Fixing firecracker industry: Be on the side of safety

The Department of Labor and Employment's renewed reminder to firecracker manufacturers and distributors about strict compliance with occupational safety and health (OSH) rules comes at a critical moment.

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Every year, the nation braces for accidents in pyrotechnics factories—explosions, burns, and preventable deaths that recur with tragic regularity. Beyond this familiar call for safety lies a deeper and an uncomfortable truth. Regulations fail not only when factories opt to cut corners, but when enforcement collapses into a breeding ground for shakedowns, harassment, and corruption. True safety is impossible when compliance is treated as a revenue stream rather than a public duty.