WAC 296-52-67085   Loading blast holes.  (1) Power lines and portable electric cables. Power lines and portable electric cables must be kept at a safe distance from explosives or blasting agents being loaded into drill holes.

     (2) Equipment, machinery, and tools.

     • Any machine or tool not being used to load holes must be removed from the immediate loading area

     • Equipment cannot be operated within fifty feet of loaded holes except when:

     – It is needed to add burden or mats

     – Tracking drills out of the loading area

     (3) Holes that may be loaded. Only holes that will be fired in the next blasting round may be loaded.

     (4) Tamping.

     (a) A primer must never be tamped.

     (b) Tamping must be done with wood rods or approved plastic tamping poles that do not have exposed metal parts.

     (c) Nonsparking metal connectors may be used for jointed poles.

     (d) Violent tamping must be avoided.

     (5) Pneumatic loading. When loading blasting agents pneumatically over primed boosters:

     • A semiconductive delivery hose must be used

     • Equipment must be bonded and grounded

     (6) Stemming. All blast holes in open work must be stemmed to:

     (a) The collar.

     OR

     (b) A point, which will confine the charge.

     (7) Attendance of holes. Loaded holes must be attended or protected.

     (8) Unused explosives. After loading, all remaining explosives and detonators must be immediately returned to an authorized magazine or day box.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].040, and[49.17].050 . 02-03-125, § 296-52-67085, filed 1/23/02, effective 3/1/02.]