Slapper Actuated Firing Equipment (S.A.F.E.)

The S.A.F.E. detonating mechanism is an exploding foil initiator with increased resistance to stray voltages of up to 40 volts between the rig and the casing

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely

S – SPECIFIC

A goal should be precisely defined, and mustn’t be vague or ambiguous. Make it as precise as possible:

• Who needs to be involved, in order to achieve this goal?
• How can you encourage this person to collaborate?
• What do you want to achieve? And how will you know that the objective has been achieved?
• When do you want to achieve my goal? What is the exact due date, and why?
• Which capabilities are needed? And which challenges do you need to overcome?
• Why should you achieve the goal?
• Where do you want to achieve your goal? (An answer to this question isn’t always necessary.)

M – MEASURABLE

Goals need to be measurable. Hence, you need to decide about the metrics you want to use for measuring your objectives.

• How can you measure progress?
• And how do you know if you’ve successfully met your goal?

A – ACHIEVABLE

You should be able to achieve your goal within the given time frame. Don’t neglect the encouraging aspect of reaching a goal.

An objective can be ambitious, but keep in mind that not achieving your goal can damage your motivation. Hence, it makes sense to link it with your abilities and competencies.

If you think that you can’t achieve a certain goal, think about your missing skills.

• Are you capable of achieving the goal?
• Do you have the needed skills? If you don’t, how can you acquire them?

R – RELEVANT

A SMART goal should have a direct influence on your overall business goals. If there is no connection between them, consider reviewing the goal again. Chances are that it isn’t relevant enough, so you should aim for something else.

• Why should you achieve this goal?
• What is the impact of achieving the goal?
• How does the goal relate to your overall team and company goals?

T – TIMELY

It’s important to determine a due date for each of your SMART goals. You need to derive suitable tasks, which will help you reach a certain goal. To determine the due date of the overall SMART goal, you need to sum up the estimated time it will take to finish all of the derived tasks.

• What tasks need to be finished to achieve the goal?
• How long does it take to finish these tasks?
• When is the due date for your goal?
• Can the goal be achieved before this date?

A Safe Work Instruction (SWI), Safe Operating Instruction (SOI) or Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) is a process control that describes the step by step tasks required to complete a process.

Note that these types of process controls generally apply to standalone processes.

The elements of a standard SWI (in addition to title and scope) are:

 - Specific Hazards. Note that for clarity and ease of reading only the task specific hazards should be defined. For example a SWI for changing a drill string would include the hazard of rotating drill strings but not the hazard of heat exhaustion..

 - Conditions prior to activity (the trigger or start state). For example the preconditions required for drilling would include a drill plan on the drill, a handed over drill bench and authorisation from the Superintendent to commence driling.

 - Startup. How to start the activity. Includes pre-starting equipment, prestart checks etc.

 - Normal operations. What the process is when things happen according to plan.

 - Abnormal operations and recovery. What happens when things go wrong and how to make the process come back into line. Note that any check identified in the SWI indicates the potential for abnormal operation and must then define the indicators of this and the means to bring the process back under control. For example abnormal drilling would include lost drill strings and fishing techniques.

 - Shutdown. How to safely shutdown the activity. May include equipment shutdown, demarcation, communication etc.

 - End State. The the process has delivered. For example the drilling process delivers holes drilled to depth.

Refer Material Safety Data Sheet.

Safety fuse consists of a black powder core covered by plastic yarns and an extruded jacket.

Safety fuse is similar in appearance to detonating cord but has a black core where detonating cord has a white PETN core.

Safety fuse burns at between 90 and 120 seconds per meter and is usually crimed into a plain detonator.

There are a number of significant hazards associated with the use of safety fuse. See attached Safety Bulletin from the WA Regulator

That part of the overall management system which includes organisational, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the Safety policy, and so managing the risks associated with business of the organisation.

The Scale Distance rule shows the relationship between ground vibration, maximum instantaneous charge and the distance.

The common format is

Where

V = vibration in mm/sec

k = ground transmission constant

D = distance from the blast to the monitor

Q = MIC

a = geological constant

The scale distance rule is used for vibration prediction.

Note that D/Q^0.5 is also known as the scale distance (SD).

A plot of log(PPV) against log(SD) can be used to determine k and a in the scale distance rule.

Generic term referring to variation of delay timing no statistical definition.

The reblasting of oversize rocks resulting from primary blasting.

From this:

To this:

Secure by lock would normally include one of the following –
• a locked building
• a secure shed with lockable entrances, and if there are windows, that they are locked or barred
• a secure and lockable freight container or explosives magazine
• in the case of ammonium nitrate emulsions a lockable tank.

Quality security locks must be employed. Electronic type locks may be acceptable.

Secure store – a physical secure place where explosives or security sensitive dangerous substances are
kept secure by lock or constant surveillance and where procedures for the following are in place:
• controlling access;
• secure control of keys; and
• documenting of the movement into and out of the secure store of explosives and/or SSDS.

A plan that has been put in place to effectively manage all security risks relevant to the storage of explosives and/or SSDS.

Security risk – risk of
• theft of explosives and/or SSDS
• unexplained loss of explosives and/or SSDS
• possible sabotage of explosives and/or SSDS
• unauthorised access to explosives and/or SSDS.

Ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate emulsions and ammonium nitrate mixtures containing greater than 45% ammonium nitrate, excluding solutions.
Note: In this definition “greater than 45%” shall be taken as “greater than 45% by mass”.

A blasting seismograph is a specialized instrument which measures and records the ground and air vibrations from a blast. A seismograph has two sensors: a geophone (for monitoring ground waves) and a microphone (for monitoring air waves).

The geophone measures ground motion in three dimensions:

• Vertical: Up and down.
• Longitudinal: Forwards and backwards from the blast.
• Transverse: Side to side.

The microphone measures air overpressure, which is the additional pressure generated by a blast above normal atmospheric pressure.

The recommended distance intended to-
(a) prevent the immediate direct propagation of an explosion or fire from one magazine to another by missile, flame or blast; and
(b) minimize the risk of an explosion which has the potential to cause damage to protected works or injury to persons.

Separation distances from detonator magazines to other magazines are shown in the Table 3.2.3.1 in AS2187.1 Storage of Explosives

Separation distances from any magazine to a protected work are shown in the Table 3.2.3.2 in AS2187.1 Storage of Explosives

Sequential Blasting Machines or Multi Channel Exploders are designed to initiate multiple electrical circuites with precise delays between the initiation. These are not used in Australia for blasting owing to the flexibility provided by modern non-electric detonator systems.

The main applicaiton is for specially manufactured devices to control fireworks displays.

The main provider of sequential blasting machines is Research Energy of Ohio www.researchenergy.com

Generally RDX, Pentolite or Composition B cast into a shape design to focus the charge energy in a particular direction.

Austin Powder manufacture Shock*Star MS Series In-Hole Delays that are available in a sequence of 31 whole number periods from instantaneous (0 ms) to 1000 ms. They are designed to be used as down-hole detonators for the initiation of cast boosters, high explosives or pneumatically loaded ANFO.

Shock (or signal) tubing is the basis of all non-electric initiation systems. Shock tubing consists of a 3 mm outer diameter plastic tube with a 1 mm hollow core. The core is lined with a coating of reactive powder (HMX and Aluminium) at around 16 grams per kilometre.

Shock tube can be reliably initiated by detonators or detonating cord but is succeptible to failure from shrapnel damage.

Fired shock tube above - note core is slightly blackened

Unfired shock tube above - note aluminium appears as a silvery coating

Shock tube is a robust and reliable product however liquid penetration of the core will cause failure. The common modes are:

• Oil penetration due to excessive sleep times in bulk explosives
• Water ingress through damaged sections. Damage is primarily caused by shrapnel from detonators, detonating cord or rock fragments projected across the blast.

ShockStar or Shock*Star detonators are non-electric detonators supplied by the Austin Powder Company.

The ShockStar range covers both surface and in-hole delays.

A shockstar surface delay detonator can accept a maximum of 8 shock tubes

A shockstar bunch connector using a detonating cord loop can accept a maximum of 20 shock tubes

And comes in a range of colours and delays

Shorted and Sheathed refers to the leg wires of electric detonators as supplied from the factory.

Shorting prevent stray currents from creating a voltage across the bridge wire that could lead to accidental initiaiton. Shorting is achieved by twisting the leg wires together.

Sheathing prevent the exposed ends of the leg wires from accidental contact with electrical sources. Sheathing is achieved by placing a non-conductive plastic tube over the exposed ends of the leg wires.

In Australia all electric detonators must be supplied shorted and sheathed.

Shorted and sheated electric detonators.

The shot pack is the general name given to the document set provided to the shotfirer to complete a blast. The shot pack will generally include the following:

• Drill plan with design depths and dip sheets for measuring the hole depth and water.
• Backfill sheets showing over depth hoes and the amount of backfill required.
• Charge sheets showing the amount and type of explosives required in each hole.
• Tie Up Plan showing the initiaiotn design and sequence as well as the amount of product required.
• Blast clearance plan showing the positions of the blast guards and the blast clearance zone
• Risk assessments for the particular blasts
• Geotechnical issues and warnings.
• Handover notes from previous crews.

The shotfirer log book is the shotfirers personal record of blasting activity. As a minimum it should contain the shot ID, the dates and the activity carried out (prep, loading, firing, recovery)

Required by most regulators, a shotfirer refresher is a training course that builds on an existing Statement of Attainment and enables the trainee to remain ‘current’. A refresher course will not qualify a person for units of competency that are not specifically stated in the original Statement of Attainment. Successful trainees receive a new Statement of Attainment for the current competencies.

All shotfirer course providers must be a registered training organisation (RTO) accredited to deliver the national units of competency for blasting (RIIBLA) as set out in the table below. Further information on the units of competencies is available from Skills DMC at www.skillsdmc.com.au

The current Units of Competency for Shotfirers:

Superseded units of competency from the old MNMG, MNQ and MNC training packages are also valid.

The primary units from the superseded training packages:

A small bore, flexible plastic tube coated internally with an explosive powder that is capable of transmitting a shock wave and explosive spit along the length of the tube. Also commonly known as Shock Tube.

A design standard or site data sheet contains the standard blast design parameters for a specific area, geometry and geological domain on site.

A site standard would be expected to contain the following information.

• Target powder factor
• Design parameters for average conditions (burden, spacing, stemming etc,)
• Application - what geometry / geology is applicable to the standard
• Blast objectives delivered (fragmentation, movement, wall control etc.)

The time between explosives being loaded into a blast hole and their initiation.

Used to place and recover wellbore equipment, such as plugs, gauges and valves, slicklines are single-strand non-electric cables lowered into oil and gas wells from the surface. Slicklines can also be used to adjust valves and sleeves located downhole, as well as repair tubing within the wellbore.

Slickline looks like a long, smooth, unbraided wire, often shiny, silver/chrome in appearance. It comes in varying lengths, according to the depth of wells in the area it is used (it can be ordered to specification) up to 35,000 feet in length. It is used to lower and raise downhole tools used in oil and gas well maintenance to the appropriate depth of the drilled well. In use and appearance it is connected by the drum it is spooled off of in the back of the slickline truck to the wireline sheave (a round wheel grooved and sized to accept a specified line and positioned to redirect the line to another sheave that will allow it to enter the device that allows the slickline to enter the wellbore while keeping the pressure contained and wiping the messy and sometimes hostile downhole fluids from the line. Slickline is used to lower downhole tools into an oil or gas well to perform a specified maintenance job downhole. Downhole refers to the area in the pipe below surface, the pipe being either the casing cemented in the hole by the drilling rig (which keeps the drilled hole from caving in and pressure from the various oil or gas zones downhole from feeding into one another) or the tubing, a smaller diameter pipe hung inside the casing.

When a shock tube lead fails under tension and the free end slaps against a hard surface. There is a known, but uncommon, failure mode that can lead to premature initiation. Where the lead that fires is a downline to a loaded hole the results can be catastrophic.

A 'Socket' is the remnant part of a blasthole remaining after firing.

Also referred to as a butt or bootleg.

The definition of a socket (South African regulation) is:

Any shot hole or any part of any shot hole, known not to be a misfired hole, which remains after being charged with explosives and blasted

A solution consisting of ammonium nitrate dissolved in water. For the manufacture of explosives the solution is ‘super saturated’. This means that the solution is made hot and allowed to cool without crystals forming.

The distance between blast holes and a row.

The difference between the spacing dimension and the burden dimension expressed as a ratio.

Breaking into fragments or small pieces.

The speed of sound varies with the medium it is travelling through as follows:

Air - 340 meters per second

Water - 1450 meters per second

Soft Rock - 3000 meters per second

Hard Rock - 5000 meters per second

Note that the speed of sound in rock is the 'seismic velocity' which is the speed that ground vibration travels.

A type of combustion which occurs without an external ignition source.

Multiple row blasthole pattern where each row is aligned directly behind the row in front.

The square root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the number.

Example: 4 × 4 = 16, so the square root of 16 is 4.

The symbol is √

Another example: √36 = 6 (because 6 x 6 = 36)

ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate emulsions and ammonium nitrate mixtures containing greater than 45% ammonium nitrate, excluding solutions and ammonium nitrate products classified as class 1 explosives.

Multiple row blast hole pattern where each row is offset by half the spacing behind the row in front.

A measure of data spread in a normal distribution.

Written procedures containing an explicit description of how a job is to be performed. The SOP identifies the precautions required to safely and securely complete the task, and should include:-
• Personal protective equipment (PPE);
• Hazards specific to the job and/or site;
• The level of authority, responsibility and training required to complete the job safely;
• Reporting relationships identified by management and any other relationships that may interact with other jobs, SOP’s, or work instructions.
• Security Plans should be integrated into the set of SOP’s.

The initiation system component that gives the initial signal to start the blasting process.

A statement of attainment is issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) when an individual has completed one or more units of competency from nationally recognised qualification/s or course/s. A Statement of Attainment will have the Nationally Recognised Training logo printed on it.

For shotfirers the Statement of Attainment must contain the required competencies. These are state specific but generally include

For Surface Operations

RIIBLA301D Conduct surface shotfiring operations

RIIBLA205D Store, handle and transport explosives

RIIBLA305D Conduct secondary blasting

RIIBLA402D Monitor and control the effects of blasting on the environment

For Underground Operations (not Coal)

RIIBLA303D Conduct underground development shotfiring

RIIBLA304D Conduct underground production shotfiring

RIIBLA205D Store, handle and transport explosives

RIIBLA305D Conduct secondary blasting

Extraneous electricity which consists of an electrical charge that is stored on some object or person and is usually generated by friction between materials.

Aggregate or other inert material used to maximize the effect of an explosion, by filling the remainder of holes or between decks of explosives after the holes have been charged with explosives.

The length of the stemming column should be between 20 to 30 blast hole diameters.

For average conditions choose 25 diameters.

For a 200mm diameter hole this would be 5m of stemming.

Where the stemming material is angular material with fines screened out and the bench is solid material at the collar the stemming column may be reduced to 20 diameters.

If the stemming column is reduced much below 20 diameters the likelihood of cratering and rifling increases.

If the stemming column is increase above 30 diameters there is the potential to leave blocky material at the collar.

Noise / airblast caused by the venting of high pressure blast gases through the blasthole collar, often accompanied by rifling of the stemming.

Extraneous electricity which generally consists of electrical currents which flow through the earth or from electrically operated equipment to earth.

Subdrill or subgrade is the length of blasthole drilled beneath bench floor level below the required floor of the excavation.

Subdrilling is carried out to ensure explosives are placed below the bench floor level to assist with floor grade control. The correct amount of subdrill is critical to the entire operation. Too little subdrill and digging becomes difficult, floor grades are poor and wear and tear on equipment increases. Too much subdrill and drilling is adversely affected due to excessive preconditioning of the next bench down.

Note where these is a weak or valuable horizon at grade (such as when blasting to coal) the blast holes will be drilled to finish above the grade line. This is the opposite of subdrill and is known as ‘Standoff’.

Optimum amount of subdrill depends on:

• Strength and density of the rock mass
• Diameter and inclination of blastholes
• Type of explosive and, more particularly, the energy generated per metre of blasthole
• Mean inclination of the face and the effective toe burden distance
• Location of primers in the charge.

The design properties of a blast hole are shown in the following diagram

Note that for vertical holes subdrill and subgrade are the same.

Access to Exploasives of SSAN by a worker occurs under the supervision of an authority holder or authorised person, or when working in a defined supervised area as detailed in the security plan.

Weatherford’s SureFire detonation system is a wireline-conveyed gun that detonates safely, efficiently, and reliably.

The proprietary system features a vented detonating block that eliminates damage that usually occurs with top-fire or quick-change detonators, and it has a shunt cap that enables operators to safely secure the detonator to the quick-change.

Surefire detonators have a pin that when not depressed shorts the live wire in the detonaotr to ground.

View of top of surefire detonator showing pin that is depressed on assembly.

A surface delay comprises a low energy detonator housed in a plastic block.

The block enables a number of shock tubes to be clipped in. Surface delays are the main means for sequencing non electric blasts for open cut operations.

A swimlane (or swimlane diagram) is used in process flow diagrams, or flowcharts, that visually distinguishes job sharing and responsibilities for sub-processes of a business process. Swimlanes may be arranged either horizontally or vertically.

The swim lane flowchart differs from other flowcharts in that processes and decisions are grouped visually by placing them in lanes. Parallel lines divide the chart into lanes, with one lane for each person, group or sub process. Lanes are labelled to show how the chart is organized.

In the accompanying example, the vertical direction represents the sequence of events in the overall process, while the horizontal divisions depict what sub-process is performing that step. Arrows between the lanes represent how information or material is passed between the sub processes.

Alternately, the flow can be rotated so that the sequence reads horizontally from left to right, with the roles involved being shown at the left edge. This can be easier to read and design, since computer screens are typically wider than they are tall, which gives an improved view of the flow.

Use of standard symbols enables clear linkage to be shown between related flow charts when charting flows with complex relationships.

The advantage of a swim lane is that users can quickly identify what their role and responsibility is in the process simply by looking down the column under their role descriptor.

The disadvantage of a swim lane is that it is possible to lose the sense of the bigger picture as the layout can be more complex and the level of detail of each of the steps is greater.

Detonation of an explosive charge caused by the shock wave from the explosion of an adjacent charge.