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CMPA Blasting Workshop

By on August 9, 2012

MARTIN DAVIES, the Principal Dangerous Goods Advisor, Workplace Hazards and Hazardous Industries Group, WorkSafe Victoria conducted a Blasting Workshop at the Members’ Day.

THE recent CMPA blasting workshop covered the following topics:

THE BACKGROUND TO WORKSAFE REGULATIONS

Explosives have long been recognised as presenting a high risk to people and property unless properly used and to achieve this government regulation has been in force for over 160 years, starting with the Port Phillip Gunpowder Act 1884.

Since then there have been multiple authorities who have regulated explosives principally through licensing individuals for their use these regulations include for mines and quarries and underground mines:

  • Mines Act 1958
  • Mineral Resources Development Act 1990
  • Extractive Industries Development Act 1995 And for general blasting operations:
  • Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 1960, 1988, 2000 and 2011

The Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 2000 reduced the issuing authorities for the use of blasting explosives to the Department of Primary Industry (underground mines & quarries) and WorkSafe Victoria (agricultural, general, oil well, demolition & special effects). The 2000 regulations also ceased all licences issued under other regulations on 1 July 2005. In 2006, WorkSafe became the sole authority for the issue of licences to use blasting explosives.

LICENSING PROCESS

To obtain a licence to use blasting explosives in a open cut mine or quarry, applicants must;

  • Attended an approved course
  • Been involved in 12 production shots
  • Undertaken an oral and practical assessment

Application for licence can then be made to WorkSafe providing evidence of the above and making application for a National Police and ASIO clearance check. For renewal of licence the applicant must apply before the expiry of their current licence, there is a need to undertake a new Police/ASIO assessment, provide evidence of continued employment or use of explosives and to undertake a competency assessment (WorkSafe exam until 1 July 2013 then course provider assessment).

CMPA Members Day

2011 REGULATIONS

There were several key changes brought into effect by the 2011 regulations, these changes were given a 12 month introduction period before they became mandatory and that introductory period ended on 26 June 2012.

Key changes include:

Licensing of explosives

The number of licences has been streamlined from 15 to 10 to cover import, manufacture, use, transport and storage.

Applications for a licence to use blasting explosives, transport explosives and discharge fireworks are now submitted through Australia Post outlets (those ones that are authorised to accept passport applications)

The licence to transport explosives has been changed to one licence per vehicle rather than one licence per company.

Sale of explosives

People selling explosives must now only sell to a person that holds the relevant licence. There are now record keeping requirements to improve our ability to track the movement of explosives for security purposes.

Using explosives

Blast management plans are now mandatory rather than just recommended for all people with a licence to use blasting explosives (shot firers). The regulations also set out safety requirements including those relating to the keeping of explosives at a blasting site, charging and firing charges and precautions to be taken after a blast.

BLAST MANAGEMENT PLANS

Regulation 130 of the Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 2011 states:

  • A shotfirer must not use explosives unless the shotfirer has first prepared a blast management plan in accordance with the applicable requirements of AS 2187.2.
  • A blast management plan prepared in accordance with subregulation (1) must
    • Include a plan for dealing with any misfire; and
    • Be commensurate with the size, location, nature and complexity to be undertaken.

To assist with this requirement WorkSafe have produced guidance information one entitled “Blast Management Plans” and one on “Blast Management Plans Template”.

These documents are available at www.worksafe.vic.gov.au

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