1. Recognizing the Hazards
Prevent injury to people
Prevent damage to property
Why is this training program important?
This training is to help you understand how you may come into contact with explosives and methods to eliminate or minimize hazard exposure.
The objective of this course is to provide participants with a greater understanding and appreciation of the dangers associated with blasting activities and flyrock, as well as hazard recognition
Photo: Colorado DOT crew blasting along US 285 at Windy Point.
Blasting & Flyrock Awareness
Recognizing the Hazards

2. Blasting activities are carefully regulated by
Blasters are required to have a state-issued blasters certification, ATF clearance and background checks.
Prohibited persons categories: Aliens (with limited exceptions); persons dishonorably discharged from the military; persons who has renounced their US citizenship. Prohibited persons can apply for relief from Federal explosives disabilities.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, established new provisions that went into effect May 24, All persons who seek to receive explosive materials must possess a license, a user permit, or a "intrastate limited permit". The permit will allow the purchaser to receive explosive materials on no more than six occasions during the period of the permit; the permit does not allow the holder to ship, transport, received, or possess explosive materials outside of his or her State of residence.
After May 24, 2003, you are no longer able to purchase or receive explosives without a Federal licence or permit.
Blasting activities are carefully regulated by
several governmental agencies.

3. Legal Standards OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 - General Industry
29 CFR Part Construction
MSHA
Metal & Non-Metal Mines
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
DOT
General Provisions:
General requirements not specifically related to a particular operation or procedure
Usually board in scope

4. Blaster Qualifications
Knowledge and Experience
Training
Physical Ability
Evidence of Competency

5. Basic Blasting Terminology
Blaster-in-Charge
Blasting Plan
Blast Area
Flyrock
Early-Warning Signal
Final-Warning Signal
All-Clear Signal
Here is some basic blasting terminology that we'll briefly cover.
Blaster-in-Charge
Blast Area
Flyrock
Early-Warning Signal
Final-Warning Signal
Image:Charging with anfo.jpg From Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.

6. It is a technique used most often in mining and civil engineering.
Rock blasting is the controlled use of explosives to excavate or remove rock.
It is a technique used most often in mining and civil engineering.
Blasting generally has two purposes: rock fragmentation, and displacement of the broken rock.
The movement of the blasted rock (also known as muckpile) depends on the shot-design parameters, and geological conditions .
In some mining practices, it is desirable to throw or cast as much rock as possible to the spoil heap. Cast blasting has helped mine operators uncover mineral deposits at a reduced cost.
Fragmented rock is not expected to travel beyond the limits of the blast area.
Image: Personnel proportioning blasting agent in preparation of loading drilled blast holes at the Hoover Dam Bypass construction site.
Source:

7. Photo: Australia mishap involving a Shotfirer truck and unintentional detonation of explosive cargo.

8. In a blast, a number of holes are drilled into the ground and loaded with explosives.
Blasting is a complex activity demanding special skills on the part of the blaster and other crew members. It requires a careful coordination of tasks between the blasting crew and other employees working in the vicinity of the blast site.
The BLASTER-IN-CHARGE computes the ideal distance between these holes, the depth of the holes, and their slant or angle.
A licensed professional, the blaster carefully figures the right amount of explosives needed to break the rock and calculates a zone around the blast where the rocks might land. The blaster uses hardware and software for total systems management of blasting operations. Blasting managers must be able to manage multiple crews, prepare detailed blasting plans, and have an excellent knowledge of multiple blasting techniques and applications.
Blasting Plan: The Blaster-in-Charge understands the importance of following a good blasting plan that optimized the balance between energy distribution,energy confinement, and rock properties. Blasting plans are prepared based on local conditions such as geology, rock properties, equipment and explosives used, distance to nearest structures, and other environmental constraints. Proper blast design is the single most important tool to prevent blasting problems. Burden, spacing, hole diameter, stemming, subdrilling, initiation system, and type of explosive used matched the characteristics of the rock formation.
Blaster Log: Job steps are outlined and notations made. Before loading explosives in a borehole, the blaster will generally examine the drilling logs to identify potential problem areas such as presence of mud seams, voids, or geological anomalies.
Blaster-in-Charge

9. Best Practices:
ensuring that all personnel have evacuated the blast area during shot firing;
using adequate blasting shelters for employees whose presence is required in the blast area
controlling and monitoring all entrances to the blast area; ensuring that the blast is properly designed,
drilled, and loaded; and
emphasizing education and training to enhance skill levels for implementation of engineering control techniques.

10. Thunderstorms and lightning have played a role in the unplanned detonation of a blast hole.
Best Practices
Determine that stray electrical current is not present during the blast set that may create a safety hazard.
Blasting operations should be suspended during the approach and progress of an electrical storm and persons withdrawn from the blast area or to a safe location.
Source of information: MSHA; June 10, 2005, an unplanned detonation of a blast hole occurred at a surface coal
mine in Indiana.
Weather Conditions

11. Conduct Pre-Blast Meeting
Review of weather conditions
Communicate number of holes
Calculate bags per hole
Discuss reasons to turn off electronic
devices
Review personnel location
Discuss stemming process
Discuss gas and fume releases
Remind those working alone to stay
in communication w/supervisor

12. Stemming
Site Preparation
stemming materials delivered to blast site

13. Blasting Shelter Site Preparation
Locate or place blaster ’s shed behind or to the side of shotfeet away from blasting area. A truck should not be considered as a blasting shelter.
Several fatalities resulted from using inadequate or no blasting shelter. A crane operator was fatally injured while standing in the open about 120 ft from the blast site. In another instance, a helper, standing about 150 ft away from the edge of a blast, was fatally injured by flyrock. In a limestone mine an equipment operator was fatally injured while guarding access roads in a pickup truck.
All employees should be removed to a safe location away from the blast area during blasting. If anyone is required to stay in the blast area, blasting shelters must be used.
The blaster removes all unused explosives, communicates with the guards, and conducts a visual inspection prior to firing the shot.
Radio communication is used by personnel involved in these activities.
Post- firing inspection: The blaster inspects the muckpile (rubble from the blast) from a safe distance before approaching the area. If no problems were detected, the blaster would then approach the area carefully and examine for any abnormal fragmentation, back break, overhang, bootleg, cut-off charge, and misfire. Upon completion of a satisfactory examination, the blaster then sounds an all-clear signal.

14. Drilling Blast Holes Image: Blast hole drilling.jpg Typical Shot Scene
The driller comes onsite and drills holes - 30 holes, 100 holes, or more. The Blaster-in-Charge has planned where and how many holes must be drilled.
Image: Blast hole drilling.jpg
From Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia

15. ROAD CREWS DRILL AND BLAST HUGE BOULDER ON CALIFORNIA ROAD
Occasionally road crews are called upon to remove debris from roads or rail tracks.
ROAD CREWS DRILL AND BLAST HUGE BOULDER ON CALIFORNIA ROAD

16. Storage of Explosives Storage in Magazines
Separate magazines for explosives and detonators
Separation Distances
barricaded
unbarricaded

17. Transport of Explosives
Explosives trucks bring in explosives to load the holes.
Requires CDL with Hazmat Endorsement
Proper placarding
No smoking
Same vehicle for explosives and detonator? (may be permitted)
Route Plan
Transport of Explosives

18. The blaster or a helper checks for the rise of explosive column in a blasthole before and during the loading process.
Loading an explosive charge close to the collar zone often causes insufficient stemming resulting in bench-top flyrock.

19. Before loading begins all unnecessary personnel and equipment are removed from the blast site, the site secured and warning signs posted.
No equipment within ______ (50?) feet of loaded holes
The loaders fill the holes with the amount of explosives that the blaster has determined.
Only the holes that are intended to be fired in the next round are loaded.

20. When the loading crew leaves, the blasting crew connects the holes back to the source of firing current.
Survey for extraneous electrical current.
Solid connecting and lead wires.
Detonators all the same kind.
Proper resistence.
Leg wires shunted.
Only workers thoroughly experienced in handling explosives shall be permitted to supervise, handle, haul, or detonate explosives.
The blasting contractor must follow all pertinent construction regulations in addition to its own written precautions and procedures in protecting workers from the blasting site during drilling, charging, detonation, and inspection.

21. Students learning blasting techniques and how to handle explosives charges in an underground environment.

22. Student learning to prepare the charge.

24. Loading and firing: The driller’s log is examined by the blaster before loading the blastholes. The blastholes are next loaded either by the blaster or under the supervision of the blaster. .
Generally, the sequence of loading the blastholes matches the firing sequence.

25. An example of a firing pattern which provides separate
A professional BLASTER-IN-CHARGE is skilled at creating controlled blasts that produce rocks of the right size and that place them at the right spot.
The blaster carefully decides:
The locations of the holes to be drilled.
The amount of explosive material to be placed in each hole.
The timing for shooting each hole.
More than 90% of the domestic explosive and blasting agent formulations generally used are ammonium nitrate based (USGS, 2000). ANFO is a mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. ANFO is not water-resistant and should be avoided if contact with water is likely.
The major advantages of ANFO are related to safety, economy, and ease of handling when compared to nitroglycerine (NG)-based high explosives.
During the past two decades, ANFO formulations have undergone numerous innovations to improve performance, shelf life, density, porosity, specific energy, and water resistance. Since its introduction, ANFO has replaced many grades of dynamites and other high explosives.
ANFO-based explosives are now available in various sizes, styles, and consistencies. Because of the diverse mechanical and geological properties of rock and the unique conditions at each blast site, a wide variety of products are available.
An example of a firing pattern which provides separate
delay time for the blastholes and gives good fragmentation
as well as good breakage.

26. After the holes have been drilled, explosives are loaded in them and they are joined. Once connected to the blasting maching, the holes can be shot with a push of a button.
This is a shot box.
It generates the electrical signal that sets off the blasting cap that activates the detonation cord that sets off the explosive.  It has a timer that is synchronized to a GPS clock so that the shots are fired at just the right time.
The blasting machine or the firing key should be securely kept by the blaster during the entire process of loading and hook up to prevent any unintentional detonation.
Only the blaster shall
- be in charge of the blasting machine.
- connect lead wires to machine.
- test circuits
- fire the shot
- immediately disconnect wires after the shot

27. Blast Area
It is the blaster's job to determine the area that might get hit with rocks. This zone is called the BLAST AREA.
It is very important to remove EVERYONE from the blast area before a blast or to ensure that personnel inside the blast area have safe cover.
Photo: Red Dog Mine

28. Access control
To prevent unauthorized entry, guards should be posted at all access points leading to the blast area.
Guards should physically remain at their duty stations until an “all-clear” signal is sounded. The guards must be attentive at all times to ensure the security of the blast. Additionally, barricades may be erected with signs in bold letters such as “Warning! Explosives in Use, Blasting Area, Do Not Enter” may be posted at all access points.
(MSHA Regulation pertinent to mines and mining activities) :
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 30, Part prohibits driving vehicles and equipment over explosive material or initiating system.

29. Understanding Warning Signals & Signs
Site Preparation
Place and/or check for proper signage
Code of signals must be familiar to everyone

30. Two warnings are common… HOWEVER, some sites use only one signal!
The signage, signals and timing of the signals vary from site to site.
What are the signals at your workplace?
Is there a 10-minute warning? A 5 -minute warning? A 1-minute warning?
What is the pattern of the signals? Whate does "all clear" sound like?
What do the blast warnings sound like for THIS site?
Is the signal a truck horn or electric horn? One signal? A series of sounds? Long? Short?
What are the blast warning signal patterns on THIS site?
Is the final warning a 5-min warning? Or just 1-min?
Two warnings are common…
HOWEVER, some sites use only one signal!

31. Early-Warning Signal ___ minutes before shot is fired.
Every sites warning signals are unique!!
___ minutes before shot is fired.
Warns holes have been loaded with explosives and prepared.
Means blast area is clear, guards have stopped traffic into area.
Blast crew inspects grounds to make sure no people or equipmen is in the blast area.
The law requires that the blast area be cleared.
Yet 5 out of 10 blasting accidents in mining - deaths and injuries - ocurred when the blast area had people in it. These people were not just the blast crew. They included contractors, road builders, miners, laborers, fishermen and visitors.
MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) reported that during the years 1978 to 200, 559 people were killed or injured this way in mining.

32. Talking Points:
At the last blast, where was the edge of the blast area?
Do you know of anyone who was in the blast area during a shot?
If you find yourself in a blast area when the warning sounds, what action will you take?
If you see someone near the blast area, how do you get word to the blaster? When do you raise the alarm?

33. New Mexico - October 1990
The sister of a worker wanted to take photos of a blast site. The victim, a mine worker, went with her. They were standing exposed, just 100 yard away, when the blast went off. They thought they had more time to secure themselves.
The victim wasn't wearing a hardhat and died on the spot from a blow to the back of the head. The woman was badly injured by a rock to the chest. She survived, but was hospitalized for months. They were in full view of the blast and they waited until the last minute to shelter themselves.

34. Illinois
A production supervisor was the last to clear out of the blast area. When one of the guards saw him park his truck near the top of the hill, the guard thought that the supervisor was giving the "all clear" signal. The supervisor was not far enough away. An 8.5 pound rock landed on top of the cab of his truck.
Even from more than 1,050 feet away, the power of the rock was great enough to dent the roof of the cab onto the man's head. He had no vital signs at the scene and was declared dead at the hospital.

35. The holes in this barn were the result of an incident in Pennsylvania
The holes in this barn were the result of an incident in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, the person who took shelter in this barn was not injured. No one is allowed in the blast area during a blast.

36. Final-Warning Signal ___ minutes before firing.
Timing is different on each site.
Radio silence is necessary.
Guards will halt blast if they sight anyone in area.
Where is today's working blast area? What time will they shoot?
Where are you supposed to report during the blast?
What will you do if you find yourself inside the blast area during a shot?
How safe is the area outside of the blast area?
What can you use for a shelter?
Don't take blasting for granted. Every day is different.
Talking Points:
What are the postings for the blast area?
Where are they usually placed?
What other blast signs and warnings are used at this site?
What is the usual routine on this site when the first warning is given?
Have you ever seen the blast signals ignored? Why is this dangerous?
From the time of the blast, how long is it until the all-clear signal?
Has there ever been a misfire?
What's the lognest time you have waited for an all-clear signal?

37. All-Clear Signal Blaster can't order the all-clear signal just yet.
The blaster must inspect the area to see if there are any misfires.
It may take minutes, hours or days to determine if there is a misfire.
Stay out until the All-Clear signal sounds.
Before sounding an all-clear signal, the blaster should conduct a visual
inspection of the blast site and check for undetonated explosives,
misfires, and other problems. The blasting log should Be finalized at this
time. Finally, all unused explosives should be returned to the
magazine.
What is the all-clear signal on this site?
Best practices:
Be aware - know where the blast area is today and stay away from it if you can, even between blasts.
Listen for the blast signals. Know all of the blast signals and what they mean.
Remain aware and alert until the all-clear signal sounds.

38. Warning Signals Be alert and share information
Know the blasting time, blast area and clearing procedure; and
Do not enter the blast area
until an “all-clear” signal is sounded.

39. Blast Logs - Recorded Evidence
Why Do Blasters Keep Good Logs??
Regulations require it
Quality control
Liability protection

40. Blasting log:
Before leaving the blast site the blaster completes filling out a ‘blasting log’ and signs it affirming that all the information pertaining to the blast has been properly documented in the blasting log.
This blasting log becomes an official document available for regulatory, legal, and/or public review, if required.
In typical blasting log information relative to:
Depth
Diameter
Burden
Stemming
Explosive distribution in the blastholes
Delay sequence
Sketch of delay pattern
Distance to nearest structure or dwelling
Seismographic data for ground vibration, and
Airblast are recorded.

41. The location of the blast within the permit area allows the regulator to verify the distance.
Know the location of the blast
Check the distance!!
Permit Area
690 Feet
Jones
Residence
North

42. From 1994 to 2001, according to the NIOSH, there were 49 blasting accidents.
Of these, 32 people were injured or killed because they were in the blast area during a blast. Another 17 people were injured or killed from flyrock, rocks that hit people outside the blast area.
More than half of blasting injuries were due to flyrock and to not clearing the blast area.

43. The six exposures were taken over a span of 3 seconds.
Note to instructor: Use the up arrow to back up animated blasting sequence and then the down arrow to replay sequence.
Rock blasting in northern Ontario to make way for new highway upgrades.
The six exposures were taken over a span of 3 seconds.
This animation is displayed over 6 seconds.

44. The blaster will calculate that the explosive will fit in the hole
Example shown: Two 7’ columns of 205 pounds is close to 198 pounds.

45. Here a miscalculation is made. Timing review shows 5 charges per delay
Here a miscalculation is made. Timing review shows 5 charges per delay. The scaled distance will be wrong and a violation is possible.

46. Excavation crews working on sites involving blasting
operations may be exposed to the hazards of undetonated
charges during removal of blasted rock.
Such excavation may be required for road building, pipeline work, housing, commercial or industrial construction, power plants, bridge construction, marina and harbor expansions, and the like.

47. Source: www.hooverdambypass.org/ConstructionPhotos
Allow sufficient time for fumes to disperse.
Construction crews working on sites where blasting is not required, but occurred in the past, may also be exposed to the hazards of partially or undetonated explosives still active underground.
Image: A laborer applies water for dust suppression.  In the background, positioning rock drills in preparation to drill out a blast pattern.
Source:

48. What is Flyrock?
In order to move rock, we must blast. Blasting is the best way to shatter rock. Flyrock can be powerful. In 1988, damage occurred to this drill truck in Avonmore, PA. It was outside the blast area. No one was injured.
Blast Area
One of the greatest challenges, which a blaster faces in mining and construction blasting, is to accurately determine the bounds of the blast area. This is particularly true in geologically disturbed rock. A blaster’s decision in estimating the bounds of the blast area is greatly influenced by
the engineering design of the blast,
geology of the blast, regulatory requirements, and
company policy.
A blaster must make an estimate of the maximum possible distance flyrock could travel from a shot. Furthermore, a blaster can not assume that a shot being fired will behave like other shots previously fired at the same operation.

49. Optimum Depth
Normally, when the blast occurs in a trench shot, the ground raises a few feet and sets back down with no fly rock. In the ase of a blast with a free face, the shot blasts the rock and moves it to a planned area where it can be hauled away. Rocks that land in a planned area, are not called flyrock.
Typically, flyrock is uncommon, because of the knowledge, experience and care taken by blasters. Millions of tons of explosives are safely shot each year. Still, there are injuries and deaths due to flyrock.
Confinement strongly influences the adverse effects
Strong confinement …. Grounvibrations
Light confinement …. Airblast, flyrock
Blaster designs for somewhere in between.
Examples:
A - Completely contained, only failure is pulverization near the charge and radial tensile failure running out from it.
B - Start of surface failure. Burden not broken. Some doming of surface.
C - Surface and subsurface failure almost meet. There will be a shelf of unbroken rock between the two. Doming or surface bulging.
D - Full crater, burden completely broken out. Surface and subsurface failures run through to the surface.
E - Full crater, lower volume than optimum fine fragmentation. Noise, flyrock, bowl shaped crater.
A B C D E
Flyrock is caused by a mismatch of the distribution
of the explosive energy, geomechanical strength
of rock mass, and confinement.

50. The Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) has defined flyrock as the rock(s) propelled from the blast area by the force of an explosion [IME1997].
A flyrock related injury is sustained when a blast propels rock beyond the blast area and it injures someone. The primary factors for flyrock are:
• insufficient burden,
• improper blasthole layout, loading, and powder factor
• anomaly in the geology and rock structure,
• insufficient stemming, and
• inadequate delay time (hole to hole or row to row).
Flyrock can be stones, rocks, mud, or even water. Flyrock has been known to land a half-mile farther than planned.
This boulder in Kentucky which measures 12 feet x 7 feet x 5 feet rolled down the hill along with other rocks to the trailer. The home owners were not hurt because they were out shopping.
In another incident in Kentucky, flyrock killed a blaster by flying high enough to clear a 200-foot bench and hit him standing 550 feet away.

51. Flyrock Damage KY
Children playing outside Cost to blasting company $1.5 million
In another incident in Tennessee:
Passenger in a car on I-75
Blaster
5 months in jail
5 months house detention
1 year probation
Superintendent
3 months halfway house
5 month house detention

52. Flyrock can be big or small
Flyrock can be big or small. It may even look like the rest of the shot rock. If it lands outside the blast area, it is flyrock.
There are numerous instances where the bounds of the blast area were not accurately determined, resulting in injury, or property damage. There are many cases of close calls where accidents were narrowly missed.
This photo shows a flyrock incident in Kentucky. The rocks rolled down the hill into this community, gaining speed as they traveled.

53. The Browns' home is tucked into a steep hillside along the Gauley River, just south of the junction of Routes 16 and 39 in Fayette County near the Vandalia/Appalachian Mining complex. A half dozen rocks from 6 inches to 2-feet in diameter have come off the mine site and landed close to or right by the house.  The rocks come rolling down after blasts, Mrs. Brown said.
So far, none have damaged the house or hit anyone working in the yard. Nadine Brown is afraid it is just a matter of time before the rocks do real damage. She and her husband used to sleep in the back bedroom, closest to the mine. They have moved to the front of the house now.
This is the closest mining has ever been to the Brown's house. The blasts shake the house. In the beginning, the mine used to call Mrs. Brown when they were about to blast. "They told me to get out of the house," she said. The calls stopped around the beginning of 2001.
The Browns complained to DEP several times, however, the inspector always reports that the blasts are in compliance.

54. A professional baseball pitch averages 90 mph, or slightly faster.
Flyrock is fast and furious.
Rocks from a blowout have been clocked at 400 miles per hour (about 200 feet from the blast).
A professional baseball pitch is 90 mph. If a baseball is too fast for a batter to dodge, would you want to try to dodge flyrock?
A professional baseball pitch averages 90 mph, or slightly faster.
Flyrock has been clocked at 400 mph. Can you dodge that?

55. BLASTER KILLED BY FLYING ROCK
After detonating a blast, a Canadian Blaster was struck on the head by flyrock and later died from his injuries. The worker did not move a safe distance away from the blast area. He was approximately 135 feet from the blast when struck.
All people working around blast areas must take adequate coverage and be a safe distance from the blast area.

56. Trees are no protection
Trees are no protection. The hole in this tree is the result of a blast in Pennsylvania in November 2002.
There are more injuries from flyrock and from not clearing the blasting area than from any other cause of blast accident. Stay out of the blast areas during blasts and even when you are outside of the blast area, STAY ALERT!
Flyrock has killed and injured people. Flyrock is a potential hazard anytime, and anywhere there is blasting.

57. In Pennsylvania in 1999, an equipment operator had stopped work clearing the crusher area near a blast site. He and his superintendent were parked in the usual spot, 800 ft away guarding the road. They were watching the blast. A baseball-sized piece of flyrock went through the windshield. The victim died after surgery. He was only 32 years old. The supervisor was unharmed. Rocks flew 1,500 ft. on that day.
Greatest Cause of Blasting Accidents: Somone is in the blast area during a blast.

58. Protect Yourself! July 2002 - West Virginia
A truck driver and his supervisor were watching a blast from 1/2 mile away - waiting for the "all clear" signal.
A rock slammed into the front windshield and exited the rear. It somehow missed both people. No one was hurt.

59. PPE Hard hat Safety-toed shoes Reflective vest Safety glasses Gloves
Hearing protection

60. MSHA Part 48 State of Alaska: 11 AAC 95.335. Blasting Standards
(a) A person may not discharge an explosive in the following areas without first obtaining a variation under 11 AAC :
(1) Type A or Type B stream riparian areas in Region I; and
(2) within all riparian areas in Region II or III.
(b) During blasting, an operator shall minimize the amount of flyrock materials deposited into fish-bearing waters.
Authority: AS AS

61. Explosives Security Reminder
Inspect, verify each magazine is properly secured
according to all applicable regulations, company
policy, as well as manufacturers recommendations

62. Report missing explosives immediately
Explosives Security Reminder
Report missing explosives immediately

63. Explosives Security Reminder
Ensure that any vehicle used to transport explosives is properly secured and attended.

64. Explosives Security Reminder
Verify that inventories of explosives are correct
Copy is maintained in magazine with duplicate at mine office

65. Explosives Security Reminder
Verify person’s identify before allowing them to enter
explosive magazines or review inventory records

66. Explosives MISFIRES ARE DEADLY
A suspected misfire refers to the following:
- any remaining blast hole or portion of a blast hole which contains damaged signal tube, electric detonator wires, detonating cord, or safety fuse
- any remaining portions of a charged blast hole (i.e. "cutoff" or "bootleg") which is suspected to contain explosives
- any unexploded charge or suspected unexploded charge
- any situation where a safety fuse has been used and the number of "shots" counted is less than the number of blast holes fired
-any situation where there is reason to suspect that explosive charges have failed to explode.
The first priority in dealing with a misfire is to guarantee the safety of personnel and to make the location secure. Persons not directly involved in treating the misfire may be required to leave the blast area until remedial action is taken. The directions of the blaster-in-charge must be followed at all times.
Pertinent Reg's regarding misfires: OSHA 29 CFR -Misfires ; MSHA -30 CFR.PART &

67. Misfires found during the post-blast inspection
Exclude all employees from danger zone.
No other work except that required to clear the
misfire.
Only the Blaster-in-Charge handles all the
sequence of events following a misfire.
Extra care must be taken, as the designed pattern
HAS changed.
When a misfire occurs, the Blaster-in-Charge uses the one-half hour waiting time to clear his mind and think about the condition that has been created. He documents the hole or area that contains the misfire completely, while this is still fresh in his or her mind.
No work is permitted in the misfire area. "Danger" off the area. Notify the permittee of the misfire. Contact your supervisor for assistance. We recommend that prior to refiring a misfire, another blaster familiar with the mine/quarry be brought in to assist with the decision to fire or render inert the explosive.
Proper misfire handling should be conducted by experienced individuals familiar with the initiation systems and explosives used, as well as the proper techniques to handle, neutralize and render safe the explosive materials. Specific recommendations cannot be made concerning misfires as every misfire is unique and very site specific. Each misfire must be handled individually.
If any worker suspects or discovers a misfire during excavation, digging operations shall cease immediately in the area and a supervisor shall be notified. The supervisor shall notify the person responsible for having the blasting contractor deal with proper disposal of the misfire.
The blasting contractor shall examine the location to determine whether it is safe to work in the area. If additional misfires are found in a blast site, the misfire area and a set radius shall be barricaded until the blasting contractor has dealt with the misfires.
Dealing with Misfires
When a misfire occurs, the power source used to initiate the blast must be disconnected, the firing line shunted or made safe before entering the blast area to inspect the misfire. All personnel must stay out of the blast area for at least 1/2 (30 minutes) hour. Access to the blast area must remain blocked and guarded.
Once a determination is made by the blaster in charge and another blaster familiar with the area of the stability of the area, such as adequate burdens, spacing, stemming, etc., a decision may be made to refire the misfire. Refiring a misfire is usually the safest and best way to eliminate the danger. Extra care must be taken, as the designed pattern HAS changed.
Once a determination has been made to refire, the blast area must be cleared to double the initial perimeter (at a minimum). If this is not possible, alternate methods of handling should be considered.
The blasting contractor must take special precautions when dealing with equipment used to uncover or extract explosives in a blast hole. One such precaution is the use of nonconducting plastic or rubber hoses when using water to wash out stemming or water-soluble explosives. Workers should stay upwind of any blasting operations since fall-out may contain chemicals that could irritate eyes, nose, skin, or throat.

68. A serious explosives accident occurred during June of 2000, at a mine
A serious explosives accident occurred during June of 2000, at a mine. The accident involved a new shaft and slope sinking project under development by a mining construction company.
The accident occurred when one of the construction workers, utilizing an air drill, struck an apparent misfire from a previous day's shot.
The non -detonated portion of the explosive charge consisted of one eight inch stick of blasting powder. Five construction workers were in the shaft when the blast occurred.
Three persons sustained injuries from the force of the blast. Two men were treated at a local hospital, kept overnight, and released the next day. The third man received multiple injuries and remains in the hospital after undergoing surgery.

69. Explosives Security Reminder
Review facility’s security measures
Are further measures necessary to protect explosives from theft?

70. Explosives Security Reminder
Post proper authorities phone
numbers in conspicous locations

71. Explosives Security Reminder
Periodically inspect magazines for evidence of tampering or theft

72. 1-888-ATF-BOMB Explosives Security Reminder
Immediately report shortages, loss or theft of any explosive material to:
1-888-ATF-BOMB
Failure to report theft or loss of explosives: Effective January 24, 2003, it became a felony to fail to report the theft or loss of explosives to ATF within 24 hours of discovery of the theft. The penalties include being fined not more than $250,000., imprisoned not more than five years; or both.

73. Thank you for your participation.
Conclusion:
Good communication between the
driller, blaster, access control guard,
and miners is the key to a safe blasting
operation.
Thank you for your participation.

74. Other regulated operations
Underground transportation of
explosives
Use of safety fuse
Use of detonating cord
Underwater blasting
Blasting in excavation work under
compressed air
General Provisions:
General requirements not specifically related to a particular operation or procedure
Usually board in scope