Frequently asked questions

You will need a hazardous substances consent if you handle or store (or intend to handle or store):

• 150 tonnes or more of ammonium nitrate or
• mixtures containing ammonium nitrate where the nitrogen content exceeds 15.75% of the mixture by weight

Contact HSE. A form is available to help you provide the required information.

For other information on ammonium nitrate, please see the ammonium nitrate web pages.

All explosives and pyrotechnic articles for civilian use that are placed on the market within the European Union must carry a CE mark.

See CE marking for more information.

‘Classification’ identifies the hazard posed by explosive substances and articles and verifies their safety, as packaged, for transportation. It involves assessing an explosive to determine whether it is assigned to, or excluded from, Class 1 of the UN classification scheme for the transportation of dangerous goods in ADR.

ADR is the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.

It is a requirement under the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (as amended) (CDG) that explosives must be classified before they can be carried in Great Britain. For more information see Classification for transport.

A ‘Contracting Party’ is a country that is a signatory to ADR.

For more information see classification for transport, forms, and the list of competent authorities on the ADR website.

There are three basic ways of proving the hazard presented by an explosive:

• By conducting tests as set out in the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria
• By using an existing, very similar classified explosive as an analogy for classification
• By using a classification issued by another national Competent Authority contracting to ADR

Yes you can but they must be conducted in accordance with the test protocols set out in the current edition of UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. The tests must be recorded using video and full supporting evidence must be provided with the application.

Detailed guidance on conducting tests is available in the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria.

It is possible to classify groups or families of similar explosive substances or articles by conducting UN series 6 tests on the largest or most aggressive member of the family.

If the worst-case explosive is tested and the hazard identified then it is assumed that the other lesser members of the family will present the same hazard.

There are strict criteria which must be met:

For articles:

• The articles must be of a similar construction and contain similar compositions
• Full details of constructional variations and compositions must be supplied
• The applicant must provide details of the varying parameter relating to the family, for example:
  • Smokes with various functioning times
  • Stage gerbs with varying heights and burn times
  • Smokes with different colours
• For substances:
  • Full details of the composition and form. If the substance is a powder or granular then include the size, form and specific surface, as appropriate
  • The applicant MUST provide a full technical justification for the assumption that the worst-case result will adequately cover the other members of the family. This may be particularly challenging where dealing with a family of substances such as propellant powders where both the compositions and the explosive’s form may affect the hazard

Check if the explosive is already classified by looking on the List of Classified Explosives and Fireworks (LOCEF) or ask your supplier to provide a valid CAD from either HSE or a Contracting Party to ADR.

It is difficult to give a precise timescale, but HSE aims to agree classifications within 20 working days of receipt of all necessary information.

The costs for work done on a classification are charged at an hourly rate. The amount of work required to process a classification depends on several factors:

• The technical complexity
• Whether the classification is based on tests or analogy
• Availability and clarity of all necessary information and any supporting evidence

Christmas crackers are not considered to be explosives for the purposes of classification in GB.

Regulation 6 of the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations requires that explosives are disposed of safely.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has published guidance on disposal of explosives: Guidance for the Safe Management of the Disposal of Explosives.

More information can be found under Disposal.

That depends on what you are doing.

A licence is required for most manufacturing activities.

Manufacturing includes processes where explosive articles or explosive substances are made or assembled, or unmade or disassembled. The term also includes the repair or modification of explosive articles and the reprocessing, modification or adaptation of explosive substances.

Unless only a small quantity of explosives is involved, those storing explosives will need to be either registered or licensed.

This will depend on:

• whether the activity is manufacturing or simply storing
• whether an explosives certificate from the police is needed to acquire and keep the explosives and
• the quantity of explosives.

You can find out more under How to apply for a licence.

The quantity of explosives that can be stored is governed by:

• separation distances between an explosives store and an occupied building and will be further influenced by its construction and whether it is mounded or not
• the hazard type of the explosive, for example 500 kg of Hazard Type 1 explosives (eg dynamite) requires a greater separation distance than 500 kg of Hazard Type 4 explosives (eg party poppers)

See Licensing for more information.

If you apply for a local authority licence, the separation distances are pre-determined for a known quantity of explosives and building type.

An HSE licence has greater flexibility; there are both internal and external separation distances to consider. Tables can be found within the Approved Code of Practice and under Separation distances.

Target times for HSE to agree licenses,as of the 4 April 2011, are:

• Simple variation (< 10 building schedules) not requiring assent – target turnaround time to conclusion on receipt of all information received is 4 months
• Simple new/variation (< 10 building schedules) requiring assent – turnaround time to conclusion on receipt of all information is 8 months
• Complex new/variation (>10 building schedules, structural justification, consolidating licenses) requiring assent – turnaround time to conclusion on receipt of all information is 12 months

The price of a licence depends on the type requested. An initial fee is charged with a fee per hour worked on the licence. The actual amount will vary depending on processing time and work involved. See Fees for more information.

The various fees charged and hourly rates are given on the Fees web page.

Cheques should be made payable to Health and Safety Executive.

Not at moment. Any fees can be paid by BACS, CHAPS, cheques or cash.

You do not need an explosives licence for a firework display, nor do you normally need a licence to store fireworks at a display site for less than three days. You may need to contact your local authority to check if any other licences are needed.

For more practical information on giving your own firework display see Organising firework displays.

You have three options:

• Seek a classification using a previously tested explosive as an analogy
• You conduct UN series 6 tests to prove the hazard
• Obtain a valid Competent Authority Document from a Contracting Party to ADR 2011 assigning 1.4S

Yes, but before explosives are carried in GB they need to be classified.

You need to have had your explosives classified by either HSE or by a Contracting Party to ADR. If the explosives have been classified by a non-Contracting Party to ADR, then HSE will need to recognise any classification that has been granted.

If the explosives have not been classified by a national Competent Authority, you should apply to HSE for those explosives to be classified.

For more information see classification for transport, classification forms, and the list of competent authorities on the ADR website.

No – see question Can I import any explosives into the GB?

You don’t need to do anything if the explosives have a valid classification. If the explosives aren’t classified you should either obtain classification from HSE or a classification from a Contracting Party to ADR.

A range of regulatory controls apply to explosives in addition to classification. You can find details on HSE’s Explosives web pages, but in summary, you should be aware of:

• Transport – the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (as amended)
• Transfer, CE marking and Recipient Competent Authority documents – the Placing on the Market and Supervision of Transfers of Explosives Regulations 1993
• Market Surveillance and CE Marking - Regulation (EC) No. 765/2008 on Accreditation and Market Surveillance, the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010, and the Placing on the Market and Supervision of Transfers of Explosives Regulations 1993
• Security – the Control of Explosives Regulations 1991, and the Marking of Plastic Explosives for Detection Regulations 1996
• Movement through ports and harbours – the Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations 1987
• Storage – the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005

A Recipient Competent Authority document is the approval for all transfers of explosives that a consignee is legally entitled to acquire or keep.

The consignee is the person/company that will be in physical possession of the explosives after the transfer has taken place.

You will need an RCA if you receive certain explosives, for example gunpowder. For more information see Transfer of explosives.

For some of these explosives you will also need a police explosives certificate, which you should obtain from your local police explosives liaison officer. Explosive certificates issues after 1st June 2012 will incorporate the RCA.

If you have an Explosives Certificate issued after 1st June 2012 you should find that the RCA document is incorporated into it and you do not need to contact HSE.

If you have a pre 1st June 2012 Explosives Certificate , send us a copy (not the original) of both sides of your current Explosive Certificate, by post or email, to HSE’s Explosives Inspectorate.

Explosives must be transported in compliance with Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG). There are exemptions and derogations to these Regulations which can apply in certain circumstances and the Department for Transport’s Dangerous goods advice.

These are rules governing the different modes of national and international transport of dangerous goods. The Regulations applying to the common modes of transport of dangerous goods are:

• Road - European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR);
• Rail - European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID);
• Inland Waterways - European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN);
• Sea - International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG);
• Air - International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Technical Instructions.

The structure of the Regulations is consistent with, and based upon the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations.

A qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser

An industry body such as:
Confederation of British Industry’s Explosives Industry Group
British Pyrotechnists Association
British Fireworks Association
Institute of Explosives Engineers
Department for Transport
Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register
The HSE website

Explosives Liaison officers are listed in Contacts.