Explosives - Disposal

One of the main causes of accidents (sometimes leading to injuries or fatalities) in the explosives industry is the disposal of explosives waste. Accidents can be avoided by:

• a better appreciation of the properties and behaviour of explosives under certain conditions - explosives earmarked for destruction may be unusually unstable due to deterioration;
• drawing up properly-considered systems of work, with appropriate safety precautions.

Methods of disposal / destruction

There is generally more than one way of destroying an explosive. The method used will depend on the nature of the explosive and its hazards, and the type and position of the disposal site. There are four ways in which explosives should be disposed of or destroyed:

• burning
• detonation
• dissolving or diluting by a solvent; or
• chemical destruction

Dumping at sea (or in landfill) is no longer, under any circumstances, considered to be a suitable method of disposing of explosives.

Fire precautions

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

New CBI publication

New guidance on the disposal of explosives has been published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) entitled: Guidance for the Safe Management of the Disposal of Explosives. It replaces HSE's Disposal of explosives waste CS23.

The guidance has been produced by the Explosives Industry Forum (EIF), a tripartite body made up of the HSE’s Explosives Inspectorate, Industry representatives and the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD). Its work has also been supported by the wider industry, the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

The guidance will be of interest to regulatory authorities, the emergency services and others who may be called upon to manage the disposal of explosives or explosives contaminated waste such as:

HSE Press Office issued a news alert to specialist media and stakeholder groups.