La. Admin. Code tit. 55 § I-1509

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-1509 - General Storage Requirements

A. All explosives, including black powder in excess of 5 pounds, except when preempted by federal or state regulations, shall be kept in magazines which meet the requirements of these rules and regulations. Blasting agents shall be stored in accordance with the requirements set forth in §1515 Storage of explosives in underground mining operations is exempt from the rules and regulations set forth in this Section, but must comply with all applicable federal regulations set forth in 30 CFR Part 57 . Underground mine storage will provide all adequate safety and security procedures necessary to ensure that unlicensed personnel will not have access to the explosives. Such security must be approved by the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services.

B. Loaded perforating guns are not required to be stored in magazines. Storage of these explosive devices must be in a secured area approved by the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services.

C. Detonators shall not be stored in the same magazines with other explosives.

D. The ground around outdoor magazines shall slope away for drainage. The land surrounding outdoor magazines shall be kept clear of brush, dried grass, leaves, and other combustible materials for a distance of 50 feet in each direction.

E. Magazines, as required by these rules and regulations, shall be used for the storage of explosives only, and shall be of five Types, 1 through 5.

F. When a building or magazine containing ammonium nitrate and/or blasting agents is not barricaded, the distances shown in Table 2 shall be doubled.

G. Magazines must be located on property in accordance with the American Table of Distances for Storage of Explosives (§1545, Table 1).

H. When two or more storage magazines are located on the same property, each magazine must comply with the minimum distances specified from inhabited buildings, railways and highways; and in addition, they shall be separated from each other by not less than the distances shown for Separation of Magazines, (Table 1) except that the quantity of explosives contained in detonator magazines shall govern in regard to the spacing of said detonator magazines from magazines containing other explosives. If any two or more magazines are separated from each other by less than the specified Separation of Magazines (Table 1) distances, then such two or more magazines, as a group, must be considered as one magazine, and the total quantity of explosives stored in such group must be treated as if stored in a single magazine located on the site of any magazine of the group, and must comply with the minimum of distances specified from other magazines, inhabited buildings, railways and highways.

1. All types of detonators in strengths up to and including No. 8 detonators shall be rated at 1.5 pounds of explosives per 1,000 caps. Detonating cord, 50 grains, shall be rated at 8 pounds of explosives per 1,000 feet. Detonating cords with larger or smaller grains per foot will be rated proportionately.

2. Explosive operations carried out on a vessel shall be required to comply with the distances shown for Separation of Magazines (Table 1) only as the physical limitations of the vessel will permit. Explosive magazines shall not be located under, over, or immediately adjacent to pressurized gas lines or high voltage power lines, or on levees constructed for major flood control.

I. The storage of more than 300,000 pounds of explosives in one magazine or in a group of magazines which is considered as one magazine will not be approved.

J. This table applies only to the manufacture and permanent or portable storage of explosives. It is not applicable to the transportation of explosives, or any handling or temporary storage necessary or incident thereto. It is not intended to apply to bombs, projectiles, or other heavily encased explosives used by the military.

K. All factory buildings and magazines in which explosives are had, kept, or stored, must be located beyond the corporate limits of any city or town, except with the consent of the proper local authorities and the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services. In no instance shall magazines located inside buildings contain in excess of 50 pounds of explosives. Smokeless propellants shall not be included in these quantity limitations. Cap magazines must be separated from other magazines by a distance of at least 10 feet. Where such storage is permitted, it shall be located on the ground floor and at street level.

L. No smoking, matches, flame producing devices or fire of any kind shall at any time be permitted inside of or within 50 feet of a magazine.

M. Persons leasing or renting explosive storage magazines for use in the state of Louisiana shall insure the magazines are in compliance with the provisions of this Chapter and the rules and regulations section prior to releasing the magazines to the customer.

N. American Table of Distances for Storage of Explosives (Table 1) is in §1545, Appendix A.

La. Admin. Code tit. 55, § I-1509

Filed by the Department of Public Safety, Office of State Police, at the Office of the State Register, 1974, promulgated and amended LR 10:803 (October 1984), amended by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of State Police, Transportation and Environmental Safety Section, Explosive Control Unit, LR 22:1230 (December 1996), amended by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of State Police, LR 26:91 (January 2000), LR 36:550 (March 2010), Amended LR 45281 (2/1/2019).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 40:1472.1 et seq.