Explosives Safety Alerts
The Department of Natural Resources and Mines Queensland latest Explosives Safety Alerts look at incorrect magazine records, an incident involving boosters and explosives found in shotfirer’s vehicle.
MAGAZINE RECORDS WRONG AFTER RETURNS FROM LOADING ACTIVITIES
What happened?
Several recent incidents have occurred where explosives have been returned to the magazines following bench loading activities and the magazine records were updated incorrectly. Records and checks failed to identify that in particular boosters and detonators were missing. In some cases, explosives have been found on the bench, on magazine access roads and in charging vehicles The quantity recorded into the magazine records has been based upon the quantity that should have been unused and returned under the blast plan (quantity issued from the magazine minus the quantity that should be loaded under the blast plan) rather than the actual physical stock count returned into the magazine. When the discrepancies were found, the stock has been written off without proper investigation and the right level of authority.
Recommendations
- Reconcile explosives daily during and after charging using the information from plans, logs, bench and magazine records. The timely ability to identify patterns of loss or common participants is critical to early identification of any unexplained loss or theft
- Investigate discrepancies including the reconciliation of shotfirer records for explosives used against the explosives needed under site blast plans. Report any unexplained discrepancy in a timely manner to the police and the Explosives Inspectorate
- Carry out the “writing off ” of unaccounted explosives by the responsible person (not the magazine keeper), identified in the security plan.
- Review security plans and safety management systems against these recommendations.
- Ensure all people involved in these activities follow the security plan, safety management system, controls and procedures and keep records.
EXPLOSIVES FOUND IN SHOTFIRERS VEHICLE
What happened?
A booster was found under a tarpaulin in the tray of a shotfirer’s utility after the vehicle was returned back to the mine site from an off-site workshop. The vehicle was undergoing repairs and other activities associated with decommissioning the vehicle.
Recommendations
- Certify and ensure shotfirer’s vehicles and other explosives plant and equipment are free from explosives to the standard required for work to be undertaken in the workshop. The certificate is to accompany the vehicle, plant and equipment from start to finish
- Communicate hazards and risks associated with explosives while undertaking work with vehicles, plant and equipment which are used with explosives.
- Return a vehicle, plant and equipment under a work order and a hot or cold work permit to explosives work activities after it has been cleared and certified for return to service
- Undertake daily reconciliation of explosives and inspect vehicles for the physical presence of explosives not accounted for
- Review safety management systems and security plans to ensure suitable controls and procedures are in place to address the recommendations. Include the permit to work system and the decommissioning of vehicles, plant and equipment as appropriate
- Ensure everyone involved in these activities comply with the safety management system, security plan, controls and standard operating procedures.
BOOSTERS RUN OVER BY CHARGE VEHICLE
What happened?
A box of boosters was run over by a mobile explosives manufacturing unit during charging operations at a quarry. The incident occurred in spite of the mobile explosives manufacturing unit being guided forward by the spotter. The boosters did not explode but they can be initiated by friction or impact when run over. The explosive incident was not reported immediately. Incidents have occurred where boosters in all parts of their life cycle are vulnerable to damaging energies from plant and equipment and in particular during transport, storage, handling and loading on benches.
Recommendations
- Perform charging practices in a manner that protects explosives from possible impact from vehicles and mobile equipment.
- Establish work practices using controls that are based upon the risk control hierarchy. The sole use of spotters is not an effective and reliable risk control measure.
- Review safety management systems to ensure that suitable controls and procedures are in place to address recommendations.
- Ensure that the safety management system, controls and standard operating procedures are being followed and on-the-job risk assessments are undertaken and acted upon by all people involved in these activities.
For further information please visit the Department of Natural Resources
and Mines website http://mines.industry.qld.gov.au
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