EAA Explosives Info.docx

Agencies: ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; DOT - Department of Transportation; OSHA - Occupational Safety Health Administration; Mass - Public Safety Department of Fire Services Deflagration - rapid oxidation reaction, where a subsonic pressure wave is created Detonation - very rapid oxidation r...

Agencies: ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; DOT - Department of Transportation; OSHA - Occupational Safety Health Administration; Mass - Public Safety Department of Fire Services Deflagration - rapid oxidation reaction, where a subsonic pressure wave is created Detonation - very rapid oxidation reaction, where a supersonic pressure wave is created Explosive - any chemical mixture whose purpose is to function by explosion - reacting extremely rapidly to produce energy in the form of heat, light, and gas Massachusetts has an Explosives Certificate of Competency, Limited to Research and Development which allows industries to experiment with things like airbag actuators The Explosives Certificate of Competency, Limited to Research and Development is limited to 50 lbs / 22.7 kg of explosives Magazines for storing explosives have 5 types, Type 2 is a portable indoor and outdoor style Portable Magazines must be locked and secured against theft, with no exposure to flame, excessive heat, sparks, impact, or smoking For changes in magazine location, notify Fire Marshal and other agencies as appropriate Massachusetts requires the rooms) and the building, be labeled with an explosives symbol Daily transactions are kept for each magazine; not later than the close of the next business day, record: quantity received, quantity removed from each magazine and total remaining The Fire Marshal must be provided with transaction records if they request it Magazines must be inspected a maximum interval of seven (7) days Tools / implements used within 10 ft / 3 m of a magazine shall be wood, copper, brass or other non-sparking material, although a box cutter can have a steel blade Loss / theft of explosives requires notification of: ATF by phone and form 5400.5, as well as local Fire Marshal and local police department AT Reporting incidents - reporting is done by local fire/police, using the ATF\'s online BATS (bomb arson tracking system) - be sure they do Mass. Reporting incidents - explosives incident resulting in death or any property damage OSHA Reporting incidents - explosives incident resulting in death (within 8 hours) hospitalization, loss of eye, or amputation (within 24 hours) DOT Reporting incidents - explosives incident resulting in death, hospitalization, any property damage \> \$50,000, evacuation of the public \> 1 hour, or a transport artery closed \> 1 hour Explosion types - mechanical, nuclear, electrical, chemical Chemical explosives are a mixture of materials that can cause an explosion A chemical explosion is when a compound is ignited by heat, shock, impact, and/or friction Chemical explosives range from simple (Black Powder) to something like RDX ATF has 3 classes of explosives: High, Low, and Blasting Agents High explosives detonate very rapidly and create a supersonic shock wave - example TNT Low explosives deflagrate more slowly and create a subsonic shock wave - black powder Blasting Agents are any chemical mixture - fuel and oxidizer - not classified as an explosive and none of the ingredients are classified as an explosive (ammonium nitrate / fuel oil) Different explosives can be triggered by simple impact or use of additional detonators  Explosives Information Primary explosives are very sensitive to things like impact, friction, heat, static electricity Secondary explosives are much less sensitive and may need a Primary explosive to detonate Tertiary explosives need a Primary and or Secondary to be set off Shockwaves from explosions can break windows, damage eardrum, cause lung collapse Remember Min Min Min - minimum use, minimum quantity, minimum personnel present Proper PPE (personal protective equipment) must always be used PPE Pyro Assembly: safety glasses, static control gloves and static grounding, safety shoes PPE Pyro Trigger Test: safety glasses, static control gloves and static grounding, safety shoes, hearing protection, and N95 respirator PPE Misfire: Hearing protection, heavy lab coat, hard hat with face shield, neck protector, and long heady leather gloves Non Static Clothing - do not wear nylon or wool as this can generate static electricity Minimize the number of people in the test area at all times The test chamber is designed so that explosives cannot be actuated with the door open Fire -- if it does not involve any explosives or the storage magazine directly, you can attempt to put out the fire if you can do it safely without putting yourself at risk Fire procedures: leave room, trigger alarm, contact fire department have someone meet them improper ignition is when something ignites in the wrong location improper ignition procedures - besides routine PPE, flame resistant lab coat, heavy gloves; place spent (igniter in non static container; spray pyrotechnic material with water; wipe contaminated surfaces with wet cloth, place all contents in a sealable, non-static container and seal the container: contact supervision and dispose in accordance with applicable laws Explosive Misfire is when something in the test setup faits to ignite Explosive Misfire Procedures (currently) all employees at least 5 f/ 1.5 m away, ideally outside room; wait at least 1 hour, an employee - wearing hearing protection, heavy lab coat, hard hat with face shield, neck protector, and long heavy leather gloves, will use long handled songs to remove the unexploded item and place in non-static generating container filled with water; place container in comer of the room furthest from the entrance, soak for 48 hours, then Dispose; work can proceed after i has been determined the cause the failure of the ignition Shipping actuators or airbag assemblies are either Class 1,4G (UN0503 Safety Devices, Pyrotechnic) or Class 9 (UN 326S Safety Devices, Electrically Initiated) Actuators are almost always shipped as: UN Number - 0503, Proper Shipping Name - Igniters, Transportation Hazard Class - 1.46, Hazard Label - Explosive 1.4 Airbag assemblies are almost always shipped as: UN Number - 3268, Proper Shipping Name \- Air Bag Inflator, Transportation Hazard Class - 9, Hazard Label - Safety Devices, Electrically initiated Only those trained may ship dangerous goods, every 3 years by ground, 2 years by air Initiator disposal, unused - contains Perchlorate, classified as D00S RCRA hazardous waste that meet the reactivity characteristic, and 0001 due to the ignitability of the propellant Initiator disposal, used - most likely has Perchlorate residue, perchlorate and its salts