Explosives

Storage

• Explosives should be kept in a proper storage facilities to

protect them from the elements and possible degradation.
Magazines have very clear design specifications that
must be adhered to in order to ensure proper and safe
storage, to minimize the possibility of inadvertent ignition
and to protect employees and others.
• dry and well ventilated;
• as cool as possible and not exposed to serious changes
of temperature;
• protected from direct sunlight and flooding;
• not exposed to excessive or constant vibration,
• stored separately from blasting caps, electric blasting
caps, detonating primers, and primed cartridges; and
• accessible only to authorized workers who are competent,
trained and use extreme care.
Magazines
• Magazines are to be kept clean and orderly.
• All explosives must be accounted for at all times through the use of records and logbooks.
The oldest explosives must be used first because the quality of explosives can degrade over
time; a rotation system that allows for this must be in place.
• When opening or closing wood packages of explosives, a wood wedge and a fiber, rubber, or
wood mallet must be used.
• Magazine floors must be regularly swept (the sweepings must be properly disposed of) and
kept clean and dry. Brooms and other cleaning utensils mustn’t have any spark-producing
metal parts.
• In the event of a fire breaking out and being in imminent danger of contact with explosives,
no firefighting actions should be taken. Instead, all employees must be removed to a safe
area. In addition, the fire area must be guarded to prevent anyone from entering it by
accident or on purpose.
• Smoking and open flames mustn’t be present within 50 feet of explosives and detonator
storage magazines. This should be well understood by everyone, but sometimes people
need reminding.
Transport

• Transportation of explosives needs to follow regulations

regardless of whether it’s long or short distance.
Employers must develop procedures in accordance with
the regulations to protect workers and bystanders.
• Vehicles carrying explosives must always have the right of way.
• Ensure that motor vehicles transporting explosives, or explosives
themselves, are never left unattended.
• If transporting vehicles do not have a closed body then, in order to protect
the explosives against moisture and sparks, they must be covered with a
flameproof and moistureproof cover or other effective protection.
• Explosives mustn’t be transported with other materials or blasting caps.
• The drivers transporting explosives must be licensed, physically fit and be
familiar with the transportation of explosives regulations.
• Vehicles used for transporting explosives must be in good mechanical
condition and be the right size for the load.
• Any exposed spark-producing metal on the inside of the transport vehicles
must be covered with non-sparking materials (like wood).
• Signs, markings or placards with the word “Explosives” must be placed on
all sides of the transport vehicles. The signal word must be written over
white background and in red letters that are at least four inches in height.
• A red flag, visible from all directions, may also be used in addition to the
signs.
• Fully charged and working fire extinguishers in good condition must be
placed in each vehicle. They must have a minimum rating of 10-ABC.
• The drivers must be trained in the use of the extinguisher.
Handling and blasting

• The use, delivery and handling of explosives must be

performed by competent workers with the right training
and experience. Not only must they always use extreme
care, but they also have to know and follow all the
procedures and regulations to ensure everyone’s safety.
Such regulations cover all aspects of the use of
explosives from packaging to weather conditions.
• Boxes and packing materials that contained high explosives mustn’t be
reused. Instead, they should be safely burned.
• Explosives (and supplies related to their use) that are deteriorated or
damaged must not be used but, instead, safely disposed of in accordance
with written procedures.
• Moving detonators and other explosives to a blasting area must be done
in their original containers, or class II magazines.
• When preparing for blasting, before the detonators are wired into the
blasting circuit they must be short-circuited in holes that have been primed
and shunted.
• Accidental discharge of electric blasting caps must be prevented through
appropriate precautions. These must consider situations such as a current
induced by radar, radio transmitters, lightning, power lines or dust storms.
• In the event of an approaching electrical storm, all blasting operations
must be suspended.
• If overhead power lines, communication lines and utility structures are
present near the blasting operations, owners and operators of these
structures and equipment must be notified and the operations can only be
carried out when control measures are in place.
• Special precautions must be taken to control each blast and the resulting
throw of fragments. These precautions should include visual and audible
warning signals, flags, barricades or woven wire mats.
Training

• For the safety of employees and the general public, all

workers handling, using or affected by the use of
explosives must be trained in all the relevant safety
procedures. This is to ensure that all workers are familiar
with the various explosive materials they may work with
and with the procedures they have to follow if they’re
faced with out-of-the-ordinary situations (such as
explosives found in an incorrect place).
• fly-rocks: workers or others can be struck by a rock if they stand too close to the
blast or the rock travels farther than predicted;
• premature blast: as the name suggests, this is an explosion that happens earlier
than planned. This could be caused by a faulty fuse, degraded explosives,
carelessness, environmental conditions or other issues;
• misfires: this happens when a charge fails to explode completely or partially. The
remains of the explosives could now be triggered by any environmental condition or
mechanical force like digging, so recovering operations of these explosives can be
extremely dangerous;
• mine-induced seismicity: this is very dangerous in underground mining areas and
can be triggered by the use of explosives, resulting in earthquake-like events that
can collapse the mine, flood it or even cause damage on the surface.
• With all the risks involved, a thorough, comprehensive safety