Article 4. Explosives
4VAC25-40-3325. Storage and use of explosives.
See 4VAC25-40-3475 on gassy mines for blasting requirements.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3328. Certified underground blaster.
A certified underground blaster shall be in direct charge of all blasting activities and shall fire all shots.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294, and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 35, Issue 4, eff. November 30, 2018.
4VAC25-40-3330. Construction of underground storage magazines.
Main storage magazines used to store explosives or detonators near working faces shall be constructed with only nonsparking material inside and equipped with covers or doors and shall be located out of the line of blasts, 25 feet from roadways, power lines and in a reasonably dry place protected from roof and rib falls.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.57, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3340. Use of storage magazines.
Box-type, main storage magazines shall be used to store detonators or explosives other than blasting agents near working faces and shall be located not less than 50 feet from the face.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.58, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3350. Day-box magazines.
A. Day boxes shall be suitably labeled.
B. Contents not used during the shift shall be returned to the main magazine at the end of each shift.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.59, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3360. Detonator-storage magazines.
Detonator-storage magazines shall be of the same construction as explosive-storage magazines and shall be separated by at least 25 feet from explosive-storage magazines.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.60, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3370. Notification of hoisting personnel.
Persons assigned to and responsible for hoisting shall be notified whenever explosives or detonators are being transported in a shaft conveyance.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.61, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3380. When hoisting to be stopped.
Hoisting in adjacent shaft compartments shall be stopped when explosives or detonators are being handled.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.62, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3390. Attending vehicles loaded with explosives.
Vehicles shall be attended, whenever practical and possible, while loaded with explosives or detonators.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.63, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3400. Cars containing explosives to be pulled.
Cars containing explosives or detonators shall be pulled, except when hand-trammed.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.64, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3410. Warning of blasting.
Ample warning shall be given before blasts are fired. All persons shall be cleared and removed from areas endangered by the blast. Clear access to exits shall be provided for personnel firing the rounds.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.65, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3420. Leaving blasting area; reentering blasting area.
A. In areas where dangerous accumulations of water, gas or mud could be encountered, persons shall be removed to safe places before blasting.
B. Blasting areas shall not be reentered after firing for a minimum time limit of 30 minutes and not until the concentration of smoke, dust, and fumes has been reduced to safe limits.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.66, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3430. Misfires to be reported.
Misfires shall be reported to the certified foreman. The blast area shall be barricaded and posted with warning signs until the misfire has been disposed of by a certified underground blaster.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.67, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3440. Secondary blasting.
In secondary blasting, if more than one shot is to be fired at one time, blasting shall be done electrically or with detonating cord.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.68, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3450. Isolating explosives from static electricity.
Explosives, detonators, and blasting lines shall be isolated from sources of static electricity and stray currents and from extraneous sources.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.69, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3460. Electric blasting.
Where electric blasting is to be performed, electric circuits and equipment in the immediate area to be blasted shall be de-energized before explosives or detonators are brought into the area; the power shall not be turned on again until after the shots are fired.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.70, eff. July 19, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3470. Initiating blasts from safe location.
Blasts in shafts or winzes shall be initiated from a safe location outside the shaft or winze.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3 and 45.1-161.294 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR480-05-1.2 § 15.71, eff. July 19, 1989.
4VAC25-40-3475. Blasting in gassy mines.
Blasts in gassy mines shall be initiated electrically, and multiple shot blasts shall be initiated with millisecond delay detonators. Permissible blasting units of capacity suitable for the number of holes in a round to be blasted shall be used unless the round is fired from the surface when all persons are out of the mine.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.
4VAC25-40-3478. Stemming.
Boreholes shall be stemmed as prescribed for the explosives used.
Statutory Authority
§§ 45.1-161.3, 45.1-161.294 and 45.1-161.305 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 17, eff. July 1, 1998.