Manufacturing explosives

When you manufacture or store explosives there are several special rules for health and safety management around your site and operation.

The complexity of the management arrangements will depend on the complexity of your operation. A small company that is storing a small quantity of explosives will need much simpler management arrangements than a large manufacturer.

It is important that management arrangements are drawn up to ensure that appropriate arrangements for health and safety in the workplace are in place and that roles and responsibilities are specified and understood.

Separation of explosives storage and other areas

A key measure to reduce the severity of an explosion is to separate storage buildings from production buildings. The aim is to ensure that an explosion which takes place in a production area (where the risk of an explosion is greatest) does not affect storage buildings (where the greatest quantity of explosive substances or articles is kept and therefore the hazard is greatest).

Licences to manufacture explosives or to store more than 2000 kilograms of explosives require distances to be maintained between process buildings and other explosives buildings ('process building' distances) and between different explosives stores ('inter-store' distances).

You should also consider ways to:

• limit the quantity of explosives in production areas
• limit the numbers of people in explosives areas
• restrict access to buildings or areas used for remote manufacturing or storage of sensitive explosives
• use containment and safe release of blast effects

For more information including detailed tables of separation distances for different types of explosives, download the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Approved Code of Practice (PDF, 1.7 MB).

Explosives manufacturing training for staff

It is essential that all staff have the necessary training and competence for the work they undertake. This covers not only the skills necessary to undertake their work under normal conditions but also an appropriate understanding of the hazards and risks which may arise and the action to be taken in abnormal or emergency situations.

This includes:

• understand the nature of the risks and hazards that may arise out of the processes in which they are involved
• be competent in the use of the work equipment they need
• understand when personal protective equipment is required
• know what abnormal and hazardous conditions may arise, what warning signs to look for and what action to take in the event of a warning sign being detected
• know what hygiene and housekeeping procedures need to be followed
• know what workplace rules apply
• know what action to take in the event of an emergency

Unauthorised access to explosives sites

It is important to control access to explosives sites to ensure unauthorised persons cannot enter.

If someone gains access without authorisation you should request them to leave. If they do not, it is recommended to contact the PSNI. Only in a situation of imminent threat to safety should you use reasonable means to remove the person.

Employment of young workers around explosives

You should not employ young people in roles where they are directly involved in the manufacture or storage of explosives or frequently go into explosives buildings or areas unless there are good reasons for doing so.

Young people should at all times be under appropriate supervision by a competent, responsible person whenever they are in an explosives area.