Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. — Missoula & J Blasting ves Technology & Development Program 6700 Safety & Health Technical Services Blaster Examiners and Coordi- Explosives nators. This project provides technical help to Forest Service, TE02L14 National Park Service, Bureau of he Missoula Technology and Land Management, Bureau of T Development Center (MTDC) Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wild- serves as the technical advisor life Service, and several State for the Forest Service Blasting agency field units. and Explosives Program. Through Explosives Technical Services, Technical Services helps Regional MTDC serves as a clearinghouse Blaster Examiners conduct work- for information and works closely shops and demonstrations of new fim Tour with the Forest Service Regional equipment and explosives. A ProjectLeader/TechnicalAdvisor national workshop conducted annu- is ally to discuss the Jim Tour is a Project Engi- latest technology neeratMTDC,specializing in blasting and in explosives and incendi- explosives tech- aries. Jim began working niques. In addition, MTDC for the Forest Service in maintains 1970, spending 8 years as an approved explo- a technician at the Tech- sives and accessory nology and Development list, and provides a forum for answer- Center in San Dimas, ing inquiries from California. Hereceivedhis field personnel degreeinmechanicalengi- concerning equip- neeringatCalifornia Poly- ment, techniques, technic Institute Pomona, and new rules and andcametoMTDCshortly regulations. MTDC also represents the afterward. Jim helped develop the Premo MK Forest Service as a III member of the So- aerial ignition device and ciety of Explosives has helped redesign the Engineers. helitorch. J Workshops help MTDCprovide information on new products. December 1997 9767-2840-MTDC 2 Current Publications guide. It is designed to ensure the (ANFO), and nonelectric (Nonel) safe storage, transportation, and detonation systems. Fireline, Forest Service Manual (FSM 6745) use of explosives by qualified avalanche, and seismic work are Safety and Health Activities-Blast- personnel. The guide includes the addressed. This guide (available ing and Explosives. This manual latest information on water gels, in limited quantities) is in the emulsions, detonating cord, process of being updated for provides the authority for storage, use, and transportation of explo- ammonium nitrate and fuel oil distribution in Fiscal Year 1999. sives. It delineates the objectives, policies, and responsibilities in the Forest Service Blasting and Explosives Program and sets the standards and procedures for certification. Blaster's Guide for Using, Storing, and Transporting Explosives and Blasting Materials. Forest Service and other land management agen- cies rely on this comprehensive ^xphsiver'^^ Service ^mp/oyees that use N V* Placard used when transporting explosives. Approved Explosives and Accessories List C This listing of Forest Service- approved explosives and associ- ated equipment is kept current by testing new and revised products, such as the remote detonation system, nonelectric detonation systems, and shape charges. MTDC Contact or a Regional Blaster Examiner for the latest copy of the list. '’^nge of products Icphsives Program, c Explosives Product Guide Including International Listings International Society of Explosives Engineers 29100AuroraRoad Cleveland,OH 44139 Tel.(216)*349-4004 • Fax:(216)*349-3788 e-mail;[email protected] • http://www.isee.org •AfterAugust16,1997,ISEE’sareacodewillchar>geto(440) The Explosives Product Guide helps Blasters select appropriate products for theirprojects. Two 3pproved brands offireline explosives. | 4 , ER/COR Training for Contract Blasting A new training course for personnel involved in blasting contracts has been edited and sent on computer disk to each Regional Blaster Examiner and Coordinator. A CD-ROM included with the disk contains publications from the Missoula and San Dimas Technology and Development Centers. Some of those publications are used in the training course. This training course, available from Regional Blaster Examiners, provides helpful information for anyone working with contracts involving explosives. The anatomy ofa blast hole. International Society of Explosives Engineers (ISEE) Training MTDC reviewed and critiqued the new training course. Practical Blasting Fundamentals—-level 1 offered by the International Society of Explosives Engineers. These eight video lessons will be inte- grated into the Forest Service general blaster's training program. Each Regional Blaster Examiner has the training course and videos for use at recertification classes. Additional videos and training booklets can be obtained from the International Society of Explosives Engineers in Cleveland, Ohio. Fireline Explosives Standard test procedures have been developed for the fireline explosives products used by all wildland firefighting agencies. MTDC continues to work with the U.S. Bureau of Mines and manufacturers in testing new fire- line explosives products. Two fully qualified products are available, ETI's Firebreak and Austin's Aqualine, both of which have detonation cord running the entire length of the explosive. These products are no longer supplied — Demonstrating the use offireline explosives for hazard tree removal. on a reel reducing their cost and packaged weight and improving their deployment time. MTDC also worked with Reynolds Industries Systems, Inc., to develop a new adapter that allows the FS-9 firing set to reliably initiate nonelectric shock tube detonating systems. NewExplodingBridgeWireDetonator JimTour.ProtoctEngtnmr Placing the exploding bridgewire into fireline explosives. E6Wdetonatorsoontajnno pnmary(eas>)ydetortaled) explosive,solt>eyarerrxichless susceptbietoheat,inpao.or syrnpaiheicdetonation They requireapreosetyitnedetecincal MTDC cinhiatirapteedfertoomnaatisopneciaTlhfeirpinrgoiseectitso serves as the technical themIfomstrayenergypulses tsruacnhsmaisssstiaotnicsealnedonmcaiklyesantdheramtio advisor for the Fireline Explosives secureagax^siunauthorizeduse. dcThehaeWretgtnersneiggtosaetnthdeisiEnciBatipWaalbidnlegeteooinfeacttonrcal Program. The Center is working on tofhrhoouogkhuapmwairxeirrTuhmisolal3l.oSwOsOthleeei a standardized training and certi- blastertobeasatedstancefrom tchoenderxipoirotssrvechargeunderall fication program and on standard- ized procedures for fireline explosives. Tech Tips are used to share information with Forest Service field employees. . Hazard Tree Felling that you should unted9atMOeDortmentofA^ioitxxe With Explosives use "one wrap of Techr»ok>gy4 DevelopmentProgram fireline explosive MTDC 7»00/5iaVfl7CO/7XO 947t-23^4-MTDC for every inch of In 1994, published the HazardTreeFellingWithExplosives holding wood." Hazard Tree Felling With Explo- ByRobbiaenWdaJtismonT,ouPra,ciUfiTcDNCorMtehcwheasntic(6a)lBElnagsitnereeErxaminer, sives Tech Tip. It provides field MTDC developed personnel with information on a slide program safely felling hazard trees by that can be used placing explosives on a tree or for training. The inside a tree, provided the wood original Tech Tip is solid. must accompany the slide program More information was needed on shiagfheedsti.staGnecneerfarlomBltahsetterreseawnhdeFnirtehleindeaEnxgpelrosiisves oanwlyeawkaetenredgelt.reeem,ulifsithoen,troerePisETbNur-nbiansgeidntehxepitoospr,vuesseor felling hollow, rotten trees. MTDC BBhllaaazssattreedrrstErcxeaaenmsibmneuesrctsenbtioeiidaeodssbheayszsUaerSddDbtAerefFeoorbreleaststthierSy>egravrieAclfleelled. e(NxFopLtlEo)ussievIfeestxhapepltoprsreioevvieessdbuIffrortnhilinergreieiartitseIhaeexppbrlaoosbseai,bvieSltciootpryultthrDautocton because it is still Extremecareisessentialwheretreesarerotten, theywillcatchlire!Explosivesthatareonlire valid for felling conducted tests on the Avery waasepsapekrs,osaoicnnhglaiareh,haaozzraarhrdadvtterreeeseiagtnwoiarbiyecaflnrteoUlmeedat.nh.deelAteelarwnm.aiynsWehtehne meacxurpsoltsossniobvtuebmsetchotanotturacorlheeldion!nes,Dtiosrpe!encoAitlaslao,tptrifeemtchpaetutttrooeneesxmmtaiaynygtuaiOsh hazard trees when District of the Idaho Panhandle loDowir^: needlobetaken. National Forests during Fiscal Year Ad1e.aIds,thhoeltlroewetgrreeeewni,lldreeaqdu,irheolllhoawl,exanpld/osoirvreosttbeen? ex3p.loOseilveersmwiirl>lebethpeltarceeedd(igaemre>etreariiwyhaetrcehetshteheighi) they have solid 1996 to verify the rule of thumb cgcseorpnnertceeeenarndttarrareactedtreomldsaesaiyvnIihloneangkeletahbcseecHgatlhlroleileoaynvsomiaiaonndrddiberlsteohgxw.apiplnAeogsdiiarvivhneeosasloepbyidnraimhied me4thoDdestesrhmoiunledwbheetuhseerdexternalorinternalblasling wood. todevelopanappropriateshockwave Looklor a.Interrtalmeansaholewillbedrilledmthetree cdoonwknse,dbrloimkbesn,teotpc.s,,lbhaaslalmasycarisr,Kfccaatlefarcotes,Alnsuom,elroooukslo froercIohmemeexnpldoesdivteosrchhoalrlogweo(rFirgo.ttie).ntTrheiessmoeritrroeedsitshantot seennumeroustreesaredowninanarea.Thismay aresohazardousthattheactivitymighttriggeralaD. indicateapocketottreeswithrot. TO FMoUriooudtdOihMoarxoiultoI.nfMotrmsaetaioo!ncffotnolnoec(hWeJimJ2T9o-iJx9.2PJ.ofeFcAtXleoaof.MsiooOaG-tjerccrtunxoiffoOgIrAaOovoicomonfC«n/«r.Bxjg.t.fon This Tech Tip helps field employees use fireline explosives to remove hazard trees that have solid wood. With hollow trees, one wrap offireline explosive is used for every inch ofsolid holding wood. Remote Detonation System At the request of Regional Blaster MTDC Examiners, completed de- velopment and evaluation testing of a radio-controlled detonation system for blasting operations. The new system eliminates the need for long lead wires that generally stretch 1 50 meters between the Blaster-in-Charge and the explo- sives charge. The system is capa- ble of detonating electric blasting caps (EBC's), exploding bridgewire detonators (EBW's), or nonelectric detonators. The system is activated using the standard King radio used by the Forest Service. The remote detonation system allows the Blaster-in-Charge more flexibility in selecting a location to initiate the blast. This system has been approved for use in all blasting The remote detonation system used with the exploding bridgewire detonator. operations, including the fireline blasting program. A detailed re- port, Remote Detonation System for Blasting (9571-2821 -MTDC), includes a list of component manufacturers and is available from MTDC. Boulder Buster MTDC is evaluating a new device that uses a cartridge resembling a shotgun shell to break boulders, rocks, or concrete. The device, called a Boulder Buster, has a barrel that transmits a shock wave impulse from a cartridge through an incompressible fluid column The Boulder Buster can break boulders, rocks, or concrete without explosives. 8