Liuyang on quest to make fireworks greener, safer

Currently, machinery is being used in key production procedures in all of Liuyang's 443 firework companies.

"This has effectively avoided major safety accidents," Chen said.

At the Guangming factory, which belongs to Liuyang Zhongzhou Fireworks, for example, an automatic production line has been in operation since 2017.

"The entire line only needs 11 people to run," said Zhu Pingan, safety head of the factory, "but it can do the work that previously required 300."

The most dangerous steps are those related to gunpowder. The line has minimized the number of people needed in such procedures, and for some, production is entirely automated.

It also saves on the need for space. The production line of the Guangming factory covers just a hectare, or about 30 percent of the area traditionally needed for similar capacity.

The Liuyang government has resorted to artificial intelligence technology to improve safety supervision.

In Dayao township in Liuyang, which produces 70 percent of the raw materials used to make fireworks around the world, for example, every company has AI cameras that are connected to an early warning and risk prevention system.

For safety, only one worker is allowed into some production areas, and the system automatically alerts factory executives if more than one person shows up in a restricted area.

Early warning messages are then sent to higher level executives and even to emergency management departments if nothing is done to address the violation, according to Dayao authorities.

The system can also monitor for static electricity, humidity and dust density and issue an alert when any reach levels that are potentially hazardous.

Chen said that Liuyang has also worked hard on making fireworks more environmentally friendly.