Roger Holmberg

Accidents Reported from End Users in

Europe
The report gives an idea of what frequencies and type of

accidents, with explosives involved, we see in Europe.

Flyrock is a concern!

Reports have been achieved from the following countries

Sweden
Finland
Ireland
Germany
Norway
France

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Sweden

(1)

Destruction of explosives (demilitarisation

operations)
Five reported incidents/accidents

One fatality
Three injured persons
One property damage

Other incidents/accidents
I.e. wrong cutting of detonating cord, wrong use of
linear shaped charges used in rescue operation
Four incidents/accidents
2 injuries
SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Sweden

1992-2001

(2)

Drilling into a misfired charge

Six accidents; 4 fatalities, 2 severe injuries
Flyrocks
Eighteen reported incidents/accidents

Three injured persons

Fifteen property damages
It is believed that we have at least the same number of unrecorded
cases

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Finland

(2)

From 1973 to 1999. Fatalities in explosives accidents on

mining and construction sites

Transportation of explosives
1
Handling of explosives
2
Trench blasting
6
Charging
1
Flyrocks
6
Other
4
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Total
20
SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Ireland

(1)

5 years
Accidents in Mining and Quarrying + (2 from

Civ. Eng. Works)

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Ireland

(2)

FLYROCKS (N.B. There is no requirement to report

flyrock unless it injures someone requiring them to
have hospital treatment).
Windscreen blown out of a excavator 500m away due to flyrock when blasting

using pumped emulsions (not reported & not investigated)

Bedroom window & doorframe of house damaged 300metres away (investigated)
and due to poor blast design.
24 Cars and 2 Workshops damaged due to flyrocks caused from, failure to have a
free face, overloading of the hole, insufficient stemming and lack of training.
Resulted in prosecution.
New Factory Unit severely damaged +EUR 3,000,000 as a result of flyrock a
distance of 500 Metres away due to numerous failures by the shotfirer relating to
design, face profiling, failure to check hole diameter or inclination, no drill log
information and poor management controls. Prosecution Pending,

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Ireland

(3)

STORAGE (N.B. Ireland is unique in that due to the unavailability of

storage facilities surplus explosives must be destroyed on site [because

of the terrorist threat].)
16 kilograms of explosives were destructed by burning - established guidelines

were not followed, electric detonators

were accidentally placed on the fire. Due for prosecution March 14. (Civil Eng.
Work)

64 kilograms of explosives were destructed by burning at the same site -

established guidelines were not followed, explosives self initiated during

burning. Due for prosecution March 14.
(Civil Eng. Work)

A similar incident occurred when Galmoy Mine was under

development and the explosives were initiated by burning primaflex

detonating cord with the nitro-glycerine explosive.

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Ireland

(4)

MISFIRES
In the mines there are numerous misfires involving
pentaflex failing to initiate in the perimeter holes of
tunnel blasts - there are a number of possible reasons
for this including hole spacing, delay sequence, poor
shotfiring procedures, failure to confine the explosives
in the hole or a combination of these.
Misfires are not reportable in the quarry industry and
therefore no details are given.

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Ireland

(5)

POOR MANAGEMENT CONTROL

An incident occurred at one mine where the round was fired as
someone was driving by and he was fortunate to avoid serious
injury as the drivers door of the vehicle was severely damaged the property damage was due to poor management controls and
the failure by the shotfirer to prevent access to that area.
LIGHTNING
There has been reports of a few instances of initiation or part
initiation of a quarry round by lightning but in both of these
cases the quarry had been cleared.

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

10

Ireland

(6)

EXTRANEOUS CURRENT SOURCES / STATIC ELECTRICITY

A shotfirer was fortunate to only receive minor injuries when
two electric detonators initiated in his trouser pocket when he
placed a radio in there as well - the battery terminals coming into
contact with the lead wires.
Another incident involving a young worker who should not have
had a detonator in his hand, was injured during the loading of a
quarry when the detonator in his hand initiated blowing off two
of his fingers- despite intensive efforts the cause of this can not
be pinpointed, the lead wires were not damaged, the detonator
did not appear to have been previously damaged, extraneous
current sources were not detected, static electricity is still
probably the most likely source.

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

11

Germany

(1)

Accidents during the period 1997-2000 (excl mines)

Year Injured Fatally Type of
Injured explosives
1997
1
0
Gelatinous
1997

1998

1998

1998

2000

2000

2000

Type of
accident
Area blasting
Insufficient
cover
Emulsion
2nd series blasting Insufficient
explosives
cover
Gelatinous
Large borehole
Premature
ANC explosives
detonation
Gelatinous
Large borehole
Dud
ANC explosives
Gelatinous
Tunnel profile
Dud
blasting
Emulsion
Boulder blasting
Insufficient
explosives
cover
Gelatinous
Large borehole
Dud
Emulsion
explosives

Type of blasting

Large borehole

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Insufficient
cover

Cause of accident
Projectiles while removing dud.
Failure to clear blasting area.
Failure to clear blasting area.
Burning paper only 10 m away.
Detonation during boulder
comminution.
Improper manufacturing of the
priming cartridge.
Failure to clear blasting area
(within 94 m)
Residual explosive in the debris
heap, no redundant ignition.
Wheel loader remained with open
door in blasting area (180 m).

12

Norway

(1)

Accidents reported from end users in Norway

60
50

Drilling into
misfires

40
30

Premature
detonation

20

Flyrocks,
Vibrations,
etc.

10

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

99

19

96

19

93

19

90

19

87

19

84

19

81

19

78

19

75

19

72

19

69

19

66

19

63

19

19

60

13

Norway

(2)
Accidents in Norway 1990-2000

60

Drilling into misfires

50
Premature detonation
40
Flyrocks, Vibrations, etc.

30
20

Children playing with

expl.

10

19
90
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

14

Norway

(3)

Statistics from the years 1990-2000

Drilling into misfires

Premature detonation
Flyrocks, Vibrations, etc.
Children playing with expl.

Accidents
28
8
314
42

Fatalities
1
2
5
3

Injuries
15
10
45
42

Flyrocks !
SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

15

Norway

(4)

Flyrocks (Strong increase 1990).

According to DBE It is assumed that the following
items contributed to the increased accident rate.

Reporting is compulsory but all do not send in reports! In 1990

a campaign started to get all reports.
The average hole diameter increased from 51 mm to 64 -76
mm.
There was a change from cartridged explosives to bulk
explosives like ANFO and emulsion.
Exclusion zones; These are general of right size at start-up,
but they have a tendency to decrease as long as the blasting
work is successful.
SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

16

France

(1)

Statistics from the years 1980-2001

Manufacturing and storage
Charging, covering or flyrocks
Black powder fuse
Electric detonators
Misfires (drilling, early return)
Shot Exploder (energy)
Total

Accidents
3
8
2
1
7
1
22

Fatalities
2
5
2
0
0
0
9

Injuries
0
9
0
1
10
2
22

Flyrocks and Misfires !

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

17

Conclusions
Material received from the authorities/organisations gives

a good hint of the type of accidents occurred at the work

sites.
In most countries the statistics are collected by several
authorities/organisations which makes it difficult to
achieve a full picture of the total number of accidents in
civil engineering, mining and quarrying.
Definition of accidents varies but seems to become
harmonised within EU.
General trends are positive - decreasing rate of accidents.
SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

18

Conclusions
Flyrocks and misfires seems to have the highest

frequencies in accident reporting.

Emulsion explosives have increased safety among
users.
The use of non-electric shock tube systems have
reduced accidents with detonators.
Use of black powder fuse has decreased - accidents
are reduced.
Redundant systems reduces risks with misfires.
Important to perform regular training/education of
personnel involved with explosives.
SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

19

Flyrocks
3 ton boulder

300 m horizontal
40 m vertical

upwards
q=1.1 kg/m3
D=7 5/8 inches

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

20

Flyrock
Max Throw R (m)

R=260d(2/3)
d=hole diameter (inch)
Flyrock diameter (m)

=0.1d(2/3)

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

Hole diameter Max throw Diameter of

(inch)
(m)
flyrock (cm)
1
260
10
2
413
16
3
541
21
4
655
25
5
760
29
6
859
33
7
951
37
8
1040
40
9
1125
43
10
1207
46

21

Major accidents in Europe

Ammonium Nitrate Explosion in Toulouse - France

21 September 2001

A fertiliser factory in an industrial zone on the outskirts of

Toulouse, southwest of France. Some 300 tons of AN

detonated. Over 30 people were reported dead and the total
number of injuries is over 2 400.

Firework disaster Enschede 13 May 2000

On 13 May 2000, two explosions in a fireworks

warehouse detonated an estimated 100 tonnes of

explosives. The blast was felt up to 30 km away. Some
400 apartments were reduced to cinders, another 1000
were damaged. After the explosion 22 people (4
firefighters) were found dead, 947 were injured, many
of them seriously.

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

22

SAFEX 2002 /RoH/

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