Mines and Quarries Act 1954

Blasting Materials and Devices

69 Blasting materials and devices

(1) Regulations may make provision for prohibiting or restricting the supply, storage or use at mines of blasting materials and devices or any class thereof and, in particular, for prohibiting or restricting the use of such materials and devices or any class thereof in a part of a mine below ground at any time at which the amount of inflammable gas in the general body of the air in that part exceeds the prescribed percentage by volume and in such other circumstances (if any) as may be prescribed.

(2) The Minister may by order impose prohibitions or restrictions on the use, at mines or mines of any class, of any blasting material or device or any class of blasting materials and devices in any case where—

(a) regulations having effect by virtue of the foregoing subsection do not prohibit or restrict, or do not, in the opinion of the Minister, sufficiently restrict, the use at mines or mines of that class, as the case may be, of that material or device or such materials and devices of that class, as the case may be ; and

(b) the dangers inherent in the use at mines or mines of that class, as the case may be, of that material or device or such materials and devices of that class, as the case may be, are in his opinion such as to render it necessary or expedient for provision for prohibiting or restricting or, as the case may be, further restricting the use at mines or mines of that class, as the case may be, of that material or device or such materials, and devices of that class, as the case may be, to-be made by such regulations and for temporary provision in that behalf to be made forthwith by the order pending the coming into operation of provision in that behalf made by such regulations.

(3) No blasting material or device shall be taken or used below ground in a mine other than material or a device provided by the owner of the mine.

(4) In this section the expression " blasting materials and devices " means explosives and any articles designed for the purpose of breaking up or loosening minerals by means of explosion, the expansion of gas, the change of a substance from one physical state to another or a chemical reaction not constituting combustion.