California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders › Group 18 - Explosive Materials › Article 120 - Blasting Agents › Section 5342 - Mixing Buildings

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Buildings used for the mixing of blasting
						agents shall conform to the requirements of this section. Buildings constructed
						after May 21, 1971, shall be noncombustible construction or of sheet metal on
						wood studs.
(b) The layout of the
						mixing building shall provide physical separation between the finished product
						storage and the mixing and packaging operation in accordance with applicable
						intraline distances contained in Section
						5327.
(c) Floors in the processing plant shall be
						of concrete or of nonabsorbent material and free of cracks and
						crevices.
(d) Floors shall be
						constructed to eliminate open floor drains and piping into which molten
						materials could flow and be confined in case of fire.
(e) Liquid fuel shall be stored outside the
						mix building and away from the oxidizer area. The storage area shall be
						designed and located in such a manner that in case of tank rupture, the oil
						fuel shall be retained or be drained away from the mixing plant building. The
						shut-off valves shall be at the tank. Suitable means shall be provided to
						prevent the flow of oil fuel to the mixer in case of fire. In gravity flow
						systems, an automatic spring-loaded shut-off valve with fusible link shall be
						installed.
(f) The building shall
						be well ventilated.
NOTE: The recommendation for ventilation as contained
						  in SLP No. 1, Institute of Makers of Explosives, 1993 Edition, is evidence of
						  good practice.
(g) Heat
						shall be provided exclusively from a unit outside of the building or electric
						heat at a safe distance from combustible material.
(h) Personnel limits shall be established,
						posted, and enforced while operations involving blasting agents are underway at
						the mix house.
(i) Blasting agents
						and fuels shall be removed from the mix house and the equipment or area
						completely washed down before major work, other than routine maintenance, or
						open flame repairs are made.
(j)
						Before welding or repairs to hollow shafts, all oxidizer material shall be
						removed from the outside and inside of the shaft and the shaft
						vented.
(k) All internal combustion
						engines used for electric power generation shall be located outside the mixing
						plant building at least 50 feet from any opening in the building or shall be
						properly ventilated and isolated by a fire wall having a minimum one hour
						fire-resistance rating. The exhaust system on all such engines shall be
						equipped with a spark arrestor and shall be located so any spark emission
						cannot be a hazard to any material in or adjacent to the plant.
1.
						  Amendment filed 10-17-75; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 75, No.
						  42).
2. Amendment filed 7-16-76; effective thirtieth day thereafter
						  (Register 76, No. 29).
3. Amendment of section and new NOTE filed
						  7-11-2003; operative 8-10-2003 (Register 2003, No.
						  28).
Note: Authority cited: Section
							 142.3, Labor
							 Code. Reference: Section
							 142.3, Labor
							 Code.