7 Colo. Code Regs. § 1101-9-1-5
The following publications and codes are hereby incorporated by this reference:
* Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Department of Justice, Publication ATF P 5400.7, ATF- Explosives Law and Regulations (2012) - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), 99 New York Avenue, NE; Washington, DC 20226. https://www.atf.gov
* Title 49 CFR - Parts 100-177 (inclusive) https://www.govinfo.gov Parts 390-397 U.S. Department of Transportation (Revised September 27, 2012) - US DOT FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE; Washington, DC 80590. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov
* National Electric Code (NEC), 2017 Edition, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - NFPA (NEC), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169. https://catalog.nfpa.org
* Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) Safety Library Publication No. 22 (February 2007) - IME, 1212 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 650; Washington, DC 20005. https://www.ime.org
* Institute Of Makers Of Explosives (IME) Safety Library Publication No. 20 (December 2011) -IME, 1212 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 650; Washington, DC 20005. https://www.ime.org
* The Avalanche Artillery Users of North America Committee (AAUNAC) Training Standard (Revised May 16, 2012) - AAUNAC, PO Box 8095, 8920 South Collins Road; Alta, UT 84092
These rules incorporate the editions and revisions specified. Subsequent editions and revisions have not been incorporated by this reference. The publications incorporated by this reference may be examined and a copy of them may be obtained upon request and payment of the cost of reproduction during regular business hours from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Oil and Public Safety, 633 17th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO 80202, and may also be inspected at the state depository libraries.
The following words when used in these rules and regulations shall mean:
AIR OVERPRESSURE, OVERPRESSURE: The airborne shock wave or acoustic transient generated by an explosive.
AMERICAN TABLE OF DISTANCES: A quantity-distance table prepared and approved by the Institute of the Makers of Explosives, for storage of explosive materials to determine safe distances from inhabited buildings, public highways, passenger railways, and other stored explosive materials. See Section 4.6 of these regulations.
AMMONIUM NITRATE: The ammonium salt of nitric acid represented by the formula NH4NO3.
APPROVED STORAGE FACILITY (APPROVED MAGAZINE): A facility for the storage of explosives materials conforming to the requirements of these rules and regulations.
ATTEND(ED): The physical presence of an authorized person within the field of vision of explosives or the use of explosives.
AUTHORIZED, APPROVED, OR APPROVAL: Terms which mean approved, approval, or authorized by the Division.
AUTHORIZED PERSON: A person approved or assigned by the management to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a specific location or locations at the job site.
ARMED CHARGE: An explosive cartridge that contains a detonator.
ARTIFICIAL BARRICADE: An artificial mound, berm, or wall of earth of a minimum thickness of 3 feet, or any other approved barricade that offers equivalent protection.
AVALAUNCHER: A compressed gas explosives delivery system designed for avalanche hazard mitigation.
BARRICADED: The effective screening of a building or magazine containing explosive materials from another magazine or building, railway, or highway by a natural or artificial barrier. A straight line from the top of any sidewall of the building or magazine containing explosives materials to the eave line of any magazine or building or to a point 12 feet above the center of a railway or highway shall pass through the barrier.
BINARY (TWO-COMPONENT) EXPLOSIVE: A blasting explosive formed by the mixing or combining of two precursor chemicals, (e.g., ammonium nitrate and nitromethane).
BLACK POWDER: A deflagrating or low explosive compound of an intimate mixture of sulfur, charcoal and an alkali nitrate (usually potassium or sodium nitrate).
BLAST AREA: Area of the blast within the influence of flying rock missiles, gases, vibration, and concussion.
BLASTER: A Type I permitted individual who is permitted by the Division to possess and control the use of explosives.
BLASTER IN CHARGE: A Type I permittee who is in charge of and responsible for the loading or preparing of the explosives charges, and either physically initiates the charge or is physically present when the charge is initiated at a specific job site. This individual is in charge of the planning of the blast at a specific job site, the supervision of all persons assisting on the blast and all persons in training, and is responsible for the inventory, inventory records, and blast records for the blast.
BLASTING AGENT: An explosive material which meets prescribed criteria for insensitivity to initiation.
For storage, Title 27, CFR, Section 55.11 , defines a blasting agent as any material or mixture consisting of fuel and oxidizer intended for blasting, not otherwise defined as an explosive provided that the finished product, as mixed for use or shipment, cannot be detonated by means of a No. 8 Blasting Cap when unconfined (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Regulation).
For transportation, Title 49 CFR defines a blasting agent as a material designed for blasting which has been tested and found to be so insensitive that there is very little probability of accidental initiation to explosion or transition from deflagration to detonation (US Department of Transportation Regulation).
BLASTING MAT: A mat of woven steel, wire, rope, scrap tires, or other suitable material or construction to cover blast holes for the purpose of preventing flying rock missiles.
BLAST PATTERN, DRILL PATTERN: The plan of the drill holes laid out for blasting; an expression of the burden distance, the spacing distance and their relationship to each other.
BLAST SITE: Area where explosive material is handled during blasting operations, including the perimeter of blast holes and a distance of 50 feet in all directions from explosive charges, loaded boreholes or boreholes to be loaded.
BOOSTER: An explosive charge, usually of high detonation velocity and detonation pressure, designed to be used in the initiation sequence between an initiator or primer and the main charge.
BOREHOLE, BLAST HOLE, DRILL HOLE: A hole drilled in the material to be blasted, for the purpose of containing an explosive charge.
BULK MIX: A mass of explosive material prepared for use in bulk form without packaging.
BULK MIX DELIVERY EQUIPMENT: Equipment (usually a motor vehicle with or without a mechanical delivery device) which transports explosive material in bulk form for mixing and/or loading directly into blast holes.
BULLET-RESISTANT: Magazine walls or doors of construction resistant to penetration of a bullet of 150-grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second fired from a .30 caliber rifle from a distance of 100 feet perpendicular to the wall or door.
When a magazine ceiling or roof is required to be bullet-resistant, the ceiling or roof shall be constructed of materials comparable to the side walls or of other materials which will withstand penetration of the bullet described above when fired at an angle of 45 degrees from perpendicular.
Tests to determine bullet resistance shall be conducted on test panels or empty magazines which shall resist penetration of 5 out of 5 shots placed independently of each other in an area of at least 3 feet by 3 feet. Examples of construction that meet this definition are given in Article 4 as alternate construction standards for Type 1 and Type 2 magazines.
BULLET-SENSITIVE EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL: Explosive material that can be detonated by 150 grain M2 ball ammunition having a nominal muzzle velocity of 2,700 feet per second when the bullet is fired from a .30 caliber rifle at a distance of not more than 100 feet and the test material, at a temperature of 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, is placed against a backing material of 2 inch steel plate.
BURDEN: The distance from the borehole and the nearest free face, or the distance between boreholes measured perpendicular to the spacing. Also, the total amount to be blasted by a given hole, which is usually measured in cubic yards or tons.
BUS WIRE: Expendable heavy gauge bare copper wire used to connect detonators or series of detonators in parallel.
CHARGE-PER-DELAY: Any charges firing within any 8-millisecond time period are considered to have a cumulative effect on vibration and air over-pressure effects. Therefore, the maximum charge-per-delay (w) is the maximum weight of all charges firing within any 8-millisecond (ms) time period from the time a blast starts until the time it ends. For example, if two 10-lb charges fire at 100 ms and one 15-lb charge fires at 105 ms, the maximum charge-per-delay (w) for this time period would be 35 lbs.
COLLAR: The mouth or opening of a borehole.
CONNECTING WIRE: Wire used to extend the firing line or leg wires in the electric blasting circuit.
CONTROL: To directly exercise authority or dominating influence over the use, manufacture, acquisition, purchase, sale, distribution, storage, transportation, or disposal of explosive materials.
CORNICE: An overhanging mass of windblown snow or ice, usually located near a sharp terrain break.
DATE-SHIFT CODE: A code, required by federal regulation (ATF), applied by manufacturers to the outside shipping containers, and, in many instances, to the immediate containers of explosive materials to aid in their identification and tracing. The code indicates the date, work shift and plant of manufacture.
DAY BOX: A portable magazine for the temporary and attended storage of explosives. Day boxes shall meet construction requirements of a Type 3 magazine.
DEALER: Any person engaged in the business of distributing explosive material at wholesale or retail.
DECK: An explosive charge that is separated from other charges in the blast hole by stemming or an air cushion.
DEFLAGRATION: An explosive reaction, such as rapid combustion, that moves through an explosive material at a velocity less than the speed of sound in the material.
DENSITY: The mass of an explosive per unit volume, usually expressed in grams per cubic centimeter or pounds per cubic foot.
DETONATING CORD: A flexible cord containing a center core of high explosives, which may be used to initiate other high explosives.
DETONATION: An explosive reaction that moves through an explosive material at a velocity greater than the speed of sound in the material.
DETONATOR: Any device containing any initiating or primary explosive that is used for initiating detonation. A detonator may not contain more than 10 grams of total explosives by weight, excluding ignition or delay charges. The term includes, but is not limited to, electric blasting caps of instantaneous and delay types, electronic detonators, blasting caps for use with safety fuses, detonating cord delay connectors, and non-electric instantaneous and delay blasting caps which use detonating cord, shock tube, or any other replacement for electric leg wires.
DIVISION: The Director of the Division of Oil and Public Safety of the Department of Labor and
Employment or any designees thereof which may include certain employees of the Division of Oil and Public Safety or other persons.
DOWN LINE: A line of detonating cord or plastic tubing in a blast hole which transmits detonation from the trunkline or surface delay system down the hole to the primer.
ELECTRIC DETONATOR: A detonator designed for and capable of initiation by means of an electric current.
ELECTRONIC DETONATORS: A detonator that utilizes stored electrical energy as a means of powering an electronic timing delay element/module and that provides initiation energy for firing the base charge.
EMULSION: An explosive material containing substantial amounts of oxidizers dissolved in water droplets surrounded by an immiscible fuel, or droplets of an immiscible fuel surrounded by water containing substantial amounts of oxidizer.
EXPLOSIVE: Any chemical compound, mixture or device, the primary or common purpose of which is to function by explosion; the term includes, but is not limited to, dynamite and other high explosives, black powder, pellet powder, initiating explosives, detonators, safety fuses, squibs, detonating cord, igniter cord and igniters.
EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS: These include explosives, blasting agents, and detonators. The term includes but is not limited to dynamite and other high explosives; slurries, emulsions, and water gels, black powder, initiating explosives, propellant rockbreaking cartridges (such as Rockrackers[TM]), detonators (blasting caps), safety fuses, squibs, detonating cord, igniter cord, and igniters. Binary explosives (such as Kinepak[TM] or Execon[TM]), sold in two or more components, are considered an explosive material requiring a Division explosives permit.
EXPLOSIVE OILS: Liquid explosive sensitizers for explosive materials (.e.g., nitroglycerin, ethylene glycol dinitrate and metriol trinitrate).
EXTRANEOUS ELECTRICITY: Electrical energy, other than actual firing current or the test current from a blasting galvanometer, that is present at a blast site and that could enter a blasting circuit. It includes stray current, static electricity, electromagnetic waves, and time varying electric and magnetic fields.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER RATING: A rating set forth in the National Fire Code which may be identified on an extinguisher by a number (5, 20, 70, etc.) indicating the extinguisher's relative effectiveness, followed by a letter (A, B, C, etc.) indicating the class or classes of fires for which the extinguisher has been found to be effective.
FIRE-RESISTANT: Construction designed to provide reasonable protection against fire. For exterior walls or magazine constructed of wood, this shall mean fire resistance equivalency provided by sheet metal of not less than #26 gauge.
FIRING LINE: The wire(s) connecting the electrical power source with the electric or electronic blasting circuit.
FLYROCK: Dirt, mud, stone, fragmented rock or other material that is propelled from the blast site by the force of an explosion.
FREE FACE: A rock surface exposed to air or water which provides room for expansion upon fragmentation.
FUSE (SAFETY): A flexible cord containing an internal burning medium by which fire or flame is conveyed at a continuous and uniform rate from the point of ignition to a cut end. A fuse detonator is usually attached to that end, although safety fuse may be used without a detonator to ignite material such as deflagrating explosives.
FUSE DETONATOR, BLASTING CAP: A detonator which is initiated by a safety fuse or used in an avalauncher round; also referred to as an ordinary blasting cap. Also see detonator.
FUSE LIGHTERS: Pyrotechnic devices for the rapid and certain lighting of safety fuse.
FUEL: A substance which may react with oxygen to produce combustion.
GRAINS: In the avoirdupois system of weight measurement, 7,000 7000 grains are equivalent to one standard, 16-ounce pound (0.45 kg). A grain is 0.0648 grams in both the avoirdupois and troy systems.
GROUND VIBRATION: Shaking the ground by elastic waves emanating from a blast; usually measured in inches per second of particle velocity.
HARDWOOD: Red Oak, White Oak, Hard Maple, Ash, or Hickory, free from loose knots, wind shakes, or similar defects.
HIGH EXPLOSIVES: Explosives which are characterized by a very high rate of reaction, high pressure development and the presence of a detonation wave, including, but not limited to, dynamite, detonating cord, cast boosters, detonators, cap-sensitive slurry, emulsion, or water gels, and mixed binaries.
HOWITZER: A military cannon that delivers projectiles at medium muzzle velocity at low or high trajectories.
INHABITED AREA OR BUILDING: A building regularly occupied in whole or in part as a habitation for human beings, or any church, schoolhouse, railroad station, store, or other structure where people are accustomed to assemble, except any building or structure occupied in connection with the manufacture, transportation, storage, and use of explosive materials.
INSPECTOR: An Inspector of the Division.
INITIATION: The start of deflagration or detonation in an explosive material.
INITIATION SYSTEM: Combination of explosive devices and accessories (detonators, wire, cord, etc.) designed to convey a signal and initiate an explosive charge.
LAWFUL POSSESSOR: A Type II permittee who has legally purchased or acquired explosive materials.
LOADING DENSITY: The weight of explosive, expressed as pounds per foot or kilograms per meter of borehole.
LOW EXPLOSIVES: Explosives which are characterized by deflagration or a low rate of reaction and the development of low pressure.
MAGAZINE: Any building, structure, or container, other than an explosives manufacturing building, approved for the storage of explosive materials.
MAGAZINE DISTANCE: Shall mean the minimum distance permitted between any two storage magazines which is expected to prevent propagation of an explosion from one magazine to another from a blast.
MAKE-UP ROOM: A room located inside an uninhabited building which shall be used for the assembly of cap and fuse or for the arming of explosive charges used in avalanche mitigation work.
MANUFACTURER: Any individual, corporation, company, firm, partnership, association, or state or local government agency engaged in the business of manufacturing explosive materials for the purpose of sale, distribution or for his own use.
MASS DETONATION: When a unit or any part or quantity of explosive material detonates and causes all or a substantial part of the remaining material to detonate.
MISFIRE: A blast that fails to detonate completely after an attempt at initiation. This term is also used to describe the explosive material itself that has failed to detonate as planned.
MOTOR VEHICLE: A vehicle, machine, tractor, semi-trailer or other conveyance propelled or drawn by mechanical power. Does not include vehicles operated exclusively on rail.
NATURAL BARRICADE: Natural features of the ground, such as hills, or timber of sufficient density that the surrounding exposures which require protection cannot be seen from the magazine when the trees are bare of leaves.
NON-ELECTRIC DETONATOR: A detonator that does not require the use of electric energy to function.
OXIDIZER OR OXIDIZING MATERIAL: A substance, such as nitrite, that readily yields oxygen or other oxidizing substances to promote the combustion of organic matter or other fuel.
PERMANENT STORAGE MAGAZINE: Type 1 magazines or Type 2, Type 4, or Type 5 magazines that have been at the same location for longer than 90 days.
PARTICLE BOARD: A composition board made of small pieces of wood that have been bonded together.
PARTICLE VELOCITY: A measure of the intensity of ground vibration, specifically the velocity of motion of the ground particles as they are excited by the wave energy
PERMITTEE: Any user, purchaser, manufacturer, dealer, storer, disposer, or transporter of explosives for a lawful purpose, who has obtained a permit from the Division.
PERSON: Any individual, corporation, company, firm, partnership, association, or state or local government agency.
PETN: Pentaerythritol tetranitrate.
PLACARDS: Division of Transportation Approved Title 49 CFR signs placed on vehicles transporting hazardous materials (including explosive materials) indicating the nature of the cargo.
PLYWOOD: Exterior construction-grade plywood.
POSSESS: The physical possession of explosives on one's person, or in the person's vehicle, magazine or building.
POWDER: A common synonym for explosive materials.
POWDER FACTOR: The amount of explosives used per unit of blasted material (see Loading Density).
PRIMER: A unit, package, or cartridge of explosives used to initiate other explosives or blasting agents, which contains either a detonator or a detonating cord to which a detonator designed to initiate the detonating cord is attached.
PROPELLANT/POWDER-ACTUATED POWER DEVICE: Any tool or special mechanized device or gas generator system which is actuated by a propellant or which releases and directs work through a propellant charge.
PUBLIC CONVEYANCE: Any railroad car, streetcar, ferry, cab, bus, aircraft, or other vehicle carrying passengers for hire.
PUBLIC HIGHWAY: Shall mean any public street, alley, or road.
PUBLIC HIGHWAY DISTANCE: Shall mean the minimum distance permitted between a public highway and an explosives magazine.
PUBLIC PLACE: A place which the public or a substantial number of the public has access, and includes but is not limited to, highways, transportation facilities, schools, places of amusement, parks, playgrounds, and the common areas of public and private buildings and facilities.
PURCHASER: A Type II permittee who acquires explosives.
PYROTECHNICS, FIREWORKS: Any combustible or explosive compositions or manufactured articles designed and prepared for the purpose of producing audible or visible effects.
RAILWAY: Any steam, electric, or other type of railroad or railway.
RESPONSIBLE PERSON: A Type I permitted individual who is directly responsible for a Type II
permittee's compliance with the provisions of the Explosives Act, 9-7, C.R.S., and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
SAFETY FUSE: A flexible cord containing an internal burning medium by which fire or flame is conveyed at a continuous and uniform rate from the point of ignition to a cut end. A fuse detonator is usually attached to that end, although safety fuse may be used without a detonator to ignite material such as deflagrating explosives.
SCALED DISTANCE (DS): A factor relating similar blast effects from various weight charges of explosive material at various distances. Scaled Distances referring to blasting effects are obtained by dividing the distance of concern by a fractional power of the charge weight per delay of the explosive materials.
SECURED STORAGE: An area which is protected from weather and is theft-resistant and in compliance with the uniform fire code.
SEISMOGRAPH: An instrument that is useful in monitoring blasting operations for recording records ground vibration. Particle velocity, displacement or acceleration is generally measured and recorded in three mutually-perpendicular directions.
SEMI-CONDUCTIVE HOSE: A hose used for pneumatic conveying of explosive materials, having an electrical resistance high enough to limit flow of stray electric currents to safe levels yet not so high as to prevent drainage of static electric charges to ground. A hose of not more than 2 megohms resistance over its entire length and of not less than 1,000 ohms per foot (3280 ohms per meter) meets this requirement.
SENSITIVITY: A physical characteristic of an explosive material classifying its ability to be initiated upon receiving an external impulse, such as heat impact, shock, friction, static electricity, stray current or other influence which can cause explosive decomposition.
SHALL: Means that the rule establishes a minimum standard which is mandatory.
SHOCK TUBE: A small diameter plastic tube containing reactive material used for initiating detonators. It contains only a limited amount of reactive material such that the energy that is transmitted through the tube by means of a detonation wave is guided through and confined within the walls of the tube.
SITE: Area where active blasting is taking place or the location of explosives storage magazines.
SLURRY/WATER GEL: An explosive material containing substantial portions of a liquid, oxidizers, and fuel, plus a thickener.
SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION: Any cartridge for a shotgun, rifle, pistol, or revolver, and cartridges for propellant-actuated power device and industrial guns. Military-type ammunition containing explosive bursting charges, or any incendiary, tracer, spotting, or pyrotechnic projectile is excluded from this definition.
SOFTWOOD: Douglas Fir, or other wood of equal bullet-resistance, free of loose knots, wind shakes, or similar defects.
SPACING: The distance between boreholes. In bench blasting, the distance is measured parallel to the free face and perpendicular to the burden.
STATIC ELECTRICITY: Electric charge at rest on a person or object. It is most often produced by the contact and separation of dissimilar insulating materials.
STEMMING: Inert material placed in a borehole on top of or between separate charges of explosive material, used for the purpose of confining explosive materials or to separate charges of explosive material in the same borehole.
STEEL: General purpose (hot or cold rolled) low carbon steel, such as specification ASTM A366 or equivalent.
STORAGE: The safekeeping of explosives in unattended magazines.
TEMPORARY STORAGE MAGAZINE: A Type 1, Type 2, Type 4, or Type 5 magazine that is at a location for a period not to exceed 90 days.
THEFT-RESISTANT: Construction designed to deter illegal entry into facilities used for the storage of explosive material.
TWO-COMPONENT: See binary explosive.
TRANSPORTATION: The conveyance or carrying of explosives from one place to another by means of a motorized vehicle or device.
TYPE I EXPLOSIVES PERMIT: A permit issued by the Division to individuals who possess and control explosive materials during the use, manufacture, acquisition, purchase, sale, distribution, storage, transportation, or disposal of explosives materials.
TYPE II EXPLOSIVES PERMIT: A permit issued by the Division to corporations, companies,
partnerships, firms, individuals operating a business, associations, or state or local government agencies involved in the use, purchase, sale, manufacture, transportation, acquisition, distribution or disposal of explosives materials.
TYPE III EXPLOSIVES PERMIT: A permit issued by the Division to corporations, companies,
partnerships, firms, individuals operating a business, associations, or state or local government agencies for the storage of explosives in approved magazines.
WEATHER-RESISTANT: Construction designed to offer reasonable protection against weather.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXPLOSIVE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF EXPLOSIVES:
Division 1.1: Explosives that have a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.2: Explosives that have a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.3: Explosives that have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard
Division 1.4: Explosives that present minor explosion hazard
Division 1.5: Very insensitive explosives that have a mass explosion hazard, but are so insensitive that there is little probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of transport (Blasting Agents)
7 CCR 1101-9-1-5