| Mine Type: |
All
Surface |
Category: |
Blasting |
Since 1978, 281 incidents have occurred where individuals were struck by material being blasted at mine sites. In order for a blaster to safely determine the amount of explosive to be loaded in boreholes, the condition of the material being blasted needs to be determined.
The best person to provide this information is the driller. An experienced driller can determine many things about the rock being drilled from the way the drill operates. The driller is the only individual who knows this information.
Voids, mud seams and cracks are prime examples of rock irregularities that a driller needs to know about. Often times these irregularities occur in only a small portion of the rock to be blasted. Of these irregularities are not known and taken into account by the blaster. Serious flyrock may occur.
This is why drill logs are important to the blaster.
The drill log should document any and all conditions concerning the rock being drilled. Furthermore, this log should be provided to the blaster prior to loading any explosives into boreholes.
Logging blast-holes is an important part of a successful blasting operation.
Drillers need to provide this information to blasters. Blasters need to use this information.
Communication costs nothing, takes little time and saves lives.
| Reissued: |
04/30/2002 |
| Tag # |
AP2002-M022
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MSHA extends a thank you and a tip of the hardhat to
Drilling Section of the International Society of Explosive Engineers.
If you have a tip you would like to pass on, you can e-mail it to zzMSHA-MinersTips@dol.gov. If your Miner's tip is selected, you will receive credit in this space. |
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