Safety Matches Order, 1987

L.N. 59 of 19117

Q UALITY CONTROL (EXPORTS. IMPORTS ANI) LOCAL

GOODS) ACT. 1971

(ACT NO. XIII OF 1971)

Safety Matches Order, 1987

(Order No. Mill of 1987)

IN exercise of tbe powers conferred by section 3 of the Qua lity

Control (Exports, Imports and Local Goods) Act, 1971, and in accor-

dance with illal section. the Malta Board of Standards has made the fol -

lowing ordcr:-

1 This Order may be cited as the Safety Matches Orde r. 1987,

and may be referred to as Orde r No. M 19 of 1987.

1.2 This Order sh all become operative on a date after the lapse of

20 days from the dayon wh ich it is laidon tile T ab le of the H ouse of Rep-

resentatives , which date shall be notified by the Board by lIotice in the

Gazelte.

1

This O rder applies 10 safety wood matches.

1

[n this Order -

3. 1. 1 "box" means the container in which wooden matches reach

the consumer. It normally ronsisls of an ouler four-sided casin g on

which lies th e strik ing su rface and wit hin which slides an inne r Iray con -

taining the matches;

3. 1.2 "wrapped packet" means a packet containing a number of

boxes offered for retail sale.

1 In order 10 carry OUI all the required lests. the sample shall

consist o f 48 boxes which can be the contents of wrapped packets.

1. The contents of the 48 boxes shall be counted and the ave r-

age number of matches in ~ach box shaH be not less than 40 subject to a

tolerance of ± 2.5%.

1 Wh en 400 random matches are tested by the method [aid

down in paragraph 14.1, nOI more than two per 100 matches shall have

an afterglow wh ich persists for more than J seconds.

1. When 500 random matches a re visually exam ined. they shall

not exhibit more than

7.1. 1 ten badly distorted heads in that the heads show pro-

nounced abnormalities in , hape or surface. especially heads which carry

sharply ddined peaks: such defectives shall be removed from the sam-

pIe and shaH not be included in further enminations;

7. 1.2 five fractured heads in that the surface o f the heads shall be

bro ken or cracked: such defect ives shall be removed from the sample

and shall not be included ill f uTlher e xaminatiollS

7.1.3 fi~e doubles ill that the heads are linked together by a bridge

of co mposition: such detectives shall be removed from the sample and

shall not be included in further examinations;

7. 1.4 fi~e splill1s with heads missing: such defecli~es shall be re'

moved from the sample and shall not be included in furthe r exam ina·

lions.

1 Th ese tests shall be carried out on the remainder of the

... m" •• ",,"

matches after visual examination. Samples shall be e;>;posed in an atmos·

ofm.l< ......

phere at 18 - 24"C and 65% ± 5% relative humidity for a minimum of

one hour before SITikin g tests are ca rried out and the tests shalt be made

at this temperature . The covers of sa mples shall be remo~ed during th is

period.

The matc hes when held in turn between the first finger and thumb

at an angle of 30" to the friction paint and st ruck in the direction such

that the head is trailing. with the minimum pressure necessary to ensurc

igni tioll, shall not exhibit more thall

8. t. l

five splints which break out of every lOO matches tested

8.1.2 one head which drips hot ash ou t of every lOO matches

tested : during the striking tests the matche s shall be held over a sheet of

wh ite paper; any bu rn marks resulting from the dropping of hot ash shall

be noted;

8. 1.3 onc head which shoots or explodes out of c.'e ry lOO matc hes

tested. ill that it burns violently, scalle ring hot particles or explodes on

strikin g;

8. 104 one mateh which does not transfer the flame from the match

head 10 the splint out of e~ery lOO matches tested: after strik ing. Ihe

matche s shall be immediately held in a horiwntal position clear of the

box in a draught free atmosphere; the flame shall rcadily transfer from

the match head to Ihe spli nt.

1 The 4S boxes shall be visually examined. The friction paint

shall have been applied 10 the whole or paTl of the sides ofthe outer cas·

ing and none shall have ;tppeared on the inside of the box.

1 Boxes shall be functionally examined as follows

10.1.1 Coruc/ /it of inner tray: The 4S boxes shall irl tUTrl. be

lightly held by the outer casirlg in a vertical pos ition. The inner tray shall

not drop out under the weight of its contents.

10.1.2 Friction paint.· Four rando m boxes shall be subjected to

this lest. It shall be possible to strike the contents of Ihe bo x on half the

area of the friction pa in t provided. During this lest the paint shall not

take fire and bum followiog the striki ng ofa m~tch. Instances in wbic h

such burni ng ooxu rs and embraces an area greater than 4Omm 2 shall

constitute ~ failure.

1 It shall not be possible to ign ite any of the matches by rub·

bing on 00 glass paper.

1 Twelve matches sllall be supported in holes approxim ately

9.5mm apart in a metal plate. The matches sll all tllen be in troduced into

an oven the rm ostatically controlled at 17crC and maintained at this tem·

perature for 10 minutes. Under these conditions tile matches slla ll not

ignite.

1 Every box and eve ry wrapped packet of matches shall bear a

label showing in clear and easily readable print the following informa·

tion:~

13. 1. 1 the brand name or trade mark;

13. 1.2

alternatively the name and address of the manufacturer.

13. 1.3 Where the brand na me is not entered in a list kept by the

Director of Industry nor is the trade mark registered with the Comptrol·

ler of Industrial Property. the inclusion in the label of the name and ad·

dress of the manufacturer shall be compulsory.

1 Onc hundred matches shall be selected at random and the

bases of th e splints inserted in holes set out in square formation at 9.5 ±

O.I27mm spacing in a steel plate, the holcs beingof such asize as tosup-

port the matches firmly_ The holes shall not be st~ggered as Ihis affects

the accuracy of the tes!.

14.2 A flame shall be applied to the outside row of matches and

the plate tilted so as to ignite all the matches. The spli nts shall be al·

lowed 10 burn away completely and when the flame dies out the ashed

remains of the splints shall be examined for afterglow. The duration of

afterglow on any match shall be timed by means of a stop-watch_

PuM"htd b, rJrt " ."." ",,", 0/ /./o,ma,io' _ /(<I>,iljo

IppubN rko' ", id - Oipa"~"' ,o·/-I. f""""""",'

/(as'ilJ'!

M ;rbugll n.],t.mr< ';j' ,.,·Gv,," _ P,i."d . " h. Go,"""" "," , I',j",j"~ /,,,, ..

P,« , "" - ",k, fc