29 CFR 1926.900 General Provisions

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor
(f) All roof cornices or other such ornamental stonework shall be removed
prior to pulling walls over.
(g) During demoliton, continuing inspections by a competent person shall
be made as the work progresses to detect hazards resulting from weakened
or deteriorated floors, or walls, or loosened material. No employee shall be
permitted to work where such hazards
exist until they are corrected by shoring, bracing, or other effective means.
§ 1926.860 Selective demolition by explosives.
Selective demolition by explosives
shall be conducted in accordance with
the applicable sections of subpart U of
this part.

Subpart U—Blasting and the Use
of Explosives
AUTHORITY: Sec. 107, Contract Work Hours
and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 333);
secs. 4, 6, 8, Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657); Secretary
of Labor’s Order No. 12–71 (36 FR 8754), 8–76
(41 FR 25059), 9–83 (48 FR 35736), or 6–96 (62 FR
111), as applicable; and 29 CFR part 1911.

§ 1926.900 General provisions.
(a) The employer shall permit only
authorized and qualified persons to
handle and use explosives.
(b) Smoking, firearms, matches, open
flame lamps, and other fires, flame or
heat producing devices and sparks shall
be prohibited in or near explosive magazines or while explosives are being
handled, transported or used.
(c) No person shall be allowed to handle or use explosives while under the
influence of intoxicating liquors, narcotics, or other dangerous drugs.
(d) All explosives shall be accounted
for at all times. Explosives not being
used shall be kept in a locked magazine, unavailable to persons not authorized to handle them. The employer
shall maintain an inventory and use
record of all explosives. Appropriate
authorities shall be notified of any
loss, theft, or unauthorized entry into
a magazine.
(e) No explosives or blasting agents
shall be abandoned.
(f) No fire shall be fought where the
fire is in imminent danger of contact

§ 1926.900

with explosives. All employees shall be
removed to a safe area and the fire area
guarded against intruders.
(g) Original containers, or Class II
magazines, shall be used for taking detonators and other explosives from storage magazines to the blasting area.
(h) When blasting is done in congested areas or in proximity to a structure, railway, or highway, or any other
installation that may be damaged, the
blaster shall take special precautions
in the loading, delaying, initiation, and
confinement of each blast with mats or
other methods so as to control the
throw of fragments, and thus prevent
bodily injury to employees.
(i) Employees authorized to prepare
explosive charges or conduct blasting
operations shall use every reasonable
precaution including, but not limited
to, visual and audible warning signals,
flags, or barricades, to ensure employee
safety.
(j) Insofar as possible, blasting operations above ground shall be conducted
between sunup and sundown.
(k) Due precautions shall be taken to
prevent accidental discharge of electric
blasting caps from current induced by
radar, radio transmitters, lightning,
adjacent powerlines, dust storms, or
other sources of extraneous electricity.
These precautions shall include:
(1) Detonators shall be shortcircuited in holes which have been
primed and shunted until wired into
the blasting circuit.
(2) The suspension of all blasting operations and removal of persons from
the blasting area during the approach
and progress of an electric storm;
(3) (i) The prominent display of adequate signs, warning against the use of
mobile radio transmitters, on all roads
within 1,000 feet of blasting operations.
Whenever adherence to the 1,000-foot
distance would create an operational
handicap, a competent person shall be
consulted to evaluate the particular
situation, and alternative provisions
may be made which are adequately designed to prevent any premature firing
of electric blasting caps. A description
of any such alternatives shall be reduced to writing and shall be certified

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§ 1926.900

29 CFR Ch. XVII (7–1–04 Edition)

as meeting the purposes of this subdivision by the competent person consulted. The description shall be maintained at the construction site during
the duration of the work, and shall be
available for inspection by representatives of the Secretary of Labor.
(ii) Specimens of signs which would
meet the requirements of paragraph
(k)(3) of this section are the following:

(4) Ensuring that mobile radio transmitters which are less than 100 feet
away from electric blasting caps, in
other than original containers, shall be
deenergized and effectively locked;
(5)
Compliance
with
the
recommendations of The Institute of the
Makers of Explosives with regard to
blasting in the vicinity of radio transmitters as stipulated in Radio Frequency Energy—A Potential Hazard in
the Use of Electric Blasting Caps, IME
Publication No. 20, March 1971.
(l) Empty boxes and paper and fiber
packing materials, which have previously contained high explosives,
shall not be used again for any purpose,
but shall be destroyed by burning at an
approved location.
(m) Explosives, blasting agents, and
blasting supplies that are obviously deteriorated or damaged shall not be
used.
(n) Delivery and issue of explosives
shall only be made by and to authorized persons and into authorized magazines or approved temporary storage or
handling areas.
(o) Blasting operations in the proximity of overhead power lines, communication lines, utility services, or other
services and structures shall not be
carried on until the operators and/or
owners have been notified and measures for safe control have been taken.
(p) The use of black powder shall be
prohibited.

(q) All loading and firing shall be directed and supervised by competent
persons thoroughly experienced in this
field.
(r) All blasts shall be fired electrically with an electric blasting machine or properly designed electric
power source, except as provided in
§ 1926.906 (a) and (r).
(s) Buildings used for the mixing of
blasting agents shall conform to the requirements of this section.
(1) Buildings shall be of noncombustible construction or sheet metal on
wood studs.
(2) Floors in a mixing plant shall be
of concrete or of other nonabsorbent
materials.
(3) All fuel oil storage facilities shall
be separated from the mixing plant and
located in such a manner that in case
of tank rupture, the oil will drain away
from the mixing plant building.
(4) The building shall be well ventilated.
(5) Heating units which do not depend
on combustion processes, when properly designed and located, may be used
in the building. All direct sources of
heat shall be provided exclusively from
units located outside the mixing building.
(6) All internal-combustion engines
used for electric power generation shall
be located outside the mixing plant
building, or shall be properly ventilated and isolated by a firewall. The exhaust systems on all such engines shall
be located so any spark emission cannot be a hazard to any materials in or
adjacent to the plant.
(t) Buildings used for the mixing of
water gels shall conform to the requirements of this subdivision.
(1) Buildings shall be of noncombustible construction or sheet metal on
wood studs.
(2) Floors in a mixing plant shall be
of concrete or of other nonabsorbent
materials.
(3) Where fuel oil is used all fuel oil
storage facilities shall be separated
from the mixing plant and located in
such a manner that in case of tank rupture, the oil will drain away from the
mixing plant building.
(4) The building shall be well ventilated.

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EC30OC91.049

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Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor
(5) Heating units that do not depend
on combustion processes, when properly designed and located, may be used
in the building. All direct sources of
heat shall be provided exclusively from
units located outside of the mixing
building.
(6) All internal-combustion engines
used for electric power generation shall
be located outside the mixing plant
building, or shall be properly ventilated and isolated by a firewall. The exhaust systems on all such engines shall
be located so any spark emission cannot be a hazard to any materials in or
adjacent to the plant.
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6,
1979, as amended at 58 FR 35183, June 30, 1993]

§ 1926.901 Blaster qualifications.
(a) A blaster shall be able to understand and give written and oral orders.
(b) A blaster shall be in good physical
condition and not be addicted to narcotics, intoxicants, or similar types of
drugs.
(c) A blaster shall be qualified, by
reason of training, knowledge, or experience, in the field of transporting,
storing, handling, and use of explosives, and have a working knowledge of
State and local laws and regulations
which pertain to explosives.
(d) Blasters shall be required to furnish satisfactory evidence of competency in handling explosives and performing in a safe manner the type of
blasting that will be required.
(e) The blaster shall be knowledgeable and competent in the use of each
type of blasting method used.
§ 1926.902 Surface transportation of
explosives.
(a) Transportation of explosives shall
meet the provisions of Department of
Transportation regulations contained
in 46 CFR parts 146–149, Water Carriers;
49 CFR parts 171–179, Highways and
Railways; 49 CFR part 195, Pipelines;
and 49 CFR parts 390–397, Motor Carriers.
(b) Motor vehicles or conveyances
transporting explosives shall only be
driven by, and be in the charge of, a licensed driver who is physically fit. He
shall be familiar with the local, State,
and Federal regulation governing the
transportation of explosives.

§ 1926.902

(c) No person shall smoke, or carry
matches or any other flame-producing
device, nor shall firearms or loaded
cartridges be carried while in or near a
motor vehicle or conveyance transporting explosives.
(d) Explosives, blasting agents, and
blasting supplies shall not be transported with other materials or cargoes.
Blasting caps (including electric) shall
not be transported in the same vehicle
with other explosives.
(e) Vehicles used for transporting explosives shall be strong enough to
carry the load without difficulty, and
shall be in good mechanical condition.
(f) When explosives are transported
by a vehicle with an open body, a Class
II magazine or original manufacturer’s
container shall be securely mounted on
the bed to contain the cargo.
(g) All vehicles used for the transportation of explosives shall have tight
floors and any exposed spark-producing
metal on the inside of the body shall be
covered with wood, or other nonsparking material, to prevent contact
with containers of explosives.
(h) Every motor vehicle or conveyance used for transporting explosives
shall be marked or placarded on both
sides, the front, and the rear with the
word ‘‘Explosives’’ in red letters, not
less than 4 inches in height, on white
background. In addition to such marking or placarding, the motor vehicle or
conveyance may display, in such a
manner that it will be readily visible
from all directions, a red flag 18 inches
by 30 inches, with the word ‘‘Explosives’’ painted, stamped, or sewed
thereon, in white letters, at least 6
inches in height.
(i) Each vehicle used for transportation of explosives shall be equipped
with a fully charged fire extinguisher,
in good condition. An Underwriters
Laboratory-approved extinguisher of
not less than 10-ABC rating will meet
the minimum requirement. The driver
shall be trained in the use of the extinguisher on his vehicle.
(j) Motor vehicles or conveyances
carrying explosives, blasting agents, or
blasting supplies, shall not be taken inside a garage or shop for repairs or
servicing.

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