Explosives Handling and Safety

2022
© Orica Limited Group General
Objective / Purpose

1. Raise individual’s awareness of Explosives operation and

recommended safe approach to working with explosives.
2. Practical understanding of the consequence of unplanned initiation
of the explosives that we work with.
3. Reinforce our knowledge of the FISH principles which keep us safe.
4. What are the hazards and how do we control.

2 General
 Controlled Blasting
Principles of Explosive Trains

External
Impulse
Primary
- Friction
- Impact
Components
Delay Booster Charge
- Static
- Heat

Bulk/Packaged
Explosive

Explosive Elements (IS Products)

General
Controlled Blasting
Principles of Explosive Trains

General
Controlled Blasting
Orica Products

External Primary Delay / Relay Booster Charge

Impulse Component

Shot-shell
Starter Booster
Non Electric
Signal Tube Detonators

Bulk/Packaged
Explosives
Exploder

Detonator

Detonating
Safety fuse Cord
Electronic (heat/flame)
Blaster Electric
Detonators
General
Explosive Power:
Detonator

General
Explosive Power:
Detonators

General
Explosive Power:
Booster

General
Explosive Power:
Detonating Cord

General
What is an Explosive?
Basic Description

• Explosives are chemical compounds or mixtures (solid

or liquid) that, if released suddenly:
• Contain a large amount of Potential Energy
» Heat
» Pressure
• Accompanied by:
» Light
Friction Impact

» Sound

Heat Static
• Explosives undergo a rapid chemical breakdown,
releasing gas and temperature, when they come into
contact with:
• Friction
• Impact
• Static
• Heat
General
What is an Explosive?
Technical Description

“An explosive is a solid or a liquid substance or a mixture of substances which, on

application of a suitable stimulus to a small portion of the mass, will decompose
suddenly into predominantly gaseous products with development of heat and high
pressure”

• The stimulus may be provided ACCIDENTALLY or intentionally under controlled

conditions by:
• Mechanical: Impact, Friction
• Electrical: Static Discharge, Arcing and Resistance Heating
• Heat: Sparks, Open Flame, Red-hot Objects
• Shock: Detonator, Detonating Cord, High Velocity Projectile
• Radiation: Electromagnetic (Radio, Radar, Laser), Nuclear, Ultrasonic

General
What is an Explosive?
Technical Description

“An explosive is a solid or a liquid substance or a mixture of substances which, on

application of a suitable stimulus to a small portion of the mass, will decompose
suddenly into predominantly gaseous products with development of heat and high
pressure”

1. Decompose suddenly: In a fraction of a second

2. Gaseous products: With volume from 250-1200 l/kg of explosive

3. Heat of explosion: 400 - 1600 kcal / kg of explosive.

4. High pressure: up to 200,000 kg / sq cm

General
What is an Explosive?
1. Decompose Suddenly - Burn / Combustion Rate

The following are based on Burning Reaction, demonstrating different combustion rates.

Rusting:
• Iron is being consumed
• Reaction between Iron and Oxygen in Air to produce Iron Oxide or
rust.
• Can be considered as very slow combustion.

Burning:
• Oxygen + Fuel  Produce heat and gas
• Produces useful energy but relatively slow.

Detonation:
• Fuel and Oxygen present is part of chemical composition of explosive
materials.
• Reaction proceeds in microseconds (millionths of a second)
• Shock wave and Gases exceed speed of sound

General
What is an Explosive?
1. Decompose Suddenly - Explosive Triangle

• To have a fire, three components

need to be present.
• All explosions can be considered
to involve all three components
namely:
• Fuel
– Chemicals used, e.g.
PETN
• Oxidizer
– Oxygen, in the air and in
the Chemical used, e.g.
PETN/ AN
• Source of Ignition
– Stimulus Fuel
General
Classification of Explosives

Explosives

High Explosives Low Explosives

Primary Secondary
Explosives Explosives

General
Primary Explosives:

• These are the explosives which

are used to start or initiate the
explosion.
• These compounds are highly
sensitive to mechanical shock, Primary Explosives

friction and heat and readily

ignited by direct contact with flame
or electrical sparks.
• The main function of Primary
explosives is to initiate a
secondary explosive by shock Mercury Fulminate
Lead Azide
wave. Lead Styphnate
Tetrazene
• Because of their sensitivity they Lead dinitrophenolate (LDNP)
are used in small quantities. Lead Picrate (LP)

General
Secondary Explosives

• Secondary explosives are Secondary

generally used as the main Explosives
charge.
• These explosives can also be
classified according to their
High Explosives
chemical structure. Picric Acid
Low Explosives
Black Powder
TNT Smokeless Powder
• The most important class Tetryl Pyrotechnic Composition

includes the organic PETN

RDX
compound which contain the HMX
nitro group. Nitro-glycerine
Dynamite
Liquid Oxygen Explosives
Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium nitrate-Fuel oil
(ANFO)
Slurry Explosives - Water
Gels

General
 Explosives Awareness

Controlled Blasting

What is an Explosive ?

Classification of Explosives
Raw Materials & Product Range

Initiating Explosives & Safety

General
Basic Explosive Safety

• Prevent accidental initiation or detonation by:

– Understanding what you are working with, gaining knowledge of:
• Raw materials
• Products
• Processes
• Safe Handling Rules
• Process Control Systems

The need is to make sure detonation only happens when we

want it to.
Understanding the mechanism helps us to build plants &
processes that are safe.
General
Explosive Initiation
Stimulus

• The initiation of an explosive, may be

provided by one of the following stimuli:
– Mechanical means:
Friction Impact
• Impact, Friction
– Electrical:
Heat Static
• Static Discharge, Arcing, and
Resistance Heating
– Heat:
• Sparks, Open Flame, Red-hot Objects
– Shock:
• Detonator, Detonating Cord, High
Velocity Projectile
– Radiation:
• Electromagnetic (radio, radar, laser),
nuclear.

General
Explosive Initiation
Stimulus

FISH

Friction Impact

Heat Static

General
Explosive Initiation Friction

Friction

Friction

General
Tension Initiation of Signal Tube

Snap Slap and Shoot

General
Explosive Initiation Friction

Friction

• Friction is everywhere that objects

come into contact with each other.
– Striking a match.
– Pushing an object.
– Rubbing surfaces.
– Moving Surfaces.

• Friction transforms energy into heat,

which can initiate explosives.

General
Explosive Initiation Friction

Friction

Velocity(speed) required to Initiate Explosives

Explosive Velocity for Steel Velocity for Aluminium
Surfaces Surfaces
Lead Azide 0 0
(Crystalline)
Lead Azide 0 0
(Dextrinated)
Delay ? ?
Composition
HMX / PETN 0.1 metre/sec 1 metre/sec

Pentolite 0.3 metre/sec 3 metre/sec

TNT 0.5 metre/sec 5 metre/sec

General
Explosive Initiation Impact

Impact

Impact

General
Impact Initiation of Signal Tube

Too late to run now!!

General
Explosive Initiation Impact

Impact

• Impact is the action of one

object coming forcibly into
contact with another.
– Dropping an object
– Striking a surface
– Collision of two surfaces

• Impact transforms energy into

heat, which can initiate
explosives.

General
Explosive Initiation Impact

Impact

Drop Height required to initiate explosives by

falling 2kg steel mass
Explosive Height
Lead Azide (Dextrinated) 11 cm

PETN 17 cm

HMX 33 cm

Pentolite 30 cm

TNT 100 cm

General
Explosive Initiation Friction Impact

Friction & Impact - Propagation

Friction Impact

General
Explosive Initiation Friction Impact

Friction & Impact - Propagation

Propagation is the process of spreading or increasing.

In explosives, it refers to the spreading of a minor initial quantity explosion to a larger

explosion.

Initiation may take place at a small point but if sufficient powder and a path is
present, then the explosion propagates to a larger quantity.

This highlights the importance of housekeeping which reduces, both, the chance of
initiation and propagation.

General
Explosive Initiation Friction Impact

Friction & Impact - Propagation

For Major Explosion we need:

Propagation
Hard Material
Uncontrolled Path to Larger
Explosive or Grit Present
Friction or Quantity of
Present at Impact
Impact Event Explosives
Point
Present

Break the chain at any one of these points and you avoid
disaster:

Propagation
Hard Material
Uncontrolled Path to Larger
Explosive or Grit Present
Friction or Quantity of
Present at Impact
Impact Event Explosives
Point
Present

General
Explosive Initiation Static

Static

Demonstration Video

Static

General
Explosive Initiation Static

Static

Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges (positive and negative charge)

within or on the surface of a material.
Positively Charged: Possesses more positive charges (Protons / Lack of Electrons)
Negatively Charged: Possesses more negative charges (Electrons)
Neutral: Equal numbers of protons and electrons

Protons Electron Neutron

Positive Charge Negative Charge Neutral

General
 Electrical Hazards - Surface

High Voltage
Induction Lightning
Power Cable
Ground Current

Radio Earth Leakage

Mobiles
Electric Pump

Stray Current Batteries

General
Explosive Initiation Static

Static

Energy required to initiate Explosives

Explosive Spark Energy How does spark feel?

(millijoule)
Lead Styphnate 0.01 mj Can’t feel it

Fast Delay 0.1 mj Can’t feel it

Composition (red lead /
silicon, Moly)
Lead Azide 3 mj Prickly
(dextrinated)
Aluminium Flake 10 mj Prickly

HMX, PETN, TNT (Fine 60 mj Muscle twitches

dust)
HMX, PETN, TNT 11,000 mj Fatal
(Coarse)

General
Explosive Initiation Static

Static Control

Earthing

Earthing prevents static

accumulation
by providing a path for static to
safely leak away

General
Explosive Initiation Heat

Heat

Heat

General
Hot plate Heat

Lead Azide

General
Hot Plate Heat

PETN

General
Explosive Initiation Heat

Heat

At the basic level,

all FISH events are actually Heat !

General
Explosive Initiation Heat

Heat - Decomposition

• Explosives are unstable

materials, in the sense that,
they go through chemical
reaction (decomposition),
started readily by physical
stimulus.

• As explosive decomposes
under heat, the reaction
itself releases more heat
(exothermic) which
accelerates the process till it
“runs away”.

General
Explosive Initiation Heat

Heat – Initiation Temperatures

Temperature required to Initiate Explosive

Explosive Temperature (°C)

Lead Azide 320
PETN 90 - 140
Delay Comps (Red 320
lead / silicon)
HMX 280 - 300
TNT 240 - 300

General
Explosive Initiation Heat

Heat – Confinement & Pressure

• Confinement of
explosives, increases
the pressure.

• Increase in pressure
allows the explosive to
reach detonation point
faster.

General
Lead Azide Heat

General
 Summary

Friction Impact Static Heat

Explosive Velocity for Velocity for Height Spark Energy How does spark Temperature (°C)
Steel Aluminium (millijoule) feel?
Surfaces Surfaces

Lead Styphnate 0.01 mj Can’t feel it

Fast Delay Composition 0.1 mj Can’t feel it 320
(red lead / silicon, Moly)

Lead Azide (Crystalline) 0 0 320

Lead Azide (Dextrinated) 0 0 11 cm 3 mj Prickly 320

Aluminium Flake 10 mj Prickly

Delay Composition

PETN - Fine Dust 0.1 metre/sec 1 metre/sec 17 cm 60 mj Muscle twitches 90 / 140

PETN – coarse 11,000 mj Fatal
HMX – Fine Dust 0.1 metre/sec 1 metre/sec 33 cm 60 mj Muscle twitches 280 - 300
HMX – coarse 11,000 mj Fatal
Pentolite 0.3 metre/sec 3 metre/sec 30 cm

TNT – Fine Dust 0.5 metre/sec 5 metre/sec 100 cm 60 mj Muscle twitches 240 - 300

TNT - coarse 11,000 mj Fatal

General
 Detonating Cord - Safety

47 Initiating systems General

 Detonating Cords - Application

48 Initiating systems General

 Detonating Cord - Application

49 Initiating systems General

Detonating Cord Knots

Double clove hitch

Reef Knot

General
Det Cord Connect-up

Double chance of firing up

Detcord

recommended

Detcord

Cut out and re-make factory joins

General
Cutting Detonating Cord

Plastic Jaw

General
Development misfires

Cord "Approach" cutoffs.

Damage to cord
causes misfires

General
Development misfires

Tubing shrapnel damage.

General
Development Misfires

Electric det shrapnel

General
Development Misfires

Near Knots

Det cord join knot

General
Detonating Cord Hazards

Power!!

D an g e r!

General
Tunnelling & Drifting Terms
Backs Perimeter holes
Overbreak
Overbreak
Shoulder
Shoulder

Burden
Burden
Easers
Easers

Reamer
Reamer

Face
Face

Knee
Kneehole
hole
Lifter
Lifter Burden
Floor

General
 Wedge Cut

59
 Burn Cut

60
Questions

Thank you for your participation!

61 General