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.