The Explosives Regulations 2014

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

1.  These Regulations consolidate the Control of Explosives Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/1531) (“ the 1991 Regulations”), the Placing on the Market and Supervision of Transfers of Explosives Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/2714), the Marking of Plastic Explosives for Detection Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/890), the Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/1082) (“the 2005 Regulations”) and the Identification and Traceability of Explosives Regulations 2013 (S.I. 2013/449), all of which are revoked. U.K.

2.  The Regulations implement as regards Great Britain, Council Directive 93/15/EEC on the harmonization of the provisions relating to the placing on the market and supervision of explosives for civil uses (OJ No. L121, 15.5.93, p.20) as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and the Council (OJ No. L 284, 31.10.2003, p.1), Regulation (EC) No. 219/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ No. L 87, 31.3.2009, p.109) and Regulation (EU) No. 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ No. L 316, 14.11. 2012, p. 12). Regulations 8 and 39 to 42, 43 and 44 in part, and 45 are for implementing these European provisions. U.K.

3.  The Regulations implement, as regards Great Britain, Commission Directive 2008/43/EC setting up, pursuant to Council Directive 93/15/EC, a system for the identification and traceability of explosives for civil uses (OJ No. L 94, 5.4.2008, p.8) (“the 2008 Directive”) as amended by Commission Directive 2012/4/EU (OJ No. L 50, 23.2.12, p.18). Regulations 33, 34, 36 and 43 and 44 in part, are for implementing these European provisions. U.K.

4.  The Regulations implement in part the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection, done at Montreal on 1st March 1991 (regulation 38). The Technical Annex to the Convention has been amended twice, firstly in 2002 (with effect from 27th March 2002) and secondly in 2005 (with effect from 19th December 2005). These Regulations incorporate those amendments. U.K.

5.  M1 The provisions in regulation 38 and Schedule 8 that implement the Montreal Convention were notified in draft to the European Commission under the provisions of the Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations . U.K.

Marginal Citations

M1 OJ No. L 24, 21.7.1998, p. 37, amended by Directive 98/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ No. L 217, 5.9.1998, p.18), Council Directive 2006/96/EC (OJ No. L. 363, 20.12.2006, p. 81) and by Regulation (EU) No. 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ No. L 236, 23.9.2003, p. 33).

6.  Besides making minor and drafting changes, these Regulations make a number of other changes in the consolidation. The main changes are as follows: U.K.

(a) registration in respect of the storage of small amounts of certain explosives is no longer possible and such storage will now come within the licensing regime for the storage of explosives;

(b) the storage of ammonium nitrate blasting intermediate (“ANBI” ) now requires to be licensed;

(c) a chief officer of police will also be the licensing authority for the storage of smaller amounts of certain explosives by a person who is a registered firearms dealer under section 33 of the Firearms Act 1968 (Schedule 1);

(d) more tables are added than under the 2005 Regulations for providing a greater number of separation distances in respect of the storage of explosives (regulation 27 and Schedule 5);

(e) licences for the storage of explosives granted by local authorities can now be for up to 5 years instead of two (regulation 13(1)(a));

(f) the record keeping requirements under the 1991 Regulations have, in regulation 35, been aligned more to those applying relation to civil explosives under EU law in regulation 36; and

(g) in line with the two sets of amendments to the Montreal Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection, which are referred to in paragraph 4, firstly, ortho-mononitrotoluene (o-MNT) is no longer listed as a detection agent for the purpose of marking plastic explosive and, secondly, the minimum concentration of the detection agent 2,3-Dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB) is increased to 1.0% by mass; the levels of concentration required for detection agent apply at the time of the manufacture of the plastic explosive (regulation 38 and Schedule 8).

7.  The definition of “explosive” and related terms, such as “relevant explosive”, are included in regulation 2(1). The document called the “United Nations Recommendations” referred to in the definition of “explosive”, and the Manual of Tests and Criteria, fifth revised edition, which supports those Recommendations, can be downloaded free from the website of the United Nations at www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/dg_publications.html. U.K.

8.  “Licensing authority” is defined in Schedule 1. It means a local authority or chief officer of police for applications for the storage within a site of no more than 2000 kilograms of explosives within paragraph (a)(i) or (b) of the definition of “explosive” in regulation 2(1). The Office for Nuclear Regulation, which was established on 1st April 2014, is a licensing authority for applications to manufacture or store explosives on an “ONR regulated site” (defined in regulation 2(1)). The Health and Safety Executive is the licensing authority where explosives are to be stored on the surface of a mine or within a harbour; it is the licensing authority in relation to the manufacture of explosives and the manufacture and storage of ANBI and in other cases. U.K.

9.  As under the 1991 Regulations, there is provision made (in regulation 32) for restrictions on the employment of a “prohibited person” where the employee would handle or have control of a “relevant explosive” or any “restricted substance”. These terms are defined in regulation 2(1), with an updated definition of “prohibited person”. U.K.

10.  These Regulations make provision in regulations 4 to 9 (Part 2) for a number of authorisations in relation to explosives: they provide for a licensing regime in relation to the manufacture and storage of explosives; an explosives certificate is required for acquiring or acquiring and keeping certain explosives; and, a recipient competent authority document is required for transfers of civil explosives. The Regulations provide for disapplications in respect of certain of its provisions (regulation 3). Part 3 provides for defences in relation to regulations 5 to 7 in Part 2. Part 4 concerns applications for and grant of authorisations. Part 5 makes provision for the variation and transfer of authorisations to manufacture or store explosives and for the case of death, bankruptcy or incapacity of a licensed person. Part 6 makes provision as to refusals of authorisations and Part 7 makes provision for revocations of authorisations and appeals against certain decisions. Part 8 makes provision for when a licensed site ceases to be, or becomes, a site regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and determines who is to be regarded as having granted the licence. U.K.

11.  Parts 9 and 10 contain provisions on, respectively, the safety and security of explosives. Part 11 includes requirements as to the marking of civil explosives with a unique identification, record keeping and reporting losses of explosives. Part 12 provides for prohibitions on the manufacture, possession, transfer and importation of unmarked plastic explosives. U.K.

12.  Part 13 of the Regulations contains prohibitions on the placing of any explosives on the market unless they satisfy essential safety requirements, have been subject to conformity attestation procedure and have had the CE marking affixed to them (regulations 39 to 42). U.K.

13.  Part 14 provides for enforcement. Enforcement responsibility for provisions of the Regulations is set out in Schedule 11. Powers for the enforcement of the provisions in connection with the transfer, and the placing on the market, of civil explosives are set out in Schedule 12. U.K.

14.  Consequential amendments to existing primary and secondary legislation are made by regulation 48(1) and Schedule 13. Consequential repeals and revocations of legislation are made by regulation 48(2) and (3) and Schedule 14. U.K.

15.  Regulation 49 requires the Secretary of State to review the operation and effect of these Regulations and publish a report within 5 years after 1st October 2014 and within every 5 years after that. Following a review it will fall to the Secretary of State to consider whether these Regulations should remain as they are, or be revoked or be amended. A further instrument would be needed to revoke the Regulations or to amend them. U.K.

16.  A full impact assessment of the effect that these Regulations would have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is published with the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk. The Transposition Notes in relation to the implementation of (a) Council Directive 93/15/EEC, as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 1882/2003, Regulation (EC) No. 219/2009 and Regulation (EU) No. 1025/2012 and (b) Commission Directive 2008/43/EC, as amended by Commission Directive 2012/4/EU, are published with the Explanatory Memorandum and available on that website. Copies of these documents are available in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament. U.K.