Explosives Regulations 2014 - Overarching statements of success

The Explosives Regulations 2014 will be supported by a suite of overarching and sub-sector guidance.

• The overarching guidance - safety provisions provides information to support dutyholders on how the safety provisions of the Regulations should be met.
• The overarching guidance - security provisions provides information to support dutyholders on how the security provisions of the regulations should be met.

These documents have been structured around a number of success statements, listed below. These statements highlight the key outcomes which should be achieved by the application of appropriate safety measures to explosives operations. Duty holders can use the statements to measure the effectiveness of the safety precautions that they have in place.

Success statements - safety provisions

Safety requirements

Explosives operations are subject to robust controls to maintain safety standards.

Fire and explosion measures

During manufacture and storage, appropriate measures are taken to:

• prevent an unplanned fire or explosion;
• limit the extent of fires or explosions;
• prevent fires spreading;
• stop explosions communicating from one place to another; and  
• protect people from the effects of a fire or explosion.

Management arrangements

Appropriate safety measures are in place. Roles and responsibilities for implementing and maintaining them are specified and understood.

Cross-cutting safety precautions

Cross-cutting safety measures (ie measures that address more than one duty) are implemented to ensure the safe manufacture and storage of explosives.

Competence

People manufacturing or storing explosives are competent to carry out activities under normal conditions. They understand the hazards and risks which may arise and the actions to take in abnormal or emergency situations.

Safe systems of work and working practices

Explosives operations and activities are carried out to agreed procedures.

Housekeeping

High standards of housekeeping are maintained to:

• provide control over sources of initiation
• prevent fires and explosions
• reduce the likelihood of a fire spreading or an explosion communicating
• reduce the risk of people becoming trapped or harmed if a fire or explosion occurs

Mounds, traverses and barriers

Mounds, traverses and other barriers are used to prevent or limit the spread of fires or the communication of an explosion and to protect people.

Dutyholders know the type and quantity of all explosives present on site and their locations.

Stock management

Dutyholders know the type and quantity of all explosives present on site and their locations.

Segregating explosives presenting different likelihood of initiation

Explosives that have significantly different likelihoods of initiation are segregated from one another.

Segregating explosives operations from other activities

Explosives operations are segregated from activities that do not include explosives.

Safely transporting explosives on site

Particular care is taken when transporting explosives on site and only appropriate methods are used.

Preventing fires and explosions

Safety measures are in place to prevent the accidental initiation of explosives.

General precautions

Explosives operations only occur in an appropriate place, using appropriate tools and equipment and following an appropriate process.

Protecting explosives from sources of ignition

Explosives are protected from those sources of ignition that could cause them to initiate and are kept in a suitable closed container or in suitable packaging, whenever it would be reasonably practicable to do so

Naked lights and flames

Robust systems are in place to prevent the introduction of naked lights and flames into explosives areas.

Heat and temperature

Potential sources of heat energy and high temperatures are identified and kept to the minimum necessary for the safe operation of an explosives area.

Electrical, electrostatic and electromagnetic energy

Sources of electrical energy are identified and are kept to the minimum necessary for the safe operation of an explosives area.

Mechanical sparks

Potential sources of mechanical sparks, including those that could arise from equipment failure, are identified and kept to the minimum necessary for the safe operation of an explosives area.

Impact and friction

Potential sources of impact and friction are identified and kept to the minimum necessary for the safe operation of an explosives area.

Pressure

Sources of pressure are identified and kept to the minimum necessary for the safe operation of an explosives area.

Chemical incompatibility

Chemicals and materials incompatible with the explosives used or with each other are identified and either kept to the minimum necessary for the safe operation of the explosives facility or completely segregated from the explosives.

Maintenance systems

The safety measures are properly maintained

Measures to limit the extent of a fire or explosion

Appropriate steps are taken to:

• limit the size of an explosion or fire that may occur;
• stop fires spreading; and
• limit the size of an explosive event and the area that the event effects.

Protecting people from the effects of a fire or explosion

Measures are in place to protect people in the event of a fire or explosion.

Limiting the numbers of people in explosives areas

The number of people in explosives areas is kept to the minimum needed to safely carry out and to safely support the explosives operations.

Engineering controls

Engineering controls to protect people from the effects of a fire or an explosion are identified on a case-by-case basis.

Provision of personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment is used as a last line of protection. It is not solely relied upon when people can be protected by engineering controls

Emergency procedures

Effective emergency procedures are in place.

Separation distances

Separation distances are met.

Discarding and disposal of explosives and decontamination of explosive-contaminated items

Explosives and explosives contaminated items are disposed of or discarded safely.
Explosive contaminated items are safely decontaminated.

Discarding and disposal of explosives

Explosives are not discarded as general or household waste.

Decontamination of explosive plant and equipment

Particular care should be taken when dismantling plant and equipment

Vacating an explosives site

Vacated explosives sites are left in a safe state

Prohibitions

Only approved pyrotechnics substances and articles containing sulphur and/or phosphorus mixed with chlorates are manufactured, stored and imported.

Success statements - security provisions

Security requirements

Explosive operations are subject to robust controls to maintain security standards

Unauthorised Access

People who manufacture, keep or store explosives ensure that those explosives are secure. Unauthorised access is prevented.

Prohibitions concerning the transfer of relevant explosives

Relevant explosives are only transferred to authorised persons

Restrictions on prohibited persons

Prohibited persons are not allowed access to relevant explosives.

Unique identification of civil explosives

Civil explosives are identifiable and traceable

Attribution of manufacturing site codes for civil explosives

Sites manufacturing civil explosives have a site code.

Records in relation to relevant explosives

People keep records of the relevant explosives they acquire or keep.

Records in relation to civil explosives

Records of civil explosives are kept throughout their supply chain and life cycle.

Reporting loss

Losses of relevant explosives are reported immediately

Prohibitions in relation to unmarked plastic explosives

Plastic explosives are marked with a detection agent.