Explosives Factsheet 8 Manufacture Explosives Including Fireworks 5259

8/8/2019 Explosives Factsheet 8 Manufacture Explosives Including Fireworks 5259

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WorkCover. Watching out for you.

EXPLOSIVES

FACT SHEET 8MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVESINCLUDING FIREWORKSThis fact sheet will assist employers, workers, controllers of premises or workplaces, and all those

who handle or manage the handling of explosives.

It should be read in conjunction with the requirements in the Explosives Act 2003, the Explosives

Regulation 2005, AS 2187.1-1998 Explosives - Storage, transport and use, Part 1: Storage, the

Australian Explosives Code (AEC) and the Australian Explosives Industry Safety Group codes of

practice (AEISG).

This fact sheet provides general safety advice on manufacturing under a licence to manufacture

explosives.

The handling of explosives is a specialised activity which requires a thorough knowledge of the

explosives to be handled, and specific training and experience in such handling.

To manufacture explosives, you must be licensed under the Explosives Act 2003and comply with

all the requirements of the explosives legislation. With your application for a licence, you must

supply detailed information of all your explosives manufacturing processes.

All processes must be set-up in a manner that the risk of ignition or initiation of the explosives

from the effects of heat, shock, impact, friction, compression, discharge of static electricity, and

mechanical or electrical sparking, is eliminated or minimised as far as practicable.

MANUFACTURE OF WATER-GELS, SLURRIES AND EMULSIONS

Commercial blasting explosives are manufactured by processing ammonium nitrate mixtures to a

point where the mixtures, known as precursors, may be classified as dangerous goods of Class

5.1 under transport rules, and require a final sensitising step to form an explosive of Class 1.1D

or 1.5D. This final step usually occurs at the point of use of the explosives eg when being

pumped into a pre-drilled blast hole. The AEISG code of practice, Precursors for explosives, for

the manufacture of explosive precursors must be followed.


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The final sensitising step may occur:

on a fixed item of plant stored on premises set up for the manufacture of explosives, or

transferred directly into an explosives vehicle for transport to the location of use,

on a mobile processing unit (MPU) at the location where explosives are to be used.

If an MPU is to be used for the final sensitising step of a precursor, or for the manufacture of an

explosive from a number of ingredients, the MPU must comply with the requirements of the

AEISG code of practice, Mobile processing units.

Ammonium nitrate-based commercial precursors and explosives are generally not sensitive to

friction, impact, shock or static electricity. However, heat and confinement can cause these to

explode in certain circumstances, therefore, equipment for processing these explosives must be

designed to eliminate or minimise the effect of heat build-up and confinement, such as dead-

heading during pumping operations. Although commercial explosives may not be sensitive to

friction as a stimulus, friction can cause increases in temperature and, if uncontrolled, can cause a

potential hazard.

MANUFACTURE OF MOLECULAR HIGH EXPLOSIVES AND PROPELLANTS

Some quantities of high explosives, such as RDX/TNT, TNT and PETN, are used commercially in

the manufacture of boosters and detonating cords for the commercial explosives industry. PETNis the most sensitive of these and requires special care in handling. The manufacture of

ordinance-related explosives and propellants by the armed services is not dealt with in this fact

sheet.

MANUFACTURE OF FIREWORKS

Fireworks contain pyrotechnic compositions and, therefore, are explosives.

Fireworks may be classified as explosives of Class 1.1G, 1.2G, 1.3G 1.4G or 1.4S. As with other

explosives, the classification of fireworks may depend on the manner in which they are packaged

for transport.

A sound knowledge of the pyrotechnic compositions, with respect to their sensitivity, during all

phases of their preparation and final loading into the firework items is essential.

Most pyrotechnic compositions for fireworks are easily ignited and are sensitive to stimuli, such as

heat, shock, friction, impact, compression and static electricity. Therefore, equipment for

processing these compositions must be designed to reduce the risk of an event due to such


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stimuli eg bonding of metallic components of equipment to earth; clothing, personal protection

equipment and flooring that dissipates static charge; shielding of hazardous operations, such as

pressing of pyrotechnic compositions; remote operation of equipment when undertaking a

hazardous operation; interlocks to guard against accidental start-up of hazardous operations

during loading of compositions or unloading of finished product from pressing or mixingequipment.

When the processing of compositions is undertaken, the building, processes and equipment must

be designed to protect those involved with the processing.

PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT DESIGN

Pumps are probably the most critical part of a manufacturing process for ammonium nitrate-based

explosives and precursors. Therefore, they must be designed to eliminate or minimise entrapment

(where the explosive or precursor can dry out and become heated), or dead-heading (where

pressure can rise very quickly).

Other items of equipment, such as presses, mixers and assembly jigs, must be designed to

eliminate or reduce the type of stimuli that these types of equipment may impart to the explosive

or precursor.

For example, a press must be set up to ensure its action is smooth (not jerky) and steady (not

fast), so that the kinetic/potential energy imparted by the pressing action to the explosive is not

faster than what the explosive can absorb without reacting. Also, to avoid injury, the press should

be shielded and/or operated remotely. These operations are particularly pertinent to the fireworks

industry, and for detonator and booster manufacture.

The basic concept for design of equipment is such that if an unwanted event occurs eg a

detonation or fire the person operating the equipment is protected.

BUILDING DESIGN

The properties of the explosives to be manufactured in a building must be thoroughly known and

understood before designing and constructing that building.

Buildings used for the manufacture of explosives must include:

walls and roofs that minimise the formation and projection of high-velocity debris, if a major

detonation occurred mounding must be considered to mitigate the effects of a detonation

heating, lighting and power sources that will not ignite the explosives in the building

protection from lightning strikes


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egress from buildings that allows people to leave quickly and safely, if necessary

controlled humidity to avoid the build-up of static electricity.

DISPOSAL OF EXPLOSIVES

A licence to manufacture explosives allows a manufacturer to dispose of explosives, if the licence

has been endorsed for that purpose. Before disposing of explosives, however, you must provide

WorkCover with details about your methods of disposal and you must be appropriately licensed to

perform such activities.

DisclaimerThis publication contains information regarding occupational health, safety, injury management or workers compensation.It includes some of your obligations under the various workers compensation and occupational health and safetylegislation that WorkCover NSW administers. To ensure you comply with your legal obligations you must refer to theappropriate Acts.

This publication may refer to WorkCover NSW administered legislation that has been amended or repealed. When readingthis publication you should always refer to the latest laws. Information on the latest laws can be checked atwww.legislation.nsw.gov.au or contact (02) 9238 0950 or 1800 463 955 (NSW country only).

WorkCover NSW 92-100 Donnison St Gosford NSW 2250Locked Bag 2906 Lisarow NSW 2252 WorkCover Assistance Service 13 10 50Website www.workcover.nsw.gov.auCatalogue No.5259 WorkCover NSW 0307

Explosives Factsheet 8 Manufacture Explosives Including Fireworks 5259

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