The Stratified Ironstone, Shale and Fireclay Mines (Explosives) Regulations 1956

PART IV Equipment, apparatus and material for firing shots

Equipment of a shot firer

12.  Each shot firer who is to fire shots by means of electric shot firing apparatus shall be provided by the owner of the mine with the necessary cable of a specification approved by the Minister—

(a) if shots are to be fired in a round, for multi-shot firing; or

(b) in any other case, for single-shot firing:

Provided that nothing in this regulation shall restrict the use of any shot firing cable which was in use for firing shots, or was required to be delivered under a contract made, before the commencement of these regulations.

Apparatus and material for firing shots

13.  No person shall fire a shot in any mine by means of electric shot firing apparatus or cable not provided by the owner of the mine.

14.  No shot firer shall fire a shot by means of electric shot firing apparatus other than apparatus of a specification approved by the Minister—

(a) (in the case of electric shot firing apparatus not in use within the period of six months immediately following the date of commencement of these regulations) after the expiration of that period; or

(b) (in any other case) after the expiration of two years from the date of commencement of these regulations.

15.  A shot firer who is in charge of any electric shot firing apparatus—

(a) shall retain the removable handle or key in his own possession throughout the period while he is on duty;

(b) shall not place the removable handle or key in position in the apparatus until he is about to fire a shot; and

(c) shall remove it from the apparatus immediately after firing each shot.

16.—(1) If any electric shot firing apparatus appears to be defective, the shot firer in charge of it shall not use it further but shall cause it to be returned to the surface forthwith and shall report the circumstances to the deputy in charge of the district and in writing to the manager.

(2) If any electric shot firing apparatus approved for multi-shot firing fails to fire all the shots in any properly connected round at one operation, it shall be deemed to be defective for the purposes of the last preceding paragraph but it may be used to fire the shots in that round in accordance with the provisions of regulation forty.

17.  It shall be the duty of the manager of every mine in which electric shot firing apparatus is used to make and secure the efficient carrying out of arrangements to ensure that—

(a) all such apparatus is thoroughly cleaned and overhauled at intervals not exceeding three months by the manufacturer thereof or by a competent person appointed for that purpose by the manager;

(b) all multi-shot shot firing apparatus designed for firing a round of not more than six shots is tested at the surface at intervals not exceeding seven days in a manner approved by the Minister in respect of apparatus of that type;

(c) if in connection with the firing of a round of shots by means of any apparatus described in the last preceding paragraph any of the shots fails to explode after firing, that apparatus is tested at the surface in such a manner before it is again taken below ground;

(d) no apparatus described in paragraph (b) is taken or used below ground unless on the last previous test thereof it was found to be in satisfactory order; and

(e) the date of each cleaning and overhaul and the result of each test carried out in pursuance of this regulation is entered in a book provided for the purpose by the owner of the mine.

Misuse of equipment

18.—(1) No person shall open or tamper with any electric shot firing apparatus below ground.

(2) No person shall use shot firing cable for any purpose other than shot firing.