Explosives Act 1875
Preliminary
1 Short title.
2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Substances to which this Act applies.
Part I.—Law relating to Gunpowder
General Law as to Manufacture and Keeping of Gunpowder
4 Gunpowder to be manufactured only at factory lawfully existing or licensed under this Act.
5 Gunpowder (except for private use) to be kept only in existing or new magazine or store, or in registered premises.
Licensing of Factories and Magazines for Gunpowder
6 Application for license for new factory or magazine.
7 Application for assent of local authority to site of new factory or magazine.
8 Grant and confirmation of license.
Regulation of Factories and Magazines for Gunpowder
9 Regulation of factories and magazines for gunpowder.
10 General rules for factories and magazines.
11 Special rules for regulation of workmen in factory or magazineb.
Supplemental as to Factories and Magazines for Gunpowder
12 Alteration of terms of license and enlargement of factory or magazine.
13 Devolution and determination of license.
Application of Act to existing Factories and Magazines for Gunpowder
14 Continuing certificate for existing factories and magazines.
Consumers Stores for Gunpowder Licensing and Regulation of Stores
15 Store license to be obtained from local authority.
16 Order in Council prescribing situation and construction of stores.
17 General rules for stores.
18 Non–transferability, renewal, and forms of store licenses.
19 Special rules for regulation of workmen in stores.
Application of Act to existing Stores for Gunpowder
20 Definition of and continuing certificate for existing stores which are to be subject to this Act.
Retail Dealing with Gunpowder Registration and Regulation of Registered Premises
21 Registration of premises with local authority.
22 General rules for registered premises.
Supplemental Provisions
23 Precautions against fire or explosion to be taken by occupier.
24 Explanation as to quantities of gunpowder allowed in buildings.
25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26 Fees for licenses.
27 Adjoining places occupied together to be one place.
28 Register of store licenses and registered premises to be kept by local authority.
29 Provision in case of death, &c. of occupier of store or registered premises.
Sale of Gunpowder
30 Restriction on sale of gunpowder in highways, &c.
31 Penalty for sale of gunpowder to children.
32 Sale of gunpowder to be in closed packages labelled.
Conveyance of Gunpowder
33 General rules as to packing of gunpowder for conveyance.
34 Byelaws by harbour authority as to conveyance, loading, &c. of gunpowder.
35 Byelaws by railway and canal company as to conveyance, loading, &c. of gunpowder.
36 Byelaws as to wharves in which gunpowder is loaded or unloaded.
37. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38 Confirmation and publication of byelaws.
Part II.—Law relating to other Explosives
Application of Part I. to other Explosives
39 Part I. relating to gunpowder applied to other explosives.
40 Modification of Part I. as applied to explosives other than gunpowder.
41 Exemption of making and carrying safety cartridges for private use.
42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specially dangerous Explosives
43 Power to prohibit manufacture, importation, storage, and carriage of specially dangerous explosives.
Provisions in favour of certain Manufacturers and Dealers
44 Provision in favour of makers, &c. of blasting cartridges.
45 Provision in favour of makers of new explosive for experiment.
46 Provision in favour of gunmakers, &c. making cartridges.
47 Provision in favour of owners of mines and quarries, as to making charges, &c. for blasting.
48 Provision in favour of small firework manufacturer who may obtain a license from the local authority.
49†Licensing by local authority and regulation of small firework factories.
50 Keeping without a license and conveyance of percussion caps, &c.
Existing Factories, Magazines, and Stores
51 Application of Part I. of the Act to existing factories and magazines.
52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part III.—Administration of Law
Government Supervision Inspection
53—57. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
58 Inspection by railway inspectors or inspectors of Board of Trade.
59. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60†License and special rules certified by Government inspector to be evidence.
61†Keeping and carriage of samples by Government inspector.
62. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Accidents
63 Notice to be given of accidents connected with explosive.
64 Reconstruction of buildings destroyed by accident.
65, 66. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Local Supervision Definition and Powers of Local Authority
67 Definition of local authority.
68. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
69†Duty of local authority and power of officer.
70 Expenses of local authority.
Power of Local Authority to provide Carriages and Magazines
71 Undertaking of carriage by harbour authority and canal company.
72 Provision of magazines by local authority.
General Power of Search
73. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
74 Seizure and detention of explosives liable to forfeiture.
75. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
76. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part IV.—Supplemental Provisions, Legal Proceedings, Exemptions, and Definitions
Supplemental Provisions
77 Penalty on and removal of trespassers.
78 Arrest without warrant of persons committing dangerous offences.
79. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
80 Penalty for throwing fireworks in thoroughfare.
81. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
82†Punishment for defacing notices.
83 Provisions as to Orders in Council and orders of Secretary of State.
84 Publication of byelaws, notices, &c.
85. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
86 Construction of enactments referring to powers of searching for gunpowder.
Legal Proceedings
87, 88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
89 Supplemental provisions as to forfeiture of explosive.
90 Jurisdiction in tidal waters or on boundaries.
91 Prosecution of offences either summarily or on indictment.
92. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
93 Appeal to quarter sessions.
94 Constitution of court.
95 Distress of ship.
96 Application of penalties and disposal of forfeitures.
Exemptions and Savings
97 Exemption of Government factories, &c. from the Act.
98 Saving for rocket and fog stations.
99. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
100 Saving for master of ship and carrier in case of emergency.
101†Saving for rockets, gunpowder, &c. on board ship in compliance with 17 & 18 Vict. c. 104.
102 Saving clause as to liability.
103 Powers of Act cumulative, with power to make provisional order for repealing local Acts.
Definitions
104 Extension of definition of explosive to other explosive substances.
105 Persons carrying on certain processes to be deemed manufacturers.
106 Definition and classification of explosives by Order in Council.
107. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
108 General definitions.
Application of Act to Scotland
109 Definitions.
110 Local authority.
111 Expenses of local authority.
112. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
113 Local authority to have certain powers to take land otherwise than by agreement.
114 Provision for making and enforcing byelaws, &c.
115†Board of Trade empowered to make byelaws for the lower estuary of the Clyde: Secretary of State to define the authority for enforcing such byelaws.
Application of Act to Ireland
116 Definition of local authority.
117 Power of certain local bodies to become a local authority.
118 Expenses of local authority.
119 Form of registers of store licenses and registered premises, and amount of fees, to be approved by Secretary of State.
120 Definitions.
121 Application of penalties in Ireland.
122. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SCHEDULES
FIRST SCHEDULE
Part One
Gunpowder Factories
Regulations which are to form part of the terms of...
Part Two
Gunpowder Stores.
Regulations which are to form part of the terms of...
SECOND SCHEDULE
THIRD SCHEDULE
Maximum Fees for Licenses granted by the Secretary of State
FOURTH SCHEDULE
FIFTH SCHEDULE

Explosives Act 1875

1875 c.17

An Act to amend the Law with respect to manufacturing, keeping, selling, carrying, and importing Gunpowder, Nitro–glycerine, and other Explosive Substances.

Annotations:
Editorial Information
X1

This Act is not necessarily in the form in which it has effect in Northern Ireland.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C2

Whole Act (except ss. 30–32, 80 and 116–121) extended by S.I. 1988/1222, regs. 3, 4

C3

Act amended by S.I. 1990/1380, art. 3