Contents
19.1 Objective
19.2 Scope of Application
19.3 General Provisions
19.4 Manufacture of Explosives
19.5 Storage of Explosives
19.6 Transportation of Explosives
Annex I Safety and Health in Fireworks and Other Pyrotechnics Industry and Trade
Annex II Quantity-Distance Tables
Annex III Incompatibility Groups for Storage and Transportation
Glossary
19.1 Objective
19.1.1 This Regulatory Standard aims to establish requirements and preventive measures to ensure safety and health working conditions for workers in all stages of the manufacture, handling, storage and transportation of explosives.
19.2 Scope of Application
19.2.1 This standard applies to all activities related to the manufacture, handling, storage and transportation of explosives.
19.3 General Provisions
19.3.1 For the purpose of this standard, an explosive refers to any material or substance that undergoes rapid decomposition into more stable substances once initiated, releasing massive heat and generating instantaneous pressure.
19.3.2 Activities involving the manufacture, handling, storage and transportation of explosives shall comply with this standard and the explosive regulations issued by the Supervision Directorate of Controlled Products of the Brazilian Army.
19.3.3 The manufacture of explosives is prohibited within urban areas of cities, towns and villages.
19.3.4 Entities engaged in the manufacture, trade and storage of explosives shall keep the maximum stock quantity of explosives in accordance with Annex II of this standard.
19.3.4.1 The distances specified in Annex II may be halved for barricaded warehouses.
19.3.5 In addition to the provisions of NR-01, the Risk Management Program of entities engaged in explosive manufacture, storage and transportation shall cover fire and explosion risk factors and formulate corresponding preventive measures.
19.4 Manufacture of Explosives
19.4.1 Only entities holding compliance certificates approved by the Brazilian Army are allowed to manufacture explosives.
19.4.2 Dangerous zones of explosive factories defined by the technical person-in-charge or legally qualified occupational safety personnel shall be equipped with permanent electronic monitoring in accordance with relevant explosive regulations of the Supervision Directorate of Controlled Products of the Brazilian Army.
19.4.3 The premises of explosive manufacturing enterprises shall be enclosed with proper fences, and manufacturing areas, storage areas and administrative areas shall be separated from each other.
19.4.3.1 Operations such as cartridge loading where explosives are packed into containers shall be carried out in isolated places, with no more than four workers working simultaneously inside.
19.4.4 Places for manufacturing explosives shall meet the following requirements:
a) Be kept in good maintenance condition;
b) Be properly ventilated;
c) Have walls and roofs made of non-combustible materials and anti-static floors;
d) Be equipped with grounded equipment and special safety electrical installations when necessary;
e) Be fitted with fire fighting systems suitable for intended use in accordance with current state laws and national technical standards;
f) Be free from combustible and flammable materials.
19.4.5 The following acts are prohibited during explosive handling:
a) Using tools and appliances that may generate sparks or frictional heat;
b) Smoking and conducting any acts likely to cause fire or sparks.
c) Wearing shoes with nails or exposed metal parts;
d) Keeping articles irrelevant to working activities.
19.4.6 In places for handling explosives, the stock of raw materials with explosion risks shall be kept to the minimum, and the maximum stock shall not exceed the consumption volume for four hours of work.
19.5 Storage of Explosives
19.5.1 Explosives shall be stored in dedicated permanent or temporary warehouses.
19.5.1.1 For permanent powder magazines, walls shall be double-layered masonry or concrete walls with a clear spacing of no less than 0.50 meters between layers.
19.5.2 Explosive warehouses shall comply with the following requirements:
a) Be constructed of non-combustible and heat-insulating materials on solid and dry ground free from flood risks;
b) Be properly ventilated;
c) Be fitted with proper external signs.
19.5.3 Explosive warehouses shall be equipped with permanent electronic monitoring in accordance with the explosive regulations formulated by the Supervision Directorate of Controlled Products of the Brazilian Army.
19.5.4 The minimum distances to residential buildings, railways, highways and other warehouses for specifying the storable quantity of explosives and accessories are specified in the Quantity-Distance Tables (Annex II).
19.5.5 Product serial number 3.2.0120 covering all types of chemical gunpowder, classified per standards of the United Nations and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, shall be classified as flammable solid under the following circumstances:
I. The storage quantity is 20 kilograms or less;
II. Packed in containers made of low-strength materials such as glass, plastic and ceramics;
III. The filling height inside such containers is less than thirty centimeters.
19.5.5.1 If all conditions from Item I to Item III are satisfied, compliance with the Quantity-Distance Tables in Annex II shall be exempted.
19.5.6 The following factors shall be taken into account when confirming the storage capacity of warehouses:
I. Dimensions of explosive packages to be stored
II. Maximum stacking height
III. The occupied area shall not exceed sixty percent of the total area to ensure personnel passage and keep boxes away from walls
IV. The minimum distance between warehouse ceiling and the top of stacked goods shall be seventy centimeters
19.5.6.1 After confirming the storage quantity according to quantity-distance tables, the area of explosive warehouse can be calculated by the following formula:
A = N.S/0.6.E
A: internal area in square meters
N: quantity of boxes to be stored
S: floor area occupied by one single box in square meters
E: number of boxes stacked vertically
19.5.7 The storage of different types of explosives shall comply with the incompatibility groups specified in Annex III of this standard.
19.5.8 Explosive accessories may be stored together with explosives in the same warehouse on condition that they are isolated and the maximum quantity limits specified in the tables of Annex II are observed.
19.5.9 It is prohibited to store the following articles together with explosives in the same warehouse:
I. Initiating accessories
II. Gunpowder
III. Fireworks and other pyrotechnic articles
19.5.10 Stacked boxed explosives shall be kept away from walls and ceilings and placed on non-combustible materials.
19.5.11 Electrical installations in explosive warehouses shall be dedicated for classified hazardous areas.
19.5.12 Explosives belonging to different entities may be stored in the same warehouse provided that:
I. Products are visibly separated and marked;
II. Inbound and outbound handling are conducted separately;
III. All storage safety rules stipulated in this standard are observed.
19.5.13 The following shall be taken into account for the application of the Quantity-Distance Tables (Annex II):
I. Explosive warehouses with mutual distances less than those specified in the Quantity-Distance Tables (Annex II) shall be regarded as a single structure;
II. Explosive warehouses with mutual distances equal to or greater than those specified in the Quantity-Distance Tables (Annex II) shall be regarded as individual units.
19.5.13.1 For the case specified in Item I, the total stored explosive quantity shall be the sum of quantities stored in each warehouse.
19.5.13.2 If incompatible substances are stored in explosive warehouses, the most restrictive table shall be adopted.
