225 ILCS 710/27 — Illinois Code / Chapter 225 / Act 710 / Section 27
Section 27
Status: in_force

(225 ILCS 710/27) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 4234) Sec. 27. Blasting. It shall be unlawful to use anything but wooden tamping rods in tamping explosives or tamping material in the bore holes, and it shall be the duty of the mine foreman to see that no iron or steel tools are used for tamping. Detonators of not less strength than No. 6 containing 1 gram of fulminating composition, shall be used in firing blasts. It shall be the duty of the mine foreman to fix the time of all blasting and firing. Miners about to fire shots shall cause warning to be given in every direction and all entrances to the place or places where charges are to be fired shall be guarded, so far as possible, by people; otherwise by signs, which shall be such as will not fail to attract the attention of anybody passing. The number of explosives in every blast, except in case of simultaneous firing or blasts in stopes, shall be counted by the person firing the same, and if the total number of explosions is less than the number of charges fired, a report of the discrepancy shall be made as the superintendent shall direct. When a blast has been fired and it is not certain that all the charges have exploded, no person shall enter the place where such charges were placed within 30 minutes after the explosion. When electricity is used to fire shots, it shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to enter the vicinity of the place where such shots have been fired until the cable from the source of electrical energy to the face of the blast shall have been disconnected. It shall be the duty of the mine foreman to see that all such cables are disconnected immediately after such firing and to examine or direct the examination of such place where shots have been fired before any people are permitted to work therein. All miners shall immediately report to the proper authority the finding of any loose wires under or in the rock loosened by such firing and in such event the mine foreman or, in his or her absence, the shift boss or other properly constituted authority, shall at once order work to cease until such wires have been disconnected or removed. It shall be unlawful to use electricity from any grounded circuit for firing shots. It shall be the duty of the mine foreman to see that special precautions are taken against the shot-firing cables or wires coming into contact with the lighting, power, or other circuits, or with any metal pipe lines. All portable devices for generating or supplying electricity for shot firing shall, when in the mine be in charge of the mine foreman. No person, other than the mine foreman or some competent employee especially designated by him or her, shall connect the firing machine or battery to the shot firing leads, and such connection shall not be made until all other steps preparatory to the firing of a shot shall have been connected. The primary or secondary batteries used for shot firing shall be provided with a suitable case in which all contacts shall be made or broken except that the binding post for making connections to the firing leads may be outside. These binding posts shall be completely covered with insulating material of a permanent character, such as hard rubber, or fibre, except at the points where the firing leads make connection with the binding posts. Such batteries shall be provided with a detachable plug or key without which the detonating circuit cannot be closed, or provided with one or more safety contact buttons that are well countersunk or protected by a non-conducting housing. The plug or key shall be detached when not actually in use for firing a shot, and shall not under any circumstances pass from the custody of the mine foreman. Electricity from light or power circuits shall not be used for firing shots in a mine, except where the electrical connections to such light or power circuits are made within an enclosed switch room, which shall be kept securely locked and shall be accessible only to the authorized mine foreman or other competent person especially designated by him or her. (Source: P.A. 87-1133.)