Health and Safety Executive

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Separation distance tables

Which separation distance table should I use

Explosives building Hazard type present Table
Brick-built mounded building Hazard Type 1 Table 3 (mounded)
Brick-built unmounded building Hazard Type 1 Table 3(unmounded)
Metal-built mounded building without detonator annex Hazard Type 1 Table 4
Metal-built unmounded building without attached detonator annex Hazard Type 1 Table 5A
Metal-built unmounded building with detonator annex Hazard Type 1 Table 5B
Building of any construction Hazard Type 2 Table 6
Building of any construction Hazard Type 3 Table 7
Building of any construction Hazard Type 4 Table 8

Where a building contains more than one hazard type

Where a building contains a mixture of Hazard Types 1, 3 or 4, add the quantities of the various hazard types together and treat as the lowest numbered hazard type for example treat 20 kg of Hazard Type 1 plus 30 kg of Hazard Type 3 as 50 kg of Hazard Type 1.

Where a building contains a mixture of Hazard Types 2, 3 or 4, add the quantities of the various types together and treat as the lowest numbered hazard. For example, treat 50 kg of Hazard Type 2 and 50 kg of Hazard Type 4 as 100 kg of Hazard Type 2.

Where a building contains a mixture which includes Hazard Type 1 and 2 with or without other hazard types, add the quantities of the various hazard types together and treat as Hazard Type 1 or Hazard Type 2, whichever requires the larger separation distance.

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Updated: 2011-10-21