Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 55 - PUBLIC SAFETY › Part I - State Police › Chapter 15 - Explosives Code › Subchapter A - General › Section I-1531 - General Requirements

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. The
				  handling of explosives shall be performed only by a person holding a valid and
				  subsisting license to use explosives.
B. It is a violation of this Chapter for any
				  person to engage in handling, touching, moving, etc., of explosives or to
				  engage in the business of a manufacturer-distributor or dealer in explosives,
				  or to acquire, sell, possess, store, or engage in the use of explosives in this
				  state, unless that person possesses an appropriate license issued by the Deputy
				  Secretary of Public Safety Services. Licensed geophysical contractors may
				  contract with licensed drilling contractors to possess and use explosives for
				  the sole purpose of executing the contract between the two parties. All
				  explosives shall be returned to the licensed geophysical contractor at the end
				  of each day. For purposes of this Section, the transfer of the temporary
				  possession of explosives between the contracting parties shall not constitute a
				  sale. The safety and security of the explosives and the compliance with these
				  regulations shall be the responsibility of the party to the contract who is in
				  possession of the explosives. There shall be no requirement that the drilling
				  contractor be licensed by each geophysical contractor with whom he
				  contracts.
C. If the employment of
				  any licensed individual terminates, the company shall immediately notify the
				  Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services, Explosive Control
				  Unit. The individual's original paper license and photo license will be
				  retained by the company and returned to the Office of the Deputy Secretary of
				  Public Safety Services, Explosive Control Unit, within three days. The company
				  shall retain a copy of the terminated individual's paper license.
D. A user must not sell explosives to any
				  person.
E. While explosives are
				  being handled or used, smoking shall not be permitted and no one near the
				  explosives shall possess matches, open lights or other fire or flame. No person
				  shall handle or use explosives while under the influence of intoxicating
				  liquors or narcotics.
F. Original
				  shipping containers or Type 3 magazines shall be used for taking detonators and
				  other explosives from storage magazines to the blasting area. Any materials
				  employed in packing explosives shall not be burned in a stove, fireplace, or
				  other confined space, or be used for any purpose.
G. When blasting is done in congested areas
				  or in close proximity to a structure, railway, or highway or any other
				  installation that may be damaged, the blast shall be covered before firing with
				  a mat so constructed that it is capable of preventing fragments from being
				  thrown. When such blasting is being carried out near a highway, the operator
				  may, in lieu of using a mat, and with the permission of local authorities,
				  block the road adjacent to the firing area while such firing is in progress.
				  The Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services must be notified in advance, and
				  approval received, prior to this type of blasting operation being
				  conducted.
H. Should there exist
				  even a remote possibility of damage to private or public property in an area
				  where blasting is being done, the user or the blaster must then keep an
				  accurate blasting log for each blast. The blasting log shall record the job
				  location, date, time of blast, weather conditions, type of blast, type of
				  materials blasted, type of size cartridge of explosive used, number and
				  diameter of holes, hole depth, and the total quantity of explosives fired
				  instantaneously or by a delay interval. It shall be the user's or the blaster's
				  responsibility to determine if the possibility of such damage exists.
I. Persons authorized to prepare explosive
				  charges or conduct blasting operations shall use every reasonable precaution,
				  which may include but is not limited to warning signals, flags, barricades, or
				  blasting mats approved by the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services, to
				  insure the safety of the general public and workmen.
J. Blasting operations, except by special
				  permission of the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services,
				  shall be conducted only during daylight hours, excepting underground mining
				  operations, offshore operations, and wireline/tubing conveyed perforating
				  operations.
K. Whenever blasting is
				  being conducted in the vicinity of gas, electric, water, fire alarm, telephone,
				  telegraph, and steam utilities, the user or the blaster shall notify the
				  appropriate representative of such utilities at least 24 hours in advance of
				  blasting, provided, however, in Seismic operations conducted in the presence of
				  a Seismic Agent of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, no such
				  notice is necessary. Explosives shall not be detonated in congested areas or in
				  close proximity to any structure, railway, highway, pier, dock, vessel, or
				  other installation which may be damaged. In case of an electrical utility
				  highline, care shall be taken to see that the total length of wire is kept too
				  short to hit the electrical utility or that the wires are securely anchored to
				  the ground so that the length of the wire that may be thrown by the explosion
				  is less than the distance from the anchoring point to the utility. Further,
				  should a firing line or a cap wire be thrown onto an electrical utility, a
				  guard shall be posted and the utility called to remedy the situation.
L. Due precautions shall be taken to prevent
				  accidental discharge of electric blasting caps from current induced by radar,
				  radio transmitters, lightning, adjacent power lines, dust storms, or other
				  resources of extraneous electricity. These precautions shall include:
1. the suspension of all blasting operations,
				  and removal of persons from the blasting area during the approach and progress
				  of an electrical storm. This Paragraph does not apply to underground mining
				  operations;
2. with the exception
				  of seismic off the road operations, the posting of signs warning against the
				  use of mobile radio transmitters on all roads within 350 feet of the blasting
				  operations, or as far away as practical;
3. compliance with the latest recommendations
				  of the Institute of Makers of Explosives with regard to blasting in the
				  vicinity of radio transmitters or power lines;
4. explosives or blasting equipment that are
				  obviously deteriorated or damaged shall not be used; and
5. in seismic operations, when charges
				  anchored in the hole misfire, there shall be no requirement that an attempt be
				  made to remove such charge. An attempt to detonate this charge will be made
				  with an additional priming charge. If this attempt to fire fails, blasting cap
				  leads must be cut below the surface of the ground prior to leaving the
				  hole.