment the factory erupted in a fireball, followed by secondary explosions that rained debris over nearby homes. The HSE, which has jurisdiction over UK-linked safety operations abroad in certain circumstances, said it would conduct a separate inquiry into the incident, focusing on whether British safety protocols were followed. Malta’s own occupational health authority is leading the primary investigation, but the HSE’s involvement signals the potential for cross-border regulatory action.
Union officials have called for an immediate moratorium on all fireworks production in Malta pending the findings, arguing that workers are being exposed to unacceptable risks. The factory had been cited for safety violations twice in the past five years, including inadequate storage of explosive materials. Labour groups in the UK have seized on the tragedy to renew calls for stricter enforcement of the Explosives Regulations 2014, which govern the manufacture and storage of fireworks.
“This is a wake-up call,” said Martha Reynolds, head of the Fireworkers’ Union. “Every day, workers handle volatile materials without proper safeguards. The HSE must ensure that UK companies operating abroad do not cut corners.
” The Maltese government has declared three days of mourning. The HSE’s parallel probe is expected to take several months, with a preliminary report due within 30 days.
