Coal Mining Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/90-97)

23. Immediately before firing a shot, a shotfirer shall repeat the test referred to in paragraph 21(a).

24. Where a shot or round of shots is fired, the shotfirer shall make an examination of the effect of the shot or round of shots before the next shot or round of shots is fired.

• 25. (1) Where a shot is to be fired with a blasting machine, the shotfiring cable shall be not less than 30 m long.

• (2) No person, other than a shotfirer, shall connect a shotfiring cable to detonator wires or to a blasting machine.

• (3) Where a shot is to be fired with a blasting machine, the shotfirer shall, in the following sequence,

  • (a) twist the ends of the shotfiring cable together at the blasting machine and isolate them from ground;

  • (b) check the shotfiring cable and the detonator circuit;

  • (c) connect the shotfiring cable to the shot;

  • (d) check the total circuit;

  • (e) verify that all persons in the danger area referred to in paragraph 22(1)(a) have been evacuated from that area;

  • (f) connect the shotfiring cable to the blasting machine, verifying that the shotfirer alone has possession and control of the blasting machine;

  • (g) shout “FIRE” or “TIR”;

  • (h) verify that the danger area referred to in paragraph 22(1)(a) is clear of persons;

  • (i) take cover outside the danger area referred to in paragraph 22(1)(a);

  • (j) fire the shot;

  • (k) subject to sections 28 and 29, wait at least five minutes before the shotfirer returns to the area of the shot hole to satisfy himself that no dangerous condition has resulted from firing the shot; and

  • (l) measure the concentration of flammable gas in the general body of the air in the area of the shot hole.

26. Subject to section 27, each shot hole shall be charged separately and each shot shall be fired singly.

• 27. (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (4), rounds of shots may be fired in shafts, development drivages, cross-measure drivages, intake and return brushings of longwall faces and repair brushings.

• (2) Not more than 12 shots in a round may be fired simultaneously using the shortest millisecond-delay detonators.

• (3) A round of shots using different millisecond-delay detonators shall not be fired unless

  • (a) the concentration of flammable gas in the general body of the air in the area of the shot holes and in any area contiguous thereto does not exceed

    • (i) where the period between the detonation of the first shot and the detonation of the last shot is calculated not to exceed 0.2 second, 1 per cent, and

    • (ii) where the period between the detonation of the first shot and the detonation of the last shot is calculated to exceed 0.2 second but not to exceed 0.75 second, 0.8 per cent;

  • (b) the mine manager has issued to the shotfirer for each area of firing a copy of the shotfiring pattern that shows

    • (i) the position and direction of every shot hole in the round,

    • (ii) the maximum quantity of explosive to be used in each shot hole, and

    • (iii) the maximum length of each shot hole; and

  • (c) the maximum period that may elapse between the detonation of the first shot and the detonation of the last shot is

    • (i) where the shots are fired in a development drivage that contains no seam of coal exceeding 300 mm and that is more than 5 m from a waste or fault, 0.75 second or less, and

    • (ii) in all other cases, 0.2 second or less.

• (4) A copy of the shotfiring pattern for each area at which multi-shot firing is carried out in a mine shall be kept available above ground at the coal mine for examination by employees.