Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)RegulationsExplosives Regulations, 20245. Non-detonatable and non-sensitised explosives |
| (1) | Ammonium nitrate fertilizers must be manufactured in such a way that the constituents cannot be separated mechanically from one another. |
| (2) | Mixtures of ammonium nitrate with calcium carbonate, or dolomite, or calcium carbonate and dolomite, must be manufactured in such a way that the calcium carbonate or dolomite is incorporated in the prills or granules of the mixture and must be approved, in writing, by the chief inspector of explosives. |
| (3) | Ammonium nitrate emulsions, gels and suspensions intermediate for blasting explosives, listed in SANS 10228 as UN number 3375, must pass test series 8 of the United Nations' Manual of Tests and Criteria and be authorised by the chief inspector of explosives. |
| (4) | Every person or concern manufacturing non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives may apply to the chief inspector of occupational health and safety for exemption from these regulations with the exception of regulation 5. |
| (5) | Application for exemption from these regulations is subject to the conditions that the chief inspector of occupational health and safety may stipulate for the safe manufacture, storage, testing and handling of non-detonatable or nonsensitised explosives. |
| (6) | The basis for the safe manufacture of non-detonatable or non- sensitised explosives referred to in subregulation (5) must include provision for the following safety measures: |
| (a) | Access control measures and equipment at the entry to the workplace area where the non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives are manufactured, tested or stored will restrict access to the manufacturing, testing and storage areas to authorised persons only; |
| (b) | Unauthorised access to manufacturing operations will not be allowed, and measures and equipment to prevent access to potentially hazardous areas will be provided; |
| (c) | The following controls will be in place at the separator stage in non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives manufacture: |
| (i) | Temperature control; |
| (ii) | pH control; |
| (iii) | An inventory dumping system; |
| (iv) | Control of process steam temperature and pressure; and |
| (v) | Procedures to prevent unsafe confinement of non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives during operation or cleaning activities; |
| (d) | The following controls will be in place at the storage and pumping stage in non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives manufacture: |
| (i) | A pump management system with interlocks that is able to trip; |
| (ii) | Temperature control in heated storage tanks; and |
| (iii) | Tank level control with overfill and under fill protection; |
| (e) | The following controls will be in place during evaporation and heating of ammonium nitrate for prilling and granulation: |
| (i) | Temperature control; |
| (ii) | pH control; |
| (iii) | An inventory dumping system; and |
| (iv) | Control of process steam temperature and pressure; |
| (f) | Procedures to manage unsafe confinement of non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives during operation or cleaning activities will be in place; |
| (g) | Control of contaminants and additives and unsafe accumulation of such substances will be prevented; |
| (h) | Control of contaminants will be in place during prilling or granulation; |
| (i) | Control of reducing components in the drying air will be in place; |
| (j) | The construction materials in all processes will be checked for compatibility with non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives with respect to corrosion and potential sensitising effects in the process; |
| (k) | The following control during the storage and packing stages of non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives will be in place: |
| (i) | Control over use of combustible materials inside and close to storage areas; |
| (ii) | Control over use of liquid fuels and vehicles in storage areas; |
| (iii) | Control of mechanical condition of non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives transport and storage equipment; |
| (iv) | Control of potential contamination in non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives transport containers; |
| (v) | Controls for appropriate firefighting equipment; |
| (vi) | Control of pH in solution storage; and |
| (vii) | Prevention of unsafe confinement of non-detonatable or non-sensitised explosives. |