Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Table of Contents
Introduction: Use Of Explosives ................................................................................................ 2
Blast Design ............................................................................................................................... 3
Controlled Blasting Techniques ............................................................................................. 12
Electrical Blasting .................................................................................................................... 17
Issues In Blasting ..................................................................................................................... 21
Handling Of Misfires In Mines ................................................................................................ 25
Sample Questions..................................................................................................................... 30
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Blasting Practices: FBL
The use of explosives in Zimbabwe is prohibited except under licence. No person shall
prepare, press home or fire an explosive charge or conduct any blasting operation unless:
(i) he is the holder of; or
(ii) he is under the direct supervision of the holder of a blasting licence granted under the
regulations which permits the holder thereof to prepare, press home or fire the explosive
charge or conduct the blasting operation, as the case may be.
No person shall cause or permit any other person over whom he stands in a position of
authority to prepare, press home or fire an explosive charge or to conduct any blasting
operation unless that other person:
(i) is the holder of; or
(ii) is under the direct supervision of the holder of a blasting licence granted under the
regulations which permits the holder thereof to prepare, press home or fire the explosive
charge or conduct the blasting operation, as the case may be.
For the purposes of the Zimbabwean Explosive regulations a person shall be regarded as
being under the direct supervision of the holder of a blasting licence only if he is being
supervised by that holder and is at all times within the sight of and under the control of that
holder.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Use of proper delay sequence, the ground vibration, air blast, flyrock is minimized, and the
fragmentation is increased. The delay interval necessary for optimum fragmentation varies
with the type of rock and burden distances. It appears that delay intervals of between 10 and
60 milliseconds between adjacent blastholes in a row provide the best result.
Opencast blasting
In opencast multi row blasting, various delay initiation sequences are possible. They are : (i)
Instantaneous, (ii) Row Delay and (iii) V, V1, V2 pattern.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Therefore, this system of overburden side casting by blasting reduces considerable amount of
work on deployment of excavating equipment for removing overburden. Moreover, this
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Blasting Practices: FBL
technique allows much improved fragmentation thereby causing the excavating equipment to
work more efficiently and with much ease.
Another important point regarding control of Ground Vibration of Blast Casting is system of
Presplitting of Main block of blast. This system reduces the blast induced Ground Vibration
greatly; thereby the nuisances arising due to Vibration is effectively controlled. Therefore,
overall efficiency of working in Mines is improved considerably by adopting Blast Side
casting with Presplitting.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Because of the above economical advantages, more and more opencast projects are
experimenting with overburden blast casting in India. This technique has been experimented
extensively in open pits in many countries like USA, Russia, South Africa, Australia etc., and
found that cost can be reduced considerably in comparison with conventional method of
workings.
Tunnel blasting
Tunneling in rocks is currently performed mainly by blasting, as this method only is capable
of providing sufficiently high effectiveness and economics in the construction of tunnel in
tough rocks. Tunneling by tunnel borers is considered to be less effective especially as
regards the construction of tunnels of large cross sectional areas.
The prime objective in Tunnel blasting is to obtain maximum advance/pull per round of blast
and to keep cost within reasonable limit. Therefore, very cautiously the type of explosives,
drilling pattern (Wedge Cut or Parallel Holes with Dia. of empty holes), spacing & burden,
number of holes to be drilled per round, Delay sequence etc., are to be selected. Cycle time is
to be kept minimum as far as possible. Cycle of operation include Drilling, Charging,
Blasting, Ventilation, Scaling, Support work, Grouting, Loading and Transport, and Setting
out for the next blast. The factors on which a great deal of tunneling operations depends are:
a. Type of explosives used for tunneling blasting operations.
b. Blast design and selection of dia. & location of holes in compatible with the geology of
strata, designed area of opening, Environment, existing laws etc.
Unlike bench blasting, tunnel blasting has only one free face and holes are drilled normal to
the free face surface. In such a situation, the explosives charge will blow out a narrow funnel-
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Blasting Practices: FBL
shaped crater. But if the hole is drilled at a certain angle to the free face, the result will be
better, as the major part of the gasses will break out the rock in the direction of free face.
Alternatively, if large diameter dummy holes parallel to the blast holes are drilled, the
breakage performance is better as the large diameter dummy holes provide additional free
face.
The initial opening/cut created either by angled holes or by holes drilled parallel to large
diameter dummy holes are widen subsequently by the holes fired after cut holes using proper
delays. In other words, the main difference between tunnel blasting and bench blasting is that
tunnel blasting is done towards one free surface, while bench blasting is done towards two or
more free surfaces. The rock is thus more constricted in the case of tunneling, and a second
free face has to be created towards which the rock can break and be thrown away from the
surface. This second face is produced by a cut in the tunnel face, which can be a parallel hole
cut, a V-cut, or a fan-cut.
After the cut opening is made, the stopping towards the cut begins. The final shape of the
cross section is given by trimmers or contour holes with closer spacing and comparatively
smaller charge.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Sublevel stoping is one of the most important methods of choice for achieving high
production rate in Underground Metal mines. The pattern of long hole drilling can be classed
under two major categories, i.e., Parallel hole drilling and Ring hole drilling.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
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Blasting Practices: FBL
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Blasting Practices: FBL
b. Trim (or Cushion) Blasting: Trim blasts are designed to produce a final wall similar to a
presplit blast, but they are fired after the production holes. The idea is to eliminate costly
small diameter blasthole and work along with the associated hole loading difficulties. The
spacing is normally larger than used in pre-splitting because there is relief toward which the
holes can break.
c. Line drilling: This system involves a single row of closely spaced uncharged holes along
the neat excavation line. This provides a plane of weakness to which the primary blast can
break. It also causes some of the shock waves generated by the blast to be reflected, which
reduces shattering and stressing in the finished wall of the host rock. Thus, preserving, to a
great extent, the original strength of the host rock is possible. This system is applied in very
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Blasting Practices: FBL
sensitive areas where even the light explosive associated with other controlled blasting
technique may cause damage beyond excavation line. This technique gives maximum
protection to the host rock to preserve its original strength.
d. Smooth blasting (or contour or perimeter blasting): A technique used (rarely in surface
and mostly in underground blasting) in which a row or closely spaced drill holes are loaded
with decoupled charges (charges with a smaller diameter than the drill hole) and fired
simultaneously to produce an excavation contour without fracturing or damaging the rock
behind or adjacent to the blasted face. In this technique, perimeter or contour holes are drilled
along specified final excavation limits and are lightly loaded than that of buffer holes and
production holes. The spacing is kept closer than buffer holes and production holes. Unlike
production drill hole blast where higher charge concentration is required, contour drill holes
require low charge concentration and explosives should be lightly distributed all along the
length of the bore hole.
Some time use of high grammage Detonating Fuse (about 40 gm/m core wt., to 60 gm/m core
wt.) for contour blasting can give effective result in tunneling. This results in an air cushion
effect, which prevents over-break and reduces in-situ rock damage for preservation of
strength of host rock.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
e. Muffle blast: In case of blasting in congested areas, Muffling or covering of blast holes
properly before blasting, is the common solution to prevent fly-rock from damaging human
habitants and structures.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Apart, accurate delay timing programmable electronic detonators enable to adopt innovative
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Signature-hole blast analysis technique to simulate, predict and control blast induced
ground vibration, in order to obtain maximum operational efficiency, such as raising quantity
of explosives per delay (kg/delay) etc.
Research studies had indicated that blast vibration could be simulated by detonating a
Signature Hole with the vibration monitored at critical locations, and then using a computer
to superpose the waveforms with varying delays. By choosing delay times (t) that create
destructive interference at frequencies that are favored by the local geology, the ringing
vibration that excites structural elements in structures, houses and annoys neighbors could be
reduced.
Computer analysis determines the application of delay timing between holes and between the
rows.
Blasting Safety
Explosives are tools that, when used properly, benefit mankind. However, improper use can
be disastrous. Prevention of explosives accidents depends on careful planning and faithful
observance of proper blasting practices. The users must remember that they are dealing with
a powerful force and that various devices and methods have been developed to assist them in
directing this force. The slightest abuse or misdirection of explosives may cause serious
injury or kill yourself or others. It is impossible to include warnings or approved methods for
every conceivable situation. Explosive safety depends on a thorough knowledge of
explosives, safe blasting practices and common sense of the users.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
SERIES
Advantages
1. Easy to connect
2. Does not require heavy duty cables.
3. Can be tested for continuity using a digital blasting ohmmeter or continuity tester.
4. Resistance easily tested against firing capacity of short exploder
5. Low current, high voltage required.
6. No arching of detonators due to low currents.
7. Can be fired from a short exploder.
Disadvantages
1. Can not be fired from the mains due to the alternating nature of the circuit.
2. No protection against stray currents and other extraneous electricity, hence can
prematurely detonate.
3. One faulty detonator can affect the whole circuit.
4. Current leakage problem because of high resistance of the circuit.
5. Limited number of holes that be fired at a time depending on the type of exploder used
PARALLEL CIRCUIT
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Disadvantages
1. Requires high current.
2. Installation and maintenance cost are high, since it requires heavy duty cables and
transformers.
3. Cannot be tested for continuity.
4. Skilled persons required.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Advantages
1. Can be fired from the mains.
2. Faulty detonator can not affect the whole round, but row series only.
3. Continuity can be tested in row series.
4. Arching of detonators is reduced.
5. Requires high currents low voltage.
6. can use factory assembled detonators with buswires to speed up the charging up
process.
Disadvantages
1. It takes long to connect.
2. Requires heavy-duty cables and transformers.
3. Balancing of detonators is required.
4. Needs skilled labour to connect
TESTING OF CIRCUITS
Testing of electrical circuits is done by the following ways:
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Blasting Practices: FBL
1. Visual Checking
This is walking down the line to ensure that all detonators have been connected to the
circuit.
2. Continuity Tester
This is a robust instrument that glows a red lamp to indicate electrical continuity of
blasting circuits. It indicates whether or not an open circuit has been detected.
Situation: Far ends of cable separated (open circuit test)
The lamp does not glow.
Situation: Far ends of cable joined (closed circuit test)
The lamp glows with a red light, thus indicating continual flow of current in the
circuit.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
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Blasting Practices: FBL
function of the burden, spacing, hole depth, rock type, and the quantity of charge fired per
delay. Proper firing delay helps to achieve good fragmentation of the blasted material. It also
reduces ground vibration, air blast, and flyrock.
f) LACK OF BLAST AREA SECURITY: An analysis of blasting injuries indicates that
several factors are involved in causing injuries due to lack of blast area security. These
factors are: (i) failure to evacuate the blast area by employees and visitors; (ii) failure to
understand the instructions of the blaster or supervisors; (iii) inadequate guarding of the
access roads leading to the blast area, or the secured area; (iv) taking shelter at an unsafe
location, or inside a weak structure. Blast area security issues could be addressed by
providing adequate training and refresher courses to the blaster and other involved
employees.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
* Select the number of holes properly so that the total blasting operation should not exceed 2
hour from charging of first hole.
* Measure the temperature of the holes almost constantly till the commencement of blasting
operation.
* Use water at least 12 hour before blasting to flush hot holes till the temperature comes
down below 80oC.
* Record the temperature of holes at a regular interval of time.
* Use a mixture of Bentonite, Sodium Silicate and Water in holes which do not retain water
to seal micro-fractures and cracks. Guar gum upto 5 percent may also be used for the
purpose.
* Only slurry or emulsion explosives, preferably bulk explosives to be used for hot-hole
blasting purpose.
* It is preferred that explosives charging may be started near the initiation point first, (i.e.,
load explosives in the sequence in which the blast will be fired first). This allows the pattern
to be quickly charged, tied up and fired in the event of a change in conditions.
* Where possible hottest holes to be loaded last.
* Detonating fuse as initiation system only should be used. Shock tube and detonators
should not be used down-the-hole.
* Adequate non-combustible stemming material should be available near the collar of each
hole prior to commencing of charging operation, for fast accomplishing charging operation.
* Punctured holes are to be plugged at bottom before charging. Air-bags may be used for the
purpose.
* Combination of Bulk-Loading Emulsion explosives, Detonating Fuse with Top-
Priming of Booster is preferred. These primers are applied shortly before blasting time, at
the top of the explosives charge, where the emulsion is relatively cooler.
* After primers are put, stemming and firing are done as quickly as possible, without wasting
any time.
Precaution:
Water gas Water gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, both highly
flammable, and is produced in a reaction between hot carbon and water (while putting water
on hot coal for quenching purpose). The chemical equation for this is:
C + H2O = CO + H2.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Any discovery of undetonated explosives or detonating cord must be reported since their
presence constitutes a misfire. Indications of a misfire can include noxious fumes, inadequate
ground movement, poor fragmentation, unusual blast sound or vibration trace, flyrock or
evidence of undetonated explosives
3. POST BLAST INSPECTION Post blast inspection is a hazardous task and in all
circumstances must be carried out in accordance with the site rules.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Hazards exist not only from the existence of undetonated explosives but also from the post
blast environment.
There is the possibility of a misfire remaining undetected even after inspection. It is therefore
essential that adequately trained personnel regularly check the muckpile and face throughout
the loading operation.
All personnel but especially those operating loading equipment, hauling equipment and
crushers should be aware of this possibility and must be instructed to report abnormalities.
The extent and nature of the misfire must be determined as soon as possible after the misfire
has been detected.
An exclusion zone must be established and secured until such time as any readily retrievable
explosive has been collected and removed.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Bulk explosive can be washed out of misfired shotholes but the utmost care must be taken in
removing cartridges, particularly where detonators are involved. Under no circumstances
must explosives or detonators be removed from a borehole by pulling on the detonator
leads. Suitable extraction tools are available to enable cartridges to be removed. These
usually take the form of a corkscrew or barb of nonferrous material which can be connected
to stemming rods.
The following factors must be considered:
The use of high pressure water is unlikely to overcome the mechanical lock of stemming
comprising chippings; The use of large quantities of water could desensitise any non
waterproof explosive and dissolve any explosive with a high concentration of water soluble
ingredients;
In situations where multiple decks of explosives are employed, all the above considerations
magnify the difficulty of gaining access to the lower decks of explosives. Irrespective of the
number of explosive decks, removal of the stemming in order to gain access to the charge as
to re-prime is a technique, which ranges from unattractive at best to extremely difficult.
Any tools used inside the borehole to remove stemming must be non-ferrous.
If all the stemming can be removed and access to the top of the charge is achieved, the charge
may be reprimed and refired. However it should be noted that in the event of a partial misfire
the burden on the misfired shothole can often be reduced or fractured and a careful
assessment of the situation must be made before any decision is reached.
* Drilling and firing relieving holes
The hazards in drilling relieving holes are:-
a) intersecting an explosives column, with a high risk of detonation
b) operating a drill in unstable rock conditions
The object of such holes when fired is:
To disturb and displace the adjacent explosive column so that any primers and
detonators remaining unfired are not located within an undisturbed explosive column
after this blasting;
To break up the rock mass in the region of the misfired hole in order to facilitate the
search for and retrieval of any unexploded charges, primers and detonators.
One or more relieving holes may be drilled behind the misfired hole. The separation distance
between the holes depends on the diameter, the inclination and the type of drilling equipment
and the sensitiveness of the explosives. Any relieving hole must be drilled parallel to the
misfired hole and to the same depth. To ensure that the holes are parallel it is essential that
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Blasting Practices: FBL
the information relating to the inclination and azimuth of the misfired hole is accurate. Care
must be taken to drill the relieving hole at the same angle. The precise location of the
relieving hole can only be established after careful assessment of the local conditions.
Consideration should also be given to operating the drill rig remotely. It may be necessary to
seek expert advice.
A further option is to drill small diameter relieving holes around the collar of the misfired
hole. These are systematically fired to work off the rock and expose the charge. There may be
adjacent charged holes, which must be considered and their location confirmed before any
action is taken.
* Discovery and retrieval of explosives
It may be necessary to move rock from the immediate vicinity of the misfire before access to
the charge can be gained. The remaining rock next to any misfired charge is likely to be solid
and any attempt to remove this can be fraught with danger. Remedial action can only be
decided after careful inspection and appraisal of the misfire site.
It may be possible to remove part of a misfired charge by hand from the socket of a hole but
this should only be attempted by experienced personnel after due consultation with, and the
approval of site management.
Removal of some charge from a hole will allow the introduction of a primer and detonators.
Some stemming may then be added to the hole to create additional confinement, before
firing.
If a misfired hole contains more than one deck of explosive, it may be necessary to deal with
each deck in turn as a separate misfire, with either full retrieval of charges from each deck or
re- priming. Sufficient confinement must be provided before refiring each deck.
Explosive which is recovered should be placed in containers for storage or disposal.
Detonators should be separated from the explosives and primers carefully and stored
separately from explosives. Explosives should be placed in plastic bags and placed in clearly
labelled boxes.
The process of searching for explosive material in the heap may involve the use of loading
equipment. Note that it is possible to utilise specially protective devices in order to protect the
operators during this process.
Material picked up by the bucket should be taken to a leve1 area, carefully deposited on the
floor and searched thoroughly. The minimum number of people should be exposed during
this process.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Before excavation commences precise instructions should be given to the machine operator
as to how to proceed.
This procedure should help minimise the risk of the impact of the bucket or falling rocks
detonating unexploded charges. This work must only be done under direct supervision.
From the location of misfired material and information from the blast design it may be
possible to determine the quantities and types of explosive involved. A search should
continue until, as far as possible, all explosive material has been accounted for. Be aware that
explosive material may be concealed below the floor where sub-drilling is used.
A more serious situation occurs when explosive material is found when loading out or
processing. It must be assumed that some has made its way into the product, stocking area or
tip. It may even have been taken off site. An assessment must be made of the dangers and
risks likely to be involved should the explosive be inadvertently detonated. Steps must be
taken to arrange for the search and inspection of any location where undetonated explosives
have found their way. All personnel must be instructed to report the finding of any explosive
material to the shotfirer, the face foreman or the manager as soon as possible.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Q1. How would you prepare and make off a face for drilling?
3. Put tools on the trolley and proceed to the cross cut, visual checking for bad
hangings along my traveling way ensuring my fan is running.
4. At the entrance to the cross cut, I will open the barricade, go in, open the
water blast and check the time and retreat to fresh air intake for 15 minutes
and close danger sign Barricade.
6. Then test for gas and visual check for bad hanging by sounding with a pinch
bar, working towards the face. Do this at interval of 2 metres until you come
to the face.
1. At the face test for gas, check for evidence of misfires and visual check for
bad hanging.
2. Then tell your competent person to connect your water hose on the water
column and turn on water fully and wash down at least 8 metres back form the
face and any place that needs washing down.
3. Then bar down towards the face and bar down the face.
4. Then pick down to solid the footwall, 2 metres back to expose the previous
rounds lifters sockets.
5. Then connect your water and air hose to the approved blow pipe and open
water fully with a little bit of air, start pumping out sockets starting with the
lifters. It is very important that you pump and plug not to miss out any holes.
Once the face is examined check your roof and sidewalls 2m back with your
approved blowpipe to expose previous round sockets.
6. Then examine your area where you want to drill service pin holes.
7. Attach your lines obtaining the center of your face to your front line and back
line pegs.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
9. In conjunction with your competent person who will sight through the lines,
mark off you center line and your grade lines on your face with yellow paint.
11. Start marling your holes using red paint and ensuring the holes are marked not
less than 150mm from the outside of the socket and the paint marks not to be
bigger than the jumper head.
14. Standing back 3 metres form the face with my machine crew present I will
then instruct then on how they went wrong in the drilling of yesterdays round.
15. Before leaving the end I would check that all my service requirements are the
correct distances form the face.
Q2. How far back from a face to be drilled must be washed down?
Ans A socket is a hole or part of a hole remaining after being charged with explosives and
blasted and is not known to be a misfire or contain explosives.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Ans Only a blasting licence holder who has examined that socket can plug it.
Ans Only the blasting licence holder may examine sockets and the one who has examined
the socket can plug it.
Ans It is an approved wooden or concrete plug or any other suitable material approved by
the Inspector of Mines used for plugging sockets and misfired holes.
Ans In order to show that it has been examined and found free of explosives.
Ans With paint or chalk to show the exact position and direction of the holes to be drilled.
Q10. How near a socket can you mark off a hole to be drilled?
Ans Not closer than 150mm from the outside perimeter of a socket and the paint mark
shall be so placed that when drilling takes place the drill steel shall not come closer
than 150mm to a socket and it shall be drilled parallel to the socket.
Q11. You have long sockets on the face what precaution would you take not to drill into
them?
Ans Put a charging stick, a blowpipe or any other suitable material into the socket and drill
parallel.
Ans It is of an approved design made of non-ferrous metal e.g. copper, brass or aluminum.
With two connections one for water and the other for air used for pumping out
sockets, misfired holes and drilled holes.
Q14. Why is it necessary to examine for sockets for the last 2 metres from each hole to be
drilled?
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Ans The reason is you are not allowed to drill not closer than 2 metres from a misfire, so
you must ensure that there are no misfires.
Q15. You are pumping sockets out at the face and you cannot find your cut what do you
do?
Ans I will treat the cut as frozen holes and as I am the one who marked off the face and
knowing where the cut was, I will by means of any approved blowpipe with lots of
water and little bit of air continue to examine the area until I locate the cut holes.
Q16. You have half drilled a round and it is knocking out time. What do you do the next
day?
9. The following day I will do complete re-entry.
10. Examine and pump and plug all sockets.
11. I will also pump other half newly drilled holes.
12. Then mark the other half not drilled.
Q17. When would you know that a machine operator is safe when drilling in a raise?
Ans Only when his safety lanyard is secured to the safety eye bolt to prevent him from
falling.
Ans It is a hole, which have been charged with explosives and failed to explode either in
part or wholly.
Q21. How far can you drill from a misfire hole in a stope?
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Ans You are not allowed to drill within 2 metres of a misfire and must be so drilled in such
a direction that the drill hole does not come closer than 2 metres from the misfire and
it must be drilled parallel.
Q22. How far can you drill from a misfired hole in a development end?
Ans Under no circumstances may you drill near a mis fire in a Dev. End unless the misfire
has been re-primed and blasted or pumped out.
Ans You are not allowed to pump an electric as an electric detonator is very sensitive and
can explode with the slightest tap when mishandled.
Ans Only in sinking shaft and that is when we use an inert inverted wax primer.
Q27. How do you know that your misfire is finished in a hole in a sinking shaft?
Ans Because we bottom prime, so when the primer comes out I know my hole is clean,
because there is no cushion.
Q28. How other than pumping or scraping out a misfired hole can you deal it?
Q31. Before charging up an end to be blasted, what item of equipment must you check with
regard to suppressing dust and fumes?
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Q32. At the fix primary blasting time you are a blasting license holder tell me your blasting
procedure?
Q33. There is a raise deeping at 60o off a drive and the raise is 12m long, you want to go
and drill. What is the procedure of marking off the face?
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Blasting Practices: FBL
8. I shall then instruct them on how they went wrong in the drilling of yesterdays round.
9. I shall then instruct them to do the following drilling safety procedures:
i. Do not collar dry
ii. Use a starter jumper.
iii. Deal with bad hangings at intervals.
iv. Wear your safety equipment.
10. Before leaving I shall make sure that my drilling crew are securely
anchored to the safety eyebolt.
11. At the bottom of the raise I will make sure that my auxiliary air pipe is
open.
Ans Secondary Blasting is blasting which can be carried out during the shift more than
once such as mud blasting on the grizzley level, bad hanging box hang ups.
Q36. You are working on a grizzley level you have a misfire how long will you wait?
Ans Re-entry is the time laid down before persons may enter a working place after a blast.
Ans 1. They are kept in the Shift Bosses Office or any other
places where blasting operations are carried out conspicuous.
2. They are signed monthly by the miner in charge of the Section and an
Official.
Ans To prevent persons from being exposed from fumes and dust caused by a blast.
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Blasting Practices: FBL
2. Primary Blasting:
A. Times when blasting may take place.
B. Laid down time for re-entry.
Ans Primary Blasting is main blasting and is carried out since in 24 hours at the end of the
shift. Unless the Inspector in writing is satisfied that ventilation is good to remove
fumes and dust, he may allow blasting more than once in 24 hours.
Ans Re-entry time must not be less than 4 hours. Laid down by the inspector of Mine and
passed to the Manager of the mine.
Ans It is when blasting is done more than once in 24 hours, such as in high speed haulage
development in shaft sinking.
Ans Series blasting means that the Dets are so connected up that the electric current from
the positive terminal is passed to the first Det leading on from one to another all the
way to the negative terminal of the exploder.
Ans Series parallel blasting is where your Dets are connected up in series and one lead of
the Det to the positive and the other to the negative back to the exploder.
Q48. Do the same Regulations apply to surface drilling as for underground drilling with
regard to plugging sockets?
Ans Yes. The same Regulations do apply only difference is that on surface drilling is done
dry.
Q49. You want to blast 50 large rocks in a quarry by pop-holes, charged with fuse. What is
your procedure?
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Blasting Practices: FBL
Ans The most important point about this is that during blasting you and one other person
must whilst standing in a safe place count all shorts. If one counts 49 out of 50 shorts
you must treat it as a misfire and wait for 30 minutes.
Ans On the approach of a storm all charging will cease. Remove all explosives to a safe
place barricade off the charge area. Remove all personnel within the area, sound the
siren and place guards. Charging may only commence when you have been
authorized by the person in charge.
Q51. What do you know about storm warning when working underground?
Ans A person specially authorized on storm watching on surface will send down the Mine
a written notification Storm warning which states all charging operations and
blasting to stop. This must be signed and acknowledged by every miner in charge and
returned to surface. When this notification has been received all charging will cease,
person removed, explosives not used to be removed to safe places and barricade the
area off. Charging and blasting may commence only when an all clear notification has
been sent down to all miners in charge and is signed.
52. If all your holes electrical charged in Dev. End is a complete misfire. What do you do
next day?
1. In a small working and if it was the only end, I would remove the key, short
circuit the cable, wait for ten minutes and rectified the fault and blast it the
same day.
2. In a large Mine I would remove the key, short circuit the cable and barricade
off. Go to surface and give report to the shift boss. To log for night lashers that
X/C No 4 is a misfire. Under no circumstances would they reprime and blast
that end as I have adhered to blasting schedules.
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