Ala. Admin. Code r. 480-3-3-.18

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 480-3-3-.18 - Blasting (General)

(1)Time of Blasting - Blasting shall be done at the end of the shift except that blasting may be done during the shift provided:

1. That such blasting is done with the permission of the mine foreman or one of his assistants and under the supervision of the miner in charge of the working place.

2. That all approaches to the working place where blasting is being done are guarded.

3. That the requirements set forth in Section 24-a. of these rules are continuously complied with.

(2)Preparation of Primers - Primers shall be made up near the working place of competent men experienced in handling explosives. Competent men experienced in handling explosives shall also load, assist in loading or supervise the loading or charging of drill holes.

(3)Open Lights - Open lights shall be kept at least six feet (6') from any explosive when preparing primers, handling explosive at the face, and charging drill holes.

(4)Loading Holes - In loading holes only a wooden tamping bar, having no metal parts, shall be used. Before charging drill holes, they shall be thoroughly cleaned. Explosives shall not be violently tamped in the drill hole, but may be firmly charged, except that undue pressure shall not be used against the primer cartridge when placing it in the drill hole. In no case shall a primer cartridge be slit.

(5)Bringing Explosives to the Face - All drills and mobile equipment shall be removed from the face before bringing explosives to the face. Explosives shall not be brought to the face. Explosives shall not be brought to the working place more than one hour before loading operations begin and shall be kept in a place safe from danger of ignition or detonation by open lights, electric wiring, mechanical equipment or loose rock.

(6)Tamping or Stemming - When a drill hole has been charged with explosives, at least 12" of non-combustible stemming shall be firmly tamped in place against the explosive, except that in block hole shots, length of stemming may be reduced. Fuse shall be cut for rotation of blasts and the fuse ends split before lighting except where special fuse igniters are used.

(a) Where loose rock on roof or face may endanger men loading drill holes, such loose rock shall be removed or securely supported before, loading operations begin.

(7)Two Men Present - Two (2) men shall be present when lighting fuse, if more than 18 fuses are lighted at one time.

(8)Disposing of Mis-fires - Mis-fires shall be reported to the foreman. Where mis-fires are suspected, no person shall return to the vicinity of the suspected mis-fire until not less than 30 minutes have elapsed, in the case of fuse blasting, and until not less than 15 minutes after blasting, if electric blasting was employed. In the working places where mis-fires have occurred, no regular mine operation shall be conducted until the mis-fire charge has been disposed of except by permission of mine foreman or one of his assistants. Mis-fires shall be re-blasted by inserting a new primer in the drill hole. Tamping may be washed from the drill hole with water before inserting the new primer.

(a) If not possible or safe to insert a new primer, a new hole may be drilled with the permission of the mine foreman or one of his assistants and under the supervision of the miner in charge of the working place, and such hole shall be started at a distance of not less than two (2') feet from the original drill hole, and shall be drilled at such an angle as to eliminate all danger of meeting or coming close to the original drill hole.

(9)"Bootlegs" or "Guns"-"Bootlegs" or "guns", unless the bottom can be seen shall be washed out with water or cleaned out with non-sparking tool to determine whether or not explosive remains in same. If explosives are found in such "Bootleg" or "Gun", the hole shall be treated as a mis-fired shot or left for shooting by head miner at end of shift.

(10)Blasting Boulders - Boulders which must be broken by blasting, shall be lock-holed and "adobe", "plaster" or "mud-capped" shots are hereby prohibited, except that such shots may be permitted where no means of drilling such boulders is available, provided that such shots shall then be fired with the permission of the mine foreman or one of his assistants and under the supervision of the miner in charge of the working place.

(11)Explosive in Muck Pile - All mine operations in any working place shall be stopped if explosive is found in the muck pile, and such work shall remain suspended, until there is reasonable certainty that all of the recoverable unexploded powder ascertained to be in the muck pile has been recovered. Such recovered explosive shall be returned to the magazine, and later destroyed following procedure recommended by the explosive manufacturers. Any left over explosive, capped-fuse, or detonators remaining after loading the drill holes, shall be returned to the distributing magazine or other place provided for that purpose as designated by the mine foreman or one of his assistants.

Author: Marcus Davis, Workers' Compensation Examiner.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 480-3-3-.18

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, § 25-2-13(2).