29 CFR 1925.905 Loading of explosives or blasting agents

Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor
where at least two modes of exit have
been provided.
(e) Permanent underground storage
magazines shall be at least 300 feet
from any shaft, adit, or active underground working area.
(f) Permanent underground magazines containing detonators shall not
be located closer than 50 feet to any
magazine containing other explosives
or blasting agents.
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6,
1979, as amended at 58 FR 35311, June 30, 1993]

§ 1926.905 Loading of explosives or
blasting agents.
(a) Procedures that permit safe and
efficient loading shall be established
before loading is started.
(b) All drill holes shall be sufficiently
large to admit freely the insertion of
the cartridges of explosives.
(c) Tamping shall be done only with
wood rods or plastic tamping poles
without exposed metal parts, but nonsparking metal connectors may be used
for jointed poles. Violent tamping shall
be avoided. The primer shall never be
tamped.
(d) No holes shall be loaded except
those to be fired in the next round of
blasting. After loading, all remaining
explosives and detonators shall be immediately returned to an authorized
magazine.
(e) Drilling shall not be started until
all remaining butts of old holes are examined for unexploded charges, and if
any are found, they shall be refired before work proceeds.
(f) No person shall be allowed to
deepen drill holes which have contained explosives or blasting agents.
(g) No explosives or blasting agents
shall be left unattended at the blast
site.
(h) Machines and all tools not used
for loading explosives into bore holes
shall be removed from the immediate
location of holes before explosives are
delivered. Equipment shall not be operated within 50 feet of loaded holes.
(i) No activity of any nature other
than that which is required for loading
holes with explosives shall be permitted in a blast area.
(j) Powerlines and portable electric
cables for equipment being used shall
be kept a safe distance from explosives

§ 1926.905

or blasting agents being loaded into
drill holes. Cables in the proximity of
the blast area shall be deenergized and
locked out by the blaster.
(k) Holes shall be checked prior to
loading to determine depth and conditions. Where a hole has been loaded
with explosives but the explosives have
failed to detonate, there shall be no
drilling within 50 feet of the hole.
(l) When loading a long line of holes
with more than one loading crew, the
crews shall be separated by practical
distance consistent with efficient operation and supervision of crews.
(m) No explosive shall be loaded or
used underground in the presence of
combustible gases or combustible
dusts.
(n) No explosives other than those in
Fume Class 1, as set forth by the Institute of Makers of Explosives, shall be
used; however, explosives complying
with the requirements of Fume Class 2
and Fume Class 3 may be used if adequate ventilation has been provided.
(o) All blast holes in open work shall
be stemmed to the collar or to a point
which will confine the charge.
(p) Warning signs, indicating a blast
area, shall be maintained at all approaches to the blast area. The warning sign lettering shall not be less than
4 inches in height on a contrasting
background.
(q) A bore hole shall never be sprung
when it is adjacent to or near a hole
that is loaded. Flashlight batteries
shall not be used for springing holes.
(r) Drill holes which have been
sprung or chambered, and which are
not water-filled, shall be allowed to
cool before explosives are loaded.
(s) No loaded holes shall be left unattended or unprotected.
(t) The blaster shall keep an accurate, up-to-date record of explosives,
blasting agents, and blasting supplies
used in a blast and shall keep an accurate running inventory of all explosives
and blasting agents stored on the operation.
(u) When loading blasting agents
pneumatically over electric blasting
caps, semiconductive delivery hose
shall be used and the equipment shall
be bonded and grounded.
[44 FR 8577, Feb. 9, 1979; 44 FR 20940, Apr. 6,
1979, as amended at 58 FR 35184, June 30, 1993]

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