British Columbia Blasters' Handbook

About WorkSafeBC

At WorkSafeBC, we're dedicated to promoting safe and healthy workplaces across B.C. We partner with workers and employers to save lives and prevent injury, disease, and disability. When work-related injuries or diseases occur, we provide compensation and support injured workers in their recovery, rehabilitation, and safe return to work. We also provide no-fault insurance and work diligently to sustain our workers' compensation system for today and future generations. We're honoured to serve the workers and employers in our province.

Prevention Information Line and Contact Information

We provide information and assistance with health and safety issues in the workplace. Call the information line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to report unsafe working conditions, a serious incident, or a major chemical release. Your call can be made anonymously. We can provide assistance in almost any language.

If you have questions about workplace health and safety or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, call during our office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:05 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to speak to a WorkSafeBC officer.

Lower Mainland: 604.276.3100
Toll-free in Canada: 1.888.621.7233 (621.SAFE)

Health and Safety Resources

You can find our health and safety resources at worksafebc.com/forms-resources. Printed copies are available for some resources and can be ordered from worksafebcstore.com.

Copyright Disclaimer

This resource is protected by Canadian and international intellectual property laws and treaties, including copyright and trademark laws, and is owned by the Workers' Compensation Board ("WorkSafeBC"). We encourage you to use this resource for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes to help promote occupational health and safety, provided that you do not modify any of the content and do not remove any copyright or other notices from it.

In addition, if you are a trainer and wish to use this and any other WorkSafeBC resources as part of your training, you cannot, either directly or indirectly through a course or training fee, charge participants for WorkSafeBC resources. To request copyright permission, please send an email to copyright@worksafebc.com. You can find our full copyright terms at worksafebc.com.

Use of WorkSafeBC's intellectual property does not constitute an endorsement, express or implied, of any person, service provider, service, or product.

Use of WorkSafeBC publications and materials is at your own risk. WorkSafeBC does not warrant the quality, accuracy, or completeness of any information contained in the publications and materials, which are provided "as is" without warranty or condition of any kind.

ISSN 1715-2135

Acknowledgments

WorkSafeBC wishes to express appreciation to the following consultants, organizations, and their representatives, who have generously contributed time and information to this handbook:

Dr. Anthony Konya, Precision Blasting Services
International Society of Explosives Engineers
Institute of Makers of Explosives
Natural Resources Canada, Explosives Regulatory Division
Transport Canada
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
David Proudfoot
Roderick Boulay
BGS Blasting
Western Grater Contracting Ltd.
Metro Blasting Inc.
B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Canadian Avalanche Association
Whistler Blackcomb
CIL Explosives
Orica
Austin Powder
Dyno Nobel
Rothenbuhler Engineering
International Society of Explosives Engineers, Western Canada Chapter
Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration

Introduction

Blasting and explosives have long been used in British Columbia. Over time, they have proven to be valuable in mining, construction, road building, avalanche control, seismic, and oil-and-gas applications.

The use of explosives comes with risk and has caused serious injuries and fatalities. As a result of these incidents, in 1951 the Workers' Compensation Board was empowered to establish a blasting certification program. The program's goal was to ensure that persons engaged in blasting activities have the necessary skills and knowledge to safely handle explosives.

Today, any person who wants to conduct an industrial blasting operation (other than in a mine) must be a holder of a valid blasting certificate issued by WorkSafeBC.

This handbook is designed as a study guide for those who wish to be examined for a WorkSafeBC blasting certificate. It can also be used as a reference for certified blasters currently working in the industry and for blasting company employers and owner/operators.

Key Changes in This Edition

This edition of British Columbia Blasters' Handbook includes new chapters on the following:

General health and safety requirements (Chapter 1)
Common injuries and health and safety hazards in blasting operations (Chapter 2)
Blast design (Chapter 10)
Electronic initiation systems (Chapter 21)
Remote firing systems (Chapter 22)
Avalanche control (Chapter 23)

This edition has been revised extensively to reflect changes in blasting technology and in a number of laws and regulations, including the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Learning objectives appear at the start of each chapter, and the updated glossary should be useful to readers. In most cases, if a term is set in italics in this handbook, it is defined in the glossary. And the appendixes have been revised to include information on blast design patterns, trench patterns, blast design calculations, and other topics.

Wording in This Handbook

In this handbook, the word "must" indicates a requirement that's specified in a law or regulation. The word "should" indicates a recommended action that will improve workplace safety even though it's not required.

This Handbook Doesn't Replace the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation

This handbook is meant to give you a basic understanding of your health and safety requirements, but you should also refer to the Regulation to ensure you're meeting your legal responsibilities for workplace health and safety. You can find a searchable version of the Regulation and its accompanying guidelines and policies at worksafebc.com/searchable-regulation.

Front Matter & Introduction