Regulations > 7. Licensing and Construction of Magazines

7.1	A magazine may be erected or used only in accordance with the provisions of section 22 of the Act.

7.2

7.2.1

Application for permission to erect a magazine shall be made to an inspector and shall be accompanied by--

a)	a statement showing the types of explosives and the quantity of each required to be stored therein, and the full address of the proposed site of the magazine;

four copies of a plan, drawn to a scale of either 1:500, 1:1000, 1:2000 or 1:2500, according to the size of the property, showing the site of the proposed magazine and fence in relation to neighbouring roads (which shall also include the access road to the magazine), railways, buildings and boundaries of properties, as well as the contour of the land on which the magazine is to be erected and the plan shall have drawn thereon, with the site as centre, circles, with radii proportionate to the distances prescribed for the quantity of explosives in the table in regulation 7.3.1 of this Chapter;

c)	a plan or plans, in triplicate, drawn to a scale of 1:100 or 1:50 or 1:25, showing the design and specifications of the proposed magazine and mounds.

7.2.2

When the application is approved, one set of the plans, suitably endorsed, shall be returned to the applicant and until these plans have been received, building of the magazine and mound shall not be commenced.

7.2.3

The permission granted for the erection of a magazine shall lapse if the magazine has not been completed within six months of the date of grant of such permission.

7.3

7.3.1

The following table of distances shall form the basis on which applications for magazine licences will be considered:

Table of Distances

(All distances in metres)

Nett explosives	25 kilogram cartons	To other magazines			To railways, roads, open sports ground, navigable water, or dwelling-house in same ownership as magazine and occupied by the owner or an employee			To other dwelling-houses or public buildings *
Quantity kilograms	Number	Cat. X Mounded or unmounded	Cat. Y Mounded or unmounded	Cat. Z or ZZ Mounded	Cat. X Mounded or unmounded	Cat. Y Mounded or unmounded	Cat. Z or ZZ Mounded	Cat. X Mounded or unmounded	Cat. Y Mounded or unmounded	Cat. Z or ZZ Mounded
500	20	9	12	19	15	25	47	31	50	95
600	30	9	13	22	17	29	61	33	57	122
700	40	9	14	24	18	32	75	36	63	150
800	50	10	15	26	18	34	85	37	68	170
900	100	13	18	32	21	43	130	42	86	260
1 000	200	17	21	40	23	54	180	46	108	360
1 200	400	21	28	50	25	68	235	50	136	470
1 500	500	23	30	55	26	73	255	52	146	510
2 000	600	24	33	58	27	78	270	54	156	540
2 500	800	25	37	65	28	85	300	55	170	600
3 000	1 000	26	40	70	29	90	320	57	180	640
5 000	1 200	27	45	75	30	100	345	60	200	690
10 000	1 600	27	50	80	30	110	380	60	220	760
20 000	2 000	27	55	85	30	115	400	60	230	800
40 000	3 000	27	65	100	32	135	470	65	270	940
80 000	4 000	27	75	110	33	145	510	65	290	1 020
150 000	6 000	27	90	125	35	170	590	70	340	1 180
250 000	8 000	27	95	135	35	180	640	70	360	1 280

* For definition of "public building" refer to Chapter 1.

7.3.2

The distance between two buildings shall be the shortest distance between the nearest walls of such buildings.

7.3.3

When a magazine is erected in the vicinity of a power line the magazine shall be separated from the power line by a horizontal distance, not less than the following:

a)	For power lines with spans up to 30 metres: 15 metres;

b)	For power lines with spans greater than 30 metres and up to 150 metres: 20 metres;

c)	For power lines with spans greater than 150 metres: 30 metres.

7.4

7.4.1

The inspector shall be advised immediately a magazine has been completed and until a licence, in terms of section 22 of the Act has been issued, the magazine shall not be used.

7.4.2

The maximum quantity and the nature of the explosives that may be stored in the magazine shall be stated on the licence and the licence shall be valid only for the person to whom the licence is issued; the licence shall be posted up in a conspicuous place inside the magazine.

7.5	A magazine may not be situated in a tunnel or cutting or disused mine working which communicates with any existing mine working.

7.6	The design for a magazine and the materials to be used in its construction shall be as determined by the Chief Inspector of Explosives and may vary according to local conditions.

7.7	Except with the special sanction of the Chief Inspector of Explosives, no mine magazine shall be licensed to contain more than 15 000 kilograms of explosives.

7.8

7.8.1

Every magazine shall be efficiently protected against lightning in accordance with written specifications prescribed by the Chief Inspector of Explosives.

7.8.2

At every magazine efficient provision shall be made for draining the area.

7.8.3

Every magazine shall be surrounded by a substantial fence in accordance with specifications prescribed by the Chief Inspector of Explosives.

Penalty

7.9	Any person who by any act or omission commits a breach of any of the regulations of this chapter. shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R100 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

Explosives Act, 1956 (Act No. 26 of 1956)

Explosives Regulations

Chapter 7 : Licensing and Construction of Magazines