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By Paul Downing

A typical day for a blasting company includes what seems to be an infinite list of tasks dealing with numbers. Whether determining the exact amount of explosives material in inventory, the number of holes in the shot, the exact distance from the blast site to the nearest exposure, or the capacity of bulk hoppers, the accuracy of numbers is key to ensuring the safety of the public, property and personnel.

Jan 1, 2008

By Robert Morgan

With improved methods for designing and detonating shots the potential for flyrock can be significantly decreased, but there are few absolutes in blasting; therefore blasters must learn from the mistakes of others. Blasters must conscientiously employ control measures to minimize the risk of flyrock. The worst case incidents which tend to be widely reported by the media, should serve as a reminder to us all that minimizing the risk of flyrock must be incorporated into the design of the drill pattern and blast design.

Jan 1, 2001

By W. Reisz

The fear of heights is a natural defense against performing a dangerous and unnatural act such as standing on the edge of a hundred foot wall. Yet through familiarity, a casual attitude often exists. Those of us, who work near highwalls on a daily basis, may become overly comfortable in our surroundings, losing sight of the disaster which may often rest a single misstep away. And this is where the hidden dangers lie.

Jan 1, 2009

By Wiliam Reisz

As we approach the peak season for thunderstorm activity it’s important to keep in mind that lightning still poses a serious threat to drilling and blasting operations. Lightning remains the number one cause of accidental detonation of explosives.

Jan 1, 2008

By MSHA website

“Conditions at underground and surface coal mines can change dramatically during the winter months,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “We must be ever mindful of the seasonal changes that can affect our work environments.”

Jan 1, 2011

By Paul Downing

When was the last time the documents and paperwork were cleaned out of the glove boxes, door pockets, under the seats and above the visors in your company vehicles? Insurance cards that expired three years ago and vehicle registrations from 1999 through 2003, for instance, don’t do any good and just take up space

Jan 1, 2008

By Tom Watts

The practice of pumping bulk blasting agents is regulated by many agencies around the world. The explosives manufacturers have done an excellent job of hazard and operability studies allowing criteria to be established for the safe pumping of water based blasting agents. The challenge of a Bulk Trucks or Mobile Manufacturing Units (MMUs) manufacturer is to take the objectives of the regulatory agencies and the explosives manufacturers and responsibly design and build MMUs that are safe, compliant, and cost effective without compromising serviceability.

Jan 1, 2011

By Ann Barron

“Hurry up” is the latest battle cry at explosives companies struggling to stay in compliance with the ever-growing onslaught of government regulations. The pressure continues to mount on industry professionals who face stiff penalties if their companies fail to comply with the law. Such penalties can range from monetary fines and revocation of blasting permits and licenses, to increased liability for civil claims or even criminal charges.

Jan 1, 2006

By Wm. Reisz

There is no universal standard for Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). Every blasting operation has its own unique circumstances, its own methodologies and its own unique demands. It would be nearly impossible to create a one-size-fits-all document that would be totally appropriate for every blasting scenario. But there are universal objectives that should be adopted in any set of blasting SOP’s.

Jan 1, 2010

By John Brulia

You’ve probably heard the old expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” But the adage doesn’t seem to hold much water when it comes to making a telephone call on the road. Thirty years ago, a “powder hound” had to stop his 2-wheel drive vehicle at either a roadside diner or a telephone booth to make a call using a public telephone. But, fast-forward to 2007, and a contemporary “explosives engineer” driving his or her 4-wheel drive vehicle simply makes a call “on-the-fly.” The fundamental difference between these two eras is the result of the introduction and the proliferation of cellular or wireless technology. On the one hand, this fundamental difference is much welcomed in the form of personal and business conveniences; and improved productivity. On the other hand, this fundamental difference creates a new set of un-welcomed conditions causing a potential “digital danger.”

Jan 1, 2008

When a company has an effective hearing loss prevention program, everyone wins-the employers, the employees, and the safety and health professionals who implement the program. This guidebook is not about minimal programs that meet only the letter of the law. It is concerned with programs that are effective as well as efficient: those optimizing program elements that succeed in preventing hearing loss in a practical and cost effective manner.

Jan 1, 2006

By William Reisz

Many different types of drills coming in a wide range of sizes and configurations are used in the blasting industry today. While each system may have its own unique attributes and capabilities, it may hold its own perils as well. This article will focus primarily on hazards that are mutual to most every type of drilling system.

Jan 1, 2013

By Unknown

ATF has provided a Guide to Recording Suspicious Persons Description in the Safety & Security Brochure. This guide may be useful for recording descriptive information on any suspicious individual. Suspicious activities can be reported to ATF’s 24-hour hotline listed in the front of the Guide or to your local law enforcement authority.

Jan 1, 2009

By Gene Baker

A new Safety Library Publication (SLP), SLP-27, which is titled “Security in Manufacturing, Transportation, Storage and Use of Commercial Explosives” was recently released by the Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME). SLP-27 makes recommendations for both general security and enhanced security at explosives sites when security risk levels, declared by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) using its Advisory System, have temporarily increased.

Jan 1, 2006

By Rolf Schillinger

Transport of Small Quantities of Explosives Material on Public Roads The transport of dangerous goods on public roads is extensively regulated by EU and national law. The transport of explosive material is not only done by forwarders but also by small companies and private persons with the goal of their own use. The following article tries to explain what is allowed and what is not.

Jan 1, 2010

By Larry: McAnuff Schneider, Edward Walter, Gordon Shaw, Daniel Grieco, Dennis Clark

During the 1998 Annual Conference of the International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE), the Seismograph Section established a subcommittee for the purpose of compiling a list of all regulations pertaining to limits imposed on ground vibration generated by blasting. The goal of this project was to determine the vibration regulatory levels being enforced, with the further intention of examining their scope, and uniformity. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the consistency of the existing regulations with the current scientific findings on structural response and damage potential.

Jan 1, 2001

By Robert Hopler

Complying with our request in the February issue of the AGRICULTURAL BLASTER for items that would be of interest to other blasters, Mr. Thomas H. Benton of Tennessee sends us an article in which his methods of securing contracts are explained:

Jan 1, 2013

By John Brennan

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. Certainly that sentiment held true during the early stages of explosive engineering. While seaside forts were concerned over static ignition of their black powder caches in the 14th century1, the mining industry in the 1800s were plagued by accidents surrounding the ignition methods for their black powder blasts.

Jan 1, 2011

By Douglas Anderson

Even though there is always a feeling of anticipation before a blast is detonated, most blasts are part of a day’s work. Once in a while there is an event that impresses even the most jaded blaster. Few blasts have had the impact of the Kingdome implosion in March of this year. Fortunately for both the Seattle area and the explosives community, the “impact” of the implosion was far less than many local residents had feared. This outcome, of course, was not by chance, but the result of careful planning and design. An urban implosion requires a mix of engineering, logistics, and public relations. Unique challenges on this project tested the resourcefulness of the entire team.

Jan 1, 2001

By David Leidel

A revolution in hydrocarbon well completions within the last thirty years has enabled drillers to tap the resources of known gas plays in an economically viable manner and deliver to market natural gas supplies for industrial, transportation and domestic use without the importation of liquefied natural gas from verseas. An added benefit has been the convenient location of one of these gas plays, the Marcellus Shale, in the Northeastern states strategically close to a major natural gas market, namely the cities and towns of the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. As a sidelight, the development of the tight gas reservoirs and their subsequent production has created thousands of jobs in an otherwise lackluster economy.

Jan 1, 2014