Acts Online
GT Shield

Explosives Act, 1956 (Act No. 26 of 1956)

Explosives Regulations

Chapter 7 : Licensing and Construction of Magazines

 

 

7.1 A magazine may be erected or used only in accordance with the provisions of section 22 of the Act.

 

7.2
7.2.1 Application for permission to erect a magazine shall be made to an inspector and shall be accompanied by--
a) a statement showing the types of explosives and the quantity of each required to be stored therein, and the full address of the proposed site of the magazine;
b) four copies of a plan, drawn to a scale of either 1:500, 1:1000, 1:2000 or 1:2500, according to the size of the property, showing the site of the proposed magazine and fence in relation to neighbouring roads (which shall also include the access road to the magazine), railways, buildings and boundaries of properties, as well as the contour of the land on which the magazine is to be erected and the plan shall have drawn thereon, with the site as centre, circles, with radii proportionate to the distances prescribed for the quantity of explosives in the table in regulation 7.3.1 of this Chapter;
c) a plan or plans, in triplicate, drawn to a scale of 1:100 or 1:50 or 1:25, showing the design and specifications of the proposed magazine and mounds.
7.2.2 When the application is approved, one set of the plans, suitably endorsed, shall be returned to the applicant and until these plans have been received, building of the magazine and mound shall not be commenced.
7.2.3 The permission granted for the erection of a magazine shall lapse if the magazine has not been completed within six months of the date of grant of such permission.

 

7.3

7.3.1 The following table of distances shall form the basis on which applications for magazine licences will be considered:

 

Table of Distances

(All distances in metres)

 

Nett explosives

25 kilogram cartons

To other magazines

To railways, roads, open sports ground, navigable water, or dwelling-house in same ownership as magazine and occupied by the owner or an employee

To other dwelling-houses or public buildings *

Quantity kilograms

Number

Cat. X Mounded

or unmounded

Cat. Y Mounded

or unmounded

Cat. Z or

ZZ

Mounded

Cat. X Mounded

or unmounded

Cat. Y Mounded

or unmounded

Cat. Z or

ZZ

Mounded

Cat. X Mounded or unmounded

Cat. Y Mounded or unmounded

Cat. Z or

ZZ

Mounded

500

20

9

12

19

15

25

47

31

50

95

600

30

9

13

22

17

29

61

33

57

122

700

40

9

14

24

18

32

75

36

63

150

800

50

10

15

26

18

34

85

37

68

170

900

100

13

18

32

21

43

130

42

86

260

1 000

200

17

21

40

23

54

180

46

108

360

1 200

400

21

28

50

25

68

235

50

136

470

1 500

500

23

30

55

26

73

255

52

146

510

2 000

600

24

33

58

27

78

270

54

156

540

2 500

800

25

37

65

28

85

300

55

170

600

3 000

1 000

26

40

70

29

90

320

57

180

640

5 000

1 200

27

45

75

30

100

345

60

200

690

10 000

1 600

27

50

80

30

110

380

60

220

760

20 000

2 000

27

55

85

30

115

400

60

230

800

40 000

3 000

27

65

100

32

135

470

65

270

940

80 000

4 000

27

75

110

33

145

510

65

290

1 020

150 000

6 000

27

90

125

35

170

590

70

340

1 180

250 000

8 000

27

95

135

35

180

640

70

360

1 280

 

* For definition of "public building" refer to Chapter 1.

 

7.3.2 The distance between two buildings shall be the shortest distance between the nearest walls of such buildings.

 

7.3.3 When a magazine is erected in the vicinity of a power line the magazine shall be separated from the power line by a horizontal distance, not less than the following:
a) For power lines with spans up to 30 metres: 15 metres;
b) For power lines with spans greater than 30 metres and up to 150 metres: 20 metres;
c) For power lines with spans greater than 150 metres: 30 metres.

 

7.4
7.4.1 The inspector shall be advised immediately a magazine has been completed and until a licence, in terms of section 22 of the Act has been issued, the magazine shall not be used.
7.4.2 The maximum quantity and the nature of the explosives that may be stored in the magazine shall be stated on the licence and the licence shall be valid only for the person to whom the licence is issued; the licence shall be posted up in a conspicuous place inside the magazine.

 

7.5 A magazine may not be situated in a tunnel or cutting or disused mine working which communicates with any existing mine working.

 

7.6 The design for a magazine and the materials to be used in its construction shall be as determined by the Chief Inspector of Explosives and may vary according to local conditions.

 

7.7 Except with the special sanction of the Chief Inspector of Explosives, no mine magazine shall be licensed to contain more than 15 000 kilograms of explosives.

 

7.8
7.8.1 Every magazine shall be efficiently protected against lightning in accordance with written specifications prescribed by the Chief Inspector of Explosives.
7.8.2 At every magazine efficient provision shall be made for draining the area.
7.8.3 Every magazine shall be surrounded by a substantial fence in accordance with specifications prescribed by the Chief Inspector of Explosives.

 

Penalty

 

7.9 Any person who by any act or omission commits a breach of any of the regulations of this chapter. shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R100 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.