China's work safety watchdog on Friday asked local authorities to organize safety checks at firework factories ahead of the Spring Festival.

In a circular, the State Administration of Work Safety urged provincial regulators to conduct selective examinations on firework factories to see whether the businesses have illegally used the chemical compound potassium chloride.

The regulators will also carry out checks at sales points and track flows of fireworks and firecrackers.

China's firework plants have seen frequent accidents due to lax safety standards, especially among small producers.

The latest check will run from December to January, and provincial regulators are required to report the results before the end of January, as China's Spring Festival falls on Feb. 9 this year, when fireworks will be widely released for celebration. Endi