La. Admin. Code tit. 55 § I-1531

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

Section I-1531 - General Requirements

A. The handling of explosives shall be performed only by a person holding a valid and subsisting license to use explosives.

B. It is a violation of this Chapter for any person to engage in handling, touching, moving, etc., of explosives or to engage in the business of a manufacturer-distributor or dealer in explosives, or to acquire, sell, possess, store, or engage in the use of explosives in this state, unless that person possesses an appropriate license issued by the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services. Licensed geophysical contractors may contract with licensed drilling contractors to possess and use explosives for the sole purpose of executing the contract between the two parties. All explosives shall be returned to the licensed geophysical contractor at the end of each day. For purposes of this Section, the transfer of the temporary possession of explosives between the contracting parties shall not constitute a sale. The safety and security of the explosives and the compliance with these regulations shall be the responsibility of the party to the contract who is in possession of the explosives. There shall be no requirement that the drilling contractor be licensed by each geophysical contractor with whom he contracts.

C. If the employment of any licensed individual terminates, the company shall immediately notify the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services, Explosive Control Unit. The individual's original paper license and photo license will be retained by the company and returned to the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services, Explosive Control Unit, within three days. The company shall retain a copy of the terminated individual's paper license.

D. A user must not sell explosives to any person.

E. While explosives are being handled or used, smoking shall not be permitted and no one near the explosives shall possess matches, open lights or other fire or flame. No person shall handle or use explosives while under the influence of intoxicating liquors or narcotics.

F. Original shipping containers or Type 3 magazines shall be used for taking detonators and other explosives from storage magazines to the blasting area. Any materials employed in packing explosives shall not be burned in a stove, fireplace, or other confined space, or be used for any purpose.

G. When blasting is done in congested areas or in close proximity to a structure, railway, or highway or any other installation that may be damaged, the blast shall be covered before firing with a mat so constructed that it is capable of preventing fragments from being thrown. When such blasting is being carried out near a highway, the operator may, in lieu of using a mat, and with the permission of local authorities, block the road adjacent to the firing area while such firing is in progress. The Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services must be notified in advance, and approval received, prior to this type of blasting operation being conducted.

H. Should there exist even a remote possibility of damage to private or public property in an area where blasting is being done, the user or the blaster must then keep an accurate blasting log for each blast. The blasting log shall record the job location, date, time of blast, weather conditions, type of blast, type of materials blasted, type of size cartridge of explosive used, number and diameter of holes, hole depth, and the total quantity of explosives fired instantaneously or by a delay interval. It shall be the user's or the blaster's responsibility to determine if the possibility of such damage exists.

I. Persons authorized to prepare explosive charges or conduct blasting operations shall use every reasonable precaution, which may include but is not limited to warning signals, flags, barricades, or blasting mats approved by the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services, to insure the safety of the general public and workmen.

J. Blasting operations, except by special permission of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services, shall be conducted only during daylight hours, excepting underground mining operations, offshore operations, and wireline/tubing conveyed perforating operations.

K. Whenever blasting is being conducted in the vicinity of gas, electric, water, fire alarm, telephone, telegraph, and steam utilities, the user or the blaster shall notify the appropriate representative of such utilities at least 24 hours in advance of blasting, provided, however, in Seismic operations conducted in the presence of a Seismic Agent of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, no such notice is necessary. Explosives shall not be detonated in congested areas or in close proximity to any structure, railway, highway, pier, dock, vessel, or other installation which may be damaged. In case of an electrical utility highline, care shall be taken to see that the total length of wire is kept too short to hit the electrical utility or that the wires are securely anchored to the ground so that the length of the wire that may be thrown by the explosion is less than the distance from the anchoring point to the utility. Further, should a firing line or a cap wire be thrown onto an electrical utility, a guard shall be posted and the utility called to remedy the situation.

L. Due precautions shall be taken to prevent accidental discharge of electric blasting caps from current induced by radar, radio transmitters, lightning, adjacent power lines, dust storms, or other resources of extraneous electricity. These precautions shall include:

1. the suspension of all blasting operations, and removal of persons from the blasting area during the approach and progress of an electrical storm. This Paragraph does not apply to underground mining operations;

2. with the exception of seismic off the road operations, the posting of signs warning against the use of mobile radio transmitters on all roads within 350 feet of the blasting operations, or as far away as practical;

3. compliance with the latest recommendations of the Institute of Makers of Explosives with regard to blasting in the vicinity of radio transmitters or power lines;

4. explosives or blasting equipment that are obviously deteriorated or damaged shall not be used; and

5. in seismic operations, when charges anchored in the hole misfire, there shall be no requirement that an attempt be made to remove such charge. An attempt to detonate this charge will be made with an additional priming charge. If this attempt to fire fails, blasting cap leads must be cut below the surface of the ground prior to leaving the hole.

M. Original equipment used in explosive operations shall be maintained in good working condition. Safety devices designed to ensure a safe working environment shall be in place and in proper working order.

N. Tamping shall be done only with wood rods without exposed metal parts. Non-sparking metal connectors may be used for jointed poles. Plastic tamping poles may be used provided they have been approved by the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services. Violent tamping shall be avoided.

O. After loading for a blast is completed all excess detonators and other explosives shall immediately be returned to their separate storage magazines unless they are promptly removed to another job site in accordance with transportation and storage rules provided herein.

La. Admin. Code tit. 55, § I-1531

Adopted by the Department of Public Safety, Office of State Police, 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), LR 24:106 (January 1998), amended by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of State Police, LR 26:91 (January 2000), LR 34:1038 (June 2008), LR 34:2676 (December 2008), Amended LR 45281 (2/1/2019).

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