 Modern mining would not be possible without the use of explosives. The mining industry depends on explosives to break the rock enough to extract it. When used properly, explosives are safe, but if mishandled, they can be deadly. The Mine Safety and Health Administration, or EMSHA, is the primary regulator of explosives in mining. The regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition to EMSHA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as well as state and local law enforcement, can also be involved. Any employee working with or around explosives must be familiar with these regulations. Your company may also have its own policies about handling blasting materials. The Institute of Makers of Explosives, IME, provides in-depth recommendations on how to handle them safely, as do the individual manufacturers of explosive materials. Every case of powder has a list of recommendations and instructions. You should review this information frequently. It is critical that you know how to work safely around explosives. Your life is at risk if you don't. Explosives are controlled substances. Unauthorized removal of these materials from the work site is a federal offense. Theft of explosives will result in termination and possible criminal prosecution. Lost or stolen explosives must be reported to the BATF immediately. If you find old explosive materials, you should report them. They can be very unstable with age and could explode without warning. Safe handling of explosives is a major concern for all employees. Regulations are the result of serious or even fatal accidents. Even though explosives used today are safer and more reliable than ever, unsafe actions or conditions may have deadly results. In the early 90s up in the Republic area in northeast Washington, we had two mines working. I was a supervisor at one mine and was a member of the mine rescue teams. A kid that had worked for me up to two weeks before called me first thing on Sunday morning and said, we've had a tremendous explosion at the mine. There was air curtains blown out. There was rock down. There was pipelines torn out. Two guys were working loading drilled rounds. The powder vehicle itself had blown up. The report was there was between 14 and 22 cases of water gel explosive on the vehicle. There was also a thousand pounds of anfo and a hopper and probably around a thousand non-ells. When we got on the scene, the powder vehicle was actually gone. The thousand pound hopper of anfo was the only thing that told us the vehicle was there. It was basically untouched for some reason. The body of the powder vehicle was gone. The frame rails were there but were twisted. The engine was ripped out of the machine and it was actually, there was enough force to break the block in half. There was a six yard loader parked probably 20 feet in front of the powder vehicle. All the metal on that under probably a quarter inch on the back side of the machine was gone. The loader is basically the only thing that stopped the victims from just going away altogether. It actually trapped parts of the people. It's not necessarily the new guys that are going to get dinged by something. As people get more experienced, they do get complacent with things. Hey, we do something every day. We blast rounds every day and the idea that you just can't let get down your guard is really important. There are many types of explosives used in modern mining. In all cases, once they are delivered to the mine site, they become the responsibility of the mine and of the miners who handle them. Training and safety instruction is imperative for those working with and around explosives. Regulations on the use and handling of these materials are there for your protection. Ignoring these rules and safe practices could get you maimed or killed. I'm going to talk about a few things that we use for blasting and underground mines. This is dynamite. Everybody has heard about dynamite. We don't use too much in the mines anymore because dynamite had a lot of problems. It's sensitive. It'll blow up when you don't want it to. It'll give the miners headaches. To get away from some of the problems with dynamite, we started using some stuff called ANFO. This is ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel oil. It's much safer. It has the same punch as dynamite and it's a heck of a lot cheaper to use than the dynamite ever was. One problem with the ANFO is it melts in water. One of the ways that we got around the problems with ANFO, the wet holes and whatnot, is by special packaging or by mixing it with plasticizers that make it so it's not sensitive to water. This is called water gel. There are a couple other products made that are pumped in. They look like a strawberry milkshake. They pump the explosive in the holes and it does the same thing as the ammonium nitrate. It's just not in the package. A couple of the detonators that we've used in the past. This is a blasting cap on safety fuse and they were widely used in the industry. They are not commonly used anymore. Another one that was commonly used in the past was electric blasting caps. They made it possible to break rock very effectively, but they also had some drawbacks. Any stray electricity could set off the blasting cap and of course you'd have a problem. One way that we've gotten away from the problems with electrics is to design another type of detonator called a non-L, which stands for non-electric. This is a hollow tube. It has a special powder in it, not very much of it, and it's designed to be set off by an explosive called Primacord. The tube sets off the blasting cap itself, which sets off the explosive, and that's basically what we use now. Blasting agents should remain in the manufacturer's containers until they are used underground. When you are transporting a supply of explosives in a shaft, you must notify the station tenders and hoistmen. Once on the cage, the different blasting agents must be in separate, closed containers, and no muck, materials, supplies, or people may be transported when explosives are in the shaft. Skips or cages in adjacent shafts may not be used at this time either. Be sure to secure explosives so they don't move around during transport, causing sparks or impacts that could set them off. Once delivered to the shaft station, they must be moved immediately to the underground powder and primer magazines. When you are bringing explosives into the mine, it is important not to transport detonators with other explosives unless they are in approved, separate conveyances. They must be in their own containers and should be moved as quickly as possible to the level magazines. No other materials may be transported with explosive materials and all vehicles carrying them must be posted with proper signs. Prior to transporting these materials, inspect equipment to ensure it is safe to operate. If transport vehicles require repairs, they should never be taken into the machine shops when loaded with explosives. Only those employees needing to handle the explosives should ride on the equipment and vehicles must never be left unattended when they are loaded unless the cargo area is securely locked. Only non-sparking materials should be transported in the cargo space with explosives. When you leave the vehicle, make sure the brakes are on, the wheels chocked, and the engine turned off. No explosive materials should ever be transported on locomotives. If you are carrying these materials by hand, make sure they are in closed, non-conductive containers and that detonators and other explosives are in separate carriers. Underground primary storage magazines should be left clean and tidy and posted with warning signs. Trash or other materials that could be ignited must not accumulate in or near the magazine. If it is necessary to do repair work that could produce sparks, explosives should be moved at least 50 feet away before work begins on the magazine. Access to the magazine must be unobstructed. If you notice unstable roof conditions, take care of them immediately to prevent injury to yourself or fellow workers. Only explosive materials and equipment associated with them should be stored in the magazines. When you are removing explosives from the magazine, use the oldest ones first. Materials and supplies needed at the face should be delivered as close to the beginning of the charging operation as possible to avoid having them left unattended. You should only deliver what is actually needed and return unused explosives promptly to the magazine. If your mine uses auxiliary storage facilities, they must be stocked with no more than a one-week supply of explosive materials. These auxiliary boxes must also be posted with warning signs and kept suitably dry, clean and in order. If they are damaged, repairs should be made immediately and no debris should be allowed to accumulate. If your mine uses day boxes, follow the procedures for them outlined by your management. All underground storage facilities for explosives must be kept locked unless access to the underground is secure. Dust and fumes from a blast can be hazardous to your health. At the start of your shift or when you are entering an area after a blast, you must wait for the ventilation to clear the air and a post-blast inspection to be made by a qualified person. A blast area can be unstable. When you arrive, check the face, ribs and muckpile carefully for misfires and bootleg holes. Wash the area thoroughly before any other work begins to control dust and wash out misfires. Loose rock from the blast must be barred down immediately and the site thoroughly checked for safety before mucking begins. When you come into your workheading, we water down to start with and generally when I throw the water hose on the muckpile or whatever, I'll walk back through my area to make sure it is safe. Make sure any rocks haven't loosened up through the, you know, when an opposite crew comes in and blasts, of course it's going to loosen up rock. It's just the way it goes with the territory. So every day I come through and I'll walk back while I'm watering and check my stope area to make sure it's free of any falling rock. Never drill a bootleg or misfired hole. Undetonated explosives could ignite unexpectedly and destroy anyone or anything in the area. If you find a misfire, you must dispose of it immediately, preferably by washing it out or by blasting it. If you can't dispose of it safely, post warnings at all approaches to the area and notify management at once. When you are ready to load a round, always do it carefully and in a manner approved by your management. After a face or work area has been drilled in a predetermined pattern, check each bore hole and clean it out to make sure it is safe for loading. Use the proper type and amount of explosives and remember that primers and boosters must never be tamped or dropped. Your tamping bar should be approved and made of wood or other non-sparking material. A safety fuse must be adequate in length. Never cut them shorter than 3 feet. Combustible materials are not used for stemming. Open flames are prohibited within 50 feet of these materials. Whether they are in a magazine, day box or loaded in the face, smoking is not allowed in this area. This also means that only ignition devices designed for that purpose can be used to ignite a safety fuse, no lighters or cigarettes. If electrical detonators are used, they must never be handled if there are stray currents present such as static electricity or electrical storms. They could blow up unexpectedly with disastrous results. When the face is charged and ready to blast, you must secure the area before you leave. To protect other workers in the area, guard all possible entrances during the blast so that no one may enter the area until the air is clear. You must also give a clear warning call in all directions prior to detonation. Most mines have established blasting schedules and warning signals, and every miner must be familiar with these. It is management's responsibility to ensure that you have a safe and healthy workplace, but it is your job to understand or follow blasting schedules and procedures. Every mine has its own policies and practices on the safe handling of explosives. With good practices in place, it is your responsibility to work safely around these materials. Mining wouldn't be possible without them. You have an important role to play in protecting yourself and your fellow workers and returning to your families and homes safely. We want to feel safe. We want to make it safe for the people that follow us. We don't want to leave dangerous situations. They've got family and children that they need to go home to. That's the whole purpose, go home every night.