Safety and Accident Prevention
1. Static Electricity
a. Can build up on equipment or people
b. Use anti-static footwear
c. Use anti-static hoses
Static Charge
a. Type of clothing
* Synthetic is bad
b. Conductivity of footwear
* Rubber soles are bad
c. Dryness of skin
* Dry skin is bad
d. Humidity of air
* Low humidity (<60%) is bad Static and ANFO
Pneumatically conveyed ANFO can build up a static charge if the humidity of the compressed air is low
2. Stray Currents
a. Faulty or damaged cable insulation
b. Conductive ground
c. Wet conditions
Minimising Stray Currents
a. Use a low resistance Earth
b. Electrically bond all rails, cables, pipes, etc.
c. Check cable insulation
d. Insulate firing lines and detonating cables from any stray currents and earths
e. Short and insulate all detonator wires until contact has to be made
3. Lightning
a. Use a lightning monitoring system
b. Devise a standard lightning warning signal
c. Stop blasting operations and evacuate the area when a storm is approaching
4. Radio Frequency Energy
Detonator wires can act as aerials and generate a current from sufficient radio energy
a. No walkie talkies
b. No cell phones
c. No mobile radios
d. All of these must be switched off, if not barred, from the blast area
General Recommendations
a. Leave detonators in their original containers, coiled and shorted, until required
b. Earth yourself and any equipment before coming into contact with explosives
c. Strive for a blast area free of stray currents