The Quarries Regulations 1999

Prohibited activities

29.—(1) No person (other than a person engaged in the transport of explosives to or from the quarry, a shotfirer, trainee shotfirer, a person authorised to handle explosives at a quarry, or a person appointed to be in charge of the explosives store) shall handle explosives at a quarry.

(2) No person shall bring any substance or article (other than explosives) likely to cause an unintended explosion or fire within 10 metres of any explosives or (except for the purpose of lighting igniter cord or safety fuse) take any naked flame within 10 metres of any explosives.

(3) No person shall forcibly remove any detonator lead, safety fuse or other system for initiating shots from a shothole after the shothole has been charged and primed.

(4) No person shall charge or fire a shot—

(a) unless there is sufficient visibility to ensure that work preparatory to shotfiring, the shotfiring operation and any site inspection after the shot is fired can be carried out safely;

(b) in a shothole which has previously been fired, unless he is dealing with a misfire in accordance with action taken in pursuance of regulation 28(b); or

(c) in any tunnel or other excavation (not being merely a shothole) in the face or side of the quarry for the purpose of extracting minerals or products of minerals.

(5) No person shall fire a shot—

(a) unless he is a shotfirer or trainee shotfirer; and

(b) other than by means of a suitable exploder or suitable safety fuse.

(6) No person shall cap a safety fuse with a detonator unless he is using equipment designed for the purpose and he is in a suitably sheltered place designated by the operator for the purpose.