West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 36 - Coal Mine Health And Safety › Title 36 - LEGISLATIVE EXEMPT RULE BOARD OF COAL MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY › Series 36-23 - Rules And Regulations Governing Surface Construction Operations Within The Coal Mining Industry Within The State Of WV › Section 36-23-40 - Blasting and The Use of Explosives

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
40.1. General provisions.
(a) After the effective date of the certified
				surface blasters rules and regulations, all persons performing blasting
				operations on construction projects shall be certified. The employer shall
				permit only authorized and qualified persons to handle and use
				explosives.
(b) Smoking, firearms,
				matches, open flame lamps, and other fires, flame or heat producing devices and
				sparks shall be prohib­ited in or near explosive magazines or while
				explosives are being handled, transported or used.
(c) No person shall be allowed to handle or
				use explosives while under the influence of intoxicating liquors, narcotics, or
				other dangerous drugs.
(d) All
				explosives shall be accounted for at all times. Explosives not being used shall
				be kept in a locked magazine, unavailable to persons not authorized to handle
				them. The employer shall maintain an inventory and use records of all
				explosives. Appropriate authori­ties shall be notified of any loss,
				theft, or unauthorized entry into a magazine.
(e) No explosives or blasting agents shall be
				abandoned.
(f) No fire shall be
				fought where the fire is in imminent danger of contact with explosives. All
				employees shall be removed to a safe area and the fire area guarded against
				intruders.
(g) Original containers,
				or Class 2 magazine, shall be used for taking detonators and other explosives
				from storage magazines to the blasting area.
(h) When blasting is done in
				congest­ed areas or in proximity to a structure, rail­way, or
				highway, or any other installation that may be damaged, the blaster shall take
				special precautions in the loading, delaying, initiation, and confinement of
				each blast with mats or other methods so as to control the throw of fragments,
				and thus prevent bodily injury to employees.
(i) Employees authorized to prepare explosive
				charges or conduct blasting opera­tions shall use every reasonable
				precaution including, but not limited to visual and audible warning signals,
				flags, or barricades, to ensure employee safety.
(j) Insofar as possible, blasting
				opera­tions above ground shall be conducted between sunup and
				sundown.
(k) 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 sources of extraneous electricity. These precautions
				shall include:
(1) Detonators shall be
				short-­circuited in holes which have been primed and shunted until wired
				into the blasting circuit;
(2) The
				suspension of all blasting operations and removal of persons from the blasting
				area during the approach and progress of an electric storm;
(3)
(i) The
				prominent display of adequate signs, warning against the use of mobile radio
				transmitters, on all roads within one thousand (1,000) feet of blasting
				opera­tions. Whenever adherence to the one thou­sand (1,000) foot
				distance would create an operational handicap, a competent person shall be
				consulted to evaluate the particular situa­tion, and alternative
				provisions may be made which are adequately designed to prevent any premature
				firing of electric blasting caps. A description of any such alternatives shall
				be reduced to writing and shall be certified as meeting the purposes of this
				subdivision by the competent person consulted. The description shall be
				maintained at the construction site during the duration of the work and shall
				be available for inspection by representatives of the Secretary of
				Labor.
(ii) Specimens of signs
				which would meet the require­ments of subdivision (i) of this
				subparagraph (3) are the following (See Table 49):
(4) Ensuring that mobile radio transmitters
				which are less than one hundred (100) feet away from electric blasting caps, in
				other than original containers shall be de­energized and effectively
				locked.
(5) Compliance with the
				recom­mendations of the Institute of the Makers of Explosives with
				regard to blasting in the vicin­ity of radio transmitters as stipulated
				in radio frequency energy-a potential hazard in the use of electric blasting
				caps, IME publication No. 20, March, 1971.
(l) Empty boxes and paper and fiber packing
				materials, which have previously contained high explosives, shall not be used
				again for any purpose, but shall be destroyed by burning at an approved
				location.
(m) Explosives, blasting
				agents, and blasting supplies that are obviously deteriorat­ed or
				damaged shall not be used.
(n)
				Delivery and issue of explosives shall only be made by and to authorized
				per­sons and into authorized magazines or ap­proved temporary
				storage or handling areas.
(o)
				Blasting operations in the proxim­ity of overhead power lines,
				communication lines, utility services, or other services and structures shall
				not be carried on until the operators and/or owners have been notified and
				measures for safe control have been taken.
(p) The use of black powder shall be
				prohibited.
(q) All loading and
				firing shall be directed and directly supervised by a compe­tent persons
				thorough experienced in this field.
(r) All blasts shall be fired electrically
				with an electric blasting machine or properly designed electric power source,
				except as provided in paragraphs (a) and (p) of Section 40.8 of these
				regulations.