La. Admin. Code tit. 55 § I-1545
TABLE 1
AMERICAN TABLE OF DISTANCES FOR STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS
As Revised and Approved by The Institute of Makers of Explosives - June 1991
Explanatory Notes Essential to the Application of the American Table of Distances for Storage of Explosive Materials
Note 1- Explosive Materials means explosives, blasting agents and detonators.
Note 2- Explosives means any chemical compound, mixture, or device, the primary or common purpose of which is to function by explosion. A list of explosives determined to be within the coverage of "18 U.S.C. Chapter 40, Importation, Manufacturer, Distribution and Storage of Explosive Materials" is issued at least annually by the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms of the Department of the Treasury. For quantity and distance purposes, detonating cord of 50 grains per foot should be calculated as equivalent to 8 lbs. of high explosives per 1,000 feet. Heavier or lighter core loads should be rated proportionately.
Note 3- Blasting Agents means any material or mixture, consisting of fuel and oxidizer, intended for blasting, not otherwise defined as an explosive: Provided, That the finished product, as mixed for use or shipment, cannot be detonated by means of a No. 8 test blasting cap when unconfined.
Note 4- Detonator means any device containing any initiating or primary explosive that is used for initiating detonation. A detonator may not contain more than 10 grams of total explosives by weight, excluding ignition or delay charges. The term includes, but is not limited to, electric blasting caps of instantaneous and delay types, blasting caps for use with safety fuses, detonating cord delay connectors, and nonelectric instantaneous and delay blasting caps which use detonating cord, shock tube, or any other replacement for electric leg wires. All types of detonators in strengths through No. 8 cap should be rated at 1 1/2 lbs. of explosives per 1,000 caps. For strengths higher than No. 8 cap, consult the manufacturer.
Note 5- Magazine means any building, structure, or container, other than an explosives manufacturing building, approved for the storage of explosive materials.
Note 6- Natural Barricade means natural features of the ground, such as hills, or timber of sufficient density that the surrounding exposures which require protection cannot be seen from the magazine when the trees are bare of leaves.
Note 7- Artificial Barricade means an artificial mound or riveted wall of earth of a minimum thickness of 3 feet.
Note 8- Barricaded means the effective screening of a building containing explosive materials from the magazine or other building, railway, or highway by a natural or an artificial barrier. A straight line from the top of any sidewall of the building containing explosive materials to the eave line of any magazine or other building or to a point 12 feet above the center of a railway or highway shall pass through such barrier.
Note 9- Inhabited Building means a building regularly occupied in whole or part as a habitation for human beings, or any church, schoolhouse, railroad station, store, or other structure where people are accustomed to assemble, except any building or structure occupied in connection with the manufacture, transportation, storage or use of explosive materials.
Note 10- Railway means any steam, electric, or other railroad or railway which carriers passengers for hire.
Note 11- Highway means any public street, public alley, or public road.
Note 12- 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 should be separated from each other by not less than the distances shown for "Separation of Magazines", except that the quantity of explosive materials contained in detonator magazines shall govern in regard to the spacing of said detonator magazines from magazines containing other explosive materials. If any two or more magazines are separated from each other by less than the specified "Separation of Magazines" distances, then such two or more magazines, as a group, must be considered as one magazine, and the total quantity of explosive materials 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.
Note 13- Storage in excess of 300,000 lbs. of explosive materials, in one magazine is generally not required for commercial enterprises.
Note 14- This Table applies only to the manufacture and permanent storage of commercial explosive materials. It is not applicable to 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.
Note 15- When a manufacturing building on an explosive materials plant site is designed to contain explosive materials, such building shall be located from inhabited buildings, public highways and passenger railways in accordance with the American Table of Distances based on the maximum quantity of explosive materials permitted to be in the building at one time.
American Table of Distances
The American Table of Distances applied to the manufacture and permanent storage of commercial explosive materials. The distances specified are those measured from the explosive materials storage facility to the inhabited building, highway or passenger railway, irrespective of property lines.
The American Table of Distances covers all commercial explosive materials, including, but not limited to, high explosives, blasting agents, detonators, initiating systems and explosives materials in process. The Table is not designed to be altered or adjusted to accommodate varying explosive characteristics such as blast effect, weight strength, density, bulk strength, detonation velocity, etc.
The American Table of Distances should not be used to determine safe distances for blasting work, the firing of explosive charges for testing or quality control work, or the open detonation of waste explosive materials. The American Table of Distances may be utilized as a guide for developing distances for the unconfined, open burning of waste explosive materials where the probability of transition from burning to high order detonation is improbably.
La. Admin. Code tit. 55, § I-1545