The use of electric power from a mains power supply for firing explosive charges.

The explosive strength of a unit mass of an explosive material expressed against a standard reference.
Note: in this Code any reference to Mass Strength is with reference to TNT as the standard.

Of or pertaining to a large mass, much larger than normal.

A material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is an important component of product stewardship and occupational safety and health. It is intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with procedures for handling or working with that substance in a safe manner, and includes information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point, etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill-handling procedures. MSDS formats can vary from source to source within a country depending on national requirements.

The arithmetic average of a range of values.

The insulation resistance (IR) test (also commonly known as a Megger) is a spot insulation test which uses an applied DC voltage (typically either 250Vdc, 500Vdc or 1,000Vdc for low voltage equipment <600V and 2,500Vdc and 5,000Vdc for high voltage equipment) to measure insulation resistance in either kΩ, MΩ or GΩ

Meggers actively power circuits with high voltages and should never be used to test circuits containing electric detonators.

See also Multimeter

The maximum charge, in kilograms, initiated at any instant of time.

MIC is used to limit charge weight for ground vibration control.

The underlying assumption is that charges that are separated by a minimum time delay do not reinforce with regards to vibration and can be treated separately.

Whilst this assumption is known to be flawed it helps to understand how vibrations reinforce and cancel.

Due to some work carried out in the 1960's the minimum separation for charges to be considered independent for ground vibration is 8 milliseconds.

This is known as the 8 millisecond rule.

Maximum Instantaneous Charge (MIC) is calculated by blast software such as BlastPLAN-PRO

Term sometimes used where a pre-split firing is integrated with the adjacent dependent production blast.

1/1000th of a second

Delay detonator series with relatively short (commonly 25MS) delays between adjacent numbers.

MS Detonators are designed for in-hole use to initiate a primer and are generally of #12 / #8* strength which is a base charge of about 1 gram total.

A device incorporating a detonator delay arrangement used with detonating cord.

Signal tube device used to provide a delay in a detonating cord trunkline. Capable of firing in two directions.

The minimum primer is the explosives mass of a primer required to reliably initiate the product in question.

The minimum primer is related to sensitivity, the more sensitive an explosives the smaller the minimum primer.

Minimum primer may be specified in terms of detonator strength typically #12, #8, #6 or in terms of the mass of explosives (TNT or Pentolite) required for reliable detonation.

For example it could be stated for a certain bulk explosive in a 102mm diameter hole the minimum primer required is 150 grams of Pentolite.

A charge or part of a charge which has failed to explode or ignite.

A mobile unit (usually a vehicle) used for the manufacture of explosives.

A barricade intended to intercept horizontal and low angle debris from an explosion.

A multimeter is an electrical test instrument design to measure resistance, voltage and low levels of current (milliamps) in an electrical circuit.

Note: Standard multi meters can supply sufficent voltage to fire electric detonators and must not be used to test circuits containing detonators.

A multimeter or a multitester, also known as a VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter), is an electronic measuring instrument that combines several measurement functions in one unit. A typical multimeter can measure voltage, current, and resistance. Analog multimeters use a microammeter with a moving pointer to display readings.

Multimeters should never be used to test the electrical properties of explosive circuits due to the potential for accidental initiation.

See also Megger tester