Section 166 - Blasting operations conducted in accordance with regulations(a) The use of explosives for the purpose of blasting in the neighborhood of any public highway, stream of water, dwelling house, public building, school, church, commercial or institutional building, or pipe line, shall be done in accordance with the provisions of this section, and rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Labor and Industry.(b) In all blasting operations, except as hereinafter otherwise provided, the maximum peak particle velocity of any one of three mutually perpendicular components of the ground motion in the vertical and horizontal directions shall not exceed 2 inches per second at the immediate location of any dwelling house, public building, school, church, commercial or institutional building. (1) Instruments for determining particle velocity as set forth in this subsection shall be limited to such specific types of devices as shall have been expressly approved by the Department of Labor and Industry, and the Secretary of Labor and Industry or his duly authorized agent may enter upon any premises for the purpose of conducting or supervising any necessary instrumentations provided by this act.(2) Blasting operations without instrumentation will be considered as being within the limits set forth in this subsection if at a specified location on at least five blasts instrumentation has shown that the maximum peak particle velocity at the specified location is fifty percent (50%) or less than the limit set forth in this subsection: Provided, That for all future blasts the scaled distance is equal to or greater than the scaled distance for the instrumented blast. "Scaled distance" means the actual distance in feet divided by the square root of the maximum explosive weight in pounds that is detonated per delay period for delay intervals of eight (8) milliseconds or greater. If delay intervals less than eight (8) milliseconds are employed or if instantaneous blasting is employed, scaled distance shall be computed by dividing the actual distance in feet by the square root of the total explosive weight in pounds.(3) When blasting operations are contemplated which would result in ground vibrations that would have a particle velocity of any one of three (3) mutually perpendicular components in excess of 2 inches per second at the immediate location of any dwelling house, public building, school, church, commercial or institutional building, blasting operations may proceed after receiving written consent from the property owner or owners affected and the Secretary of Labor and Industry.(c) When blasting operations, other than those conducted at a fixed site as a part of an industry or business operated at such site, are to be conducted within two hundred feet of a pipe line, the blaster or person in charge of the blasting operations shall take due precautionary measures for the protection of the line, and shall notify the owner of the line or his agent that such blasting operations are intended.(d) Blasting operations near streams shall be prohibited in all cases where the effect of the blasting is liable to change the course or channel of any stream without first obtaining a permit from the Department of Labor and Industry which has been approved by the Water and Power Resources Board.(e) Blasting operations shall not be conducted within eight hundred feet of any public highway, unless due precautionary measures are taken to safeguard the public.(f) Mudcapping in blasting operations shall be permitted only where it would endanger the safety of the workmen to drill the rock or material to be blasted. If mudcapping is necessary, no more than ten pounds of explosives shall be used for each charge.(g) All trunk lines of detonating fuse may be covered, except that trunk lines of detonating fuse shall be covered if located within eight hundred feet of any public highway, dwelling house, public building, school, church, commercial or institutional building.1957, July 10, P.L. 685, § 3. Amended 1966, Jan. 26, P.L. (1965) 1616, §1, effective 10/1/1966.