920                              Laws of Maryland                        Ch. 405

Whereas, The recent accidents clearly demonstrate a need for
improved safety practices in the manufacture of fireworks to reduce
the likelihood of future accidents; and

Whereas, To assure that adequate safety practices are being ad-
hered to and enforced, they should be clearly set out in statutes and
regulations; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 15 through 25 of Article 38A of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1965 Replacement Volume and 1969 Supplement),
title "Fires and Investigations," subtitle "Fireworks," be and they
are hereby repealed; and that new Sections 15 through 25 be and
they are enacted in lieu thereof, to stand in the place of the sections
repealed, and to read as follows:

15.

(a)    The term "Fireworks" as used in this subtitle means fire-
crackers, squibs, rockets, sparklers, Roman candles, torpedoes, bombs,
grenades, fire balloons, signal lights, and any combustible or explo-
sive composition, or any substance or combination of substances, or
article prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or an audible
effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration, or detonation. The
term "fireworks" does not include toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns,
or other devices in which paper caps containing twenty-five hun-
dredths grains or less of explosive compound are used, provided they
are so constructed that the hand cannot come in contact with the
cap when in place for use; or toy pistol paper caps which contain
less than twenty-hundredths grains of explosive mixture.

(b)    "Class B fireworks" means special fireworks, designed pri-
marily to produce visible or audible effects by combustion or explo-
sion. Class B fireworks includes toy torpedoes, railway torpedoes,
firecrackers and salutes that do not qualify as Class C fireworks,
exhibition display pieces, illuminating projectiles, incendiary pro-
jectiles, incendiary grenades; smoke projectiles or bombs containing
expelling charges but without bursting charges; flash powders in
inner units not exceeding two ounces each, flash sheets in interior
packages, flash powder or spreader cartridges containing not over
72 grains of flash powder each; and flash cartridges consisting of a
paper cartridge shell, small arms primer and flash composition, not
exceeding 180 grains all assembled in one piece. The use of the term
"Class B fireworks" is based on United States Department of Trans-
portation regulations.

(c)    "Class C fireworks" means common fireworks, designed pri-
marily to produce visible effects by combustion. Some small devices
designed to produce an audible effect are included, but only when
containing less than two grains of pyrotechnic composition. Class
C fireworks include the following:

(1)    Roman candles, not exceeding ten balls, with total pyrotech-
nic composition not exceeding twenty grams in weight and inside
tube diameter not exceeding 3/8 inch.

(2)    Sky rockets with sticks, total pyrotechnic composition not
exceeding twenty grams in weight, and inside tube diameter not
exceeding ½ inch.