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Senior citizens banned from selling firecrackers
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-12-07 11:31
People over the age of 60 will not be allowed to sell firecrackers in Beijing, according to a notice issued on Tuesday by a local safety watchdog.
Vendors wishing to sell firecrackers in the capital have been told they must pass a test to obtain safety qualification certificates from the Beijing Municipal Administration of Work Safety.
"The test is accessible only to those under 60 - it is the first time Beijing has set an age limit for examinees," said Li Wenjie, director of the administration's dangerous chemical management office.
"Firecracker vendors should save themselves and help others in emergencies, which is comparatively hard for the old," he explained.
Applicants began Tuesday enrolling for the qualification test which will be held in three sessions from December 10 to January 13.
Beijing lifted a 12-year firecracker ban for the Spring Festival of 2006. The lifting of the ban was aimed at reviving the festive atmosphere, which was in danger of fizzling out due to the use of electronic firework replacements.
Statistics released by the State Administration for Work Safety show that from 1985 to November 2005, there were 8,532 fireworks accidents, which left 9,349 people dead.
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