The Stratified Ironstone, Shale and Fireclay Mines (Explosives) Regulations 1956

Charging shot holes

21.—(1) No person shall charge a shot hole unless he is—

(a) a shot firer;

(b) a person doing so under the supervision of a shot firer; or

(c) a person appointed to fire shots by fuse.

(2) No person shall charge a shot hole, and no shot firer shall permit a shot hole to be charged, before it is necessary to do so for the purpose of firing a shot.

(3) No person shall begin to charge any shot hole unless he has satisfied himself by taking all reasonable precautions that it is so placed and drilled as to be safe for the firing of a shot.

(4) Except in the case of shots to be fired in one round or of a relieving shot fired in pursuance of the provisions of any scheme for the time being in force at the mine in pursuance of regulation forty-two for the purposes of a miss-fire, no person shall charge a shot hole (in the case of longwall working) within ninety feet of a charged shot hole or (in any other case) in the same face as a charged shot hole.

(5) No person shall charge a shot hole to be fired as one of a round in a cross measure drift, heading or ripping or in a shaft or staple-pit until all shot holes for that round have been completely drilled.

22.—(1) No shot firer or person appointed to fire shots by fuse (as the case may be) shall permit more than one canister of explosives to be open at any one time for the charging of shot holes by him or (in the case of a shot firer) under his supervision.

(2) No person shall charge a shot hole—

(a) otherwise than with a complete cartridge or complete cartridges; or

(b) with cartridges of different diameters or of explosives of different descriptions.

(3) No person shall press any cartridge into a shot hole if it cannot be inserted without the use of force.

(4) Any person charging a shot hole shall to the best of his judgment ensure that it is not overcharged having regard to the task to be performed.

23.—(1) Except as may be provided in any scheme for the time being in force at the mine in pursuance of regulation forty-two, no person shall insert a detonator into a shot hole if that hole already contains a detonator.

(2) No shot firer shall fire a shot by means of a detonator and fuse other than safety fuse capped with a detonator at a workshop in accordance with regulation five.

(3) No shot firer shall use any detonator in firing a round of shots electrically in any mine unless it is a low tension detonator or a delay detonator.

(4) No shot firer shall use a delay detonator unless it is clearly marked with a number which indicates the period of delay.

(5) Where a delay detonator is to be used and the charge is to consist of more than one cartridge, the person charging the shot hole shall insert the primer cartridge first with the detonator at the back of the hole.

24.—(1) Any person charging a shot hole shall ensure that it is stemmed with sufficient suitable and non-inflammable stemming to prevent a blown out shot.

(2) Except where a device for pneumatic stemming approved by the Minister is being used, no person shall insert any tool not made entirely of wood into a shot hole containing explosive.

25.—(1) No person shall remove any stemming from any charged shot hole otherwise than by means of water.

(2) No person shall pull out any detonator lead from any charged shot hole.

(3) No person shall remove any explosive from any charged shot hole except a cartridge of explosive which is protruding out of the mouth of the hole.