§1910.109 Explosives and blasting agents.

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(a) Definitions applicable to this section. (1) Blasting agent. Any material or mixture, consisting of a fuel and oxidizer, intended for blasting, not otherwise classified as an explosive and in which none of the ingredients are classified as an explosive, provided that the finished product, as mixed and packaged for use or shipment, cannot be detonated by means of a No. 8 test blasting cap when unconfined.

(2) Explosive-actuated power devices. Any tool or special mechanized device which is actuated by explosives, but not including propellant-actuated power devices. Examples of explosive-actuated power devices are jet tappers and jet perforators.

Explosives		Distances in feet when storage is barricaded: Separation of magazines
Pounds over	Pounds not over
2	5	6
5	10	8
10	20	10
20	30	11
30	40	12
40	50	14
50	75	15
75	100	16
100	125	18
125	150	19
150	200	21
200	250	23
250	300	24
300	400	27
400	500	29
500	600	31
600	700	32
700	800	33
800	900	35
900	1,000	36
1,000	1,200	39
1,200	1,400	41
1,400	1,600	43
1,600	1,800	44
1,800	2,000	45
2,000	2,500	49
2,500	3,000	52
3,000	4,000	58
4,000	5,000	61
5,000	6,000	65
6,000	7,000	68
7,000	8,000	72
8,000	9,000	75
9,000	10,000	78
10,000	12,000	82
12,000	14,000	87
14,000	16,000	90
16,000	18,000	94
18,000	20,000	98
20,000	25,000	105
25,000	30,000	112
30,000	35,000	119
35,000	40,000	124
40,000	45,000	129
45,000	50,000	135
50,000	55,000	140
55,000	60,000	145
60,000	65,000	150
65,000	70,000	155
70,000	75,000	160
75,000	80,000	165
80,000	85,000	170
85,000	90,000	175
90,000	95,000	180
95,000	100,000	185
100,000	110,000	195
110,000	120,000	205
120,000	130,000	215
130,000	140,000	225
140,000	150,000	235
150,000	160,000	245
160,000	170,000	255
170,000	180,000	265
180,000	190,000	275
190,000	200,000	285
200,000	210,000	295
210,000	230,000	315
230,000	250,000	335
250,000	275,000	360
275,000	300,000	385
¹ “Natural barricade” means natural features of the ground, such as hills, or timber of sufficient density that the surrounding exposures which require protection cannot be seen from the magazine when the trees are bare of leaves. ² “Artificial barricade” means an artificial mound or revetted wall of earth of a minimum thickness of three feet. ³ “Barricaded” means that a building containing explosives is effectually screened from a magazine, building, railway, or highway, either by a natural barricade, or by an artificial barricade of such height that a straight line from the top of any sidewall of the building containing explosives to the eave line of any magazine, or building, or to a point 12 feet above the center of a railway or highway, will pass through such intervening natural or artificial barricade. ⁴ When two or more storage magazines are located on the same property, each magazine must comply with the minimum distances specified from inhabited buildings, railways, and highways, and in addition, they should be separated from each other by not less than the distances shown for “Separation of Magazines,” except that the quantity of explosives contained in cap magazines shall govern in regard to the spacing of said cap magazines from magazines containing other explosives. If any two or more magazines are separated from each other by less than the specified “Separation of Magazines” distances, then such two or more magazines, as a group, must be considered as one magazine, and the total quantity of explosives stored in such group must be treated as if stored in a single magazine located on the site of any magazine of the group, and must comply with the minimum of distances specified from other magazines, inhabited buildings, railways, and highways. ⁵ This table applies only to the permanent storage of commercial explosives. It is not applicable to transportation of explosives, or any handling or temporary storage necessary or incident thereto. It is not intended to apply to bombs, projectiles, or other heavily encased explosives.

Commodity	Type of marking or placard
Explosives, Class A, any quantity or a combination of Class A and Class B explosives	Explosives A (Red letters on white background).
Explosives, Class B, any quantity	Explosives B (Red letters on white background).
Oxidizing material (blasting agents, ammonium nitrate, etc.), 1,000 pounds or more gross weight	Oxidizers (Yellow letters on black background).

Donor weight		Minimum separation distance of receptor when barricaded ² (ft.)		Mimimum thickness of artificial barricades ⁵ (in.)
Pounds over	Pounds not over	Ammonium nitrate ³	Blasting agent ⁴	Mimimum thickness of artificial barricades ⁵ (in.)
	100	3	11	12
100	300	4	14	12
300	600	5	18	12
600	1,000	6	22	12
1,000	1,600	7	25	12
1,600	2,000	8	29	12
2,000	3,000	9	32	15
3,000	4,000	10	36	15
4,000	6,000	11	40	15
6,000	8,000	12	43	20
8,000	10,000	13	47	20
10,000	12,000	14	50	20
12,000	16,000	15	54	25
16,000	20,000	16	58	25
20,000	25,000	18	65	25
25,000	30,000	19	68	30
30,000	35,000	20	72	30
35,000	40,000	21	76	30
40,000	45,000	22	79	35
45,000	50,000	23	83	35
50,000	55,000	24	86	35
55,000	60,000	25	90	35
60,000	70,000	26	94	40
70,000	80,000	28	101	40
80,000	90,000	30	108	40
90,000	100,000	32	115	40
100,000	120,000	34	122	50
120,000	140,000	37	133	50
140,000	160,000	40	144	50
160,000	180,000	44	158	50
180,000	200,000	48	173	50
200,000	220,000	52	187	60
220,000	250,000	56	202	60
250,000	275,000	60	216	60
275,000	300,000	64	230	60
¹ These distances apply to the separation of stores only. Table H-21 shall be used in determining separation distances from inhabited buildings, passenger railways, and public highways. ² When the ammonium nitrate and/or blasting agent is not barricaded, the distances shown in the table shall be multiplied by six. These distances allow for the possibility of high velocity metal fragments from mixers, hoppers, truck bodies, sheet metal structures, metal container, and the like which may enclose the “donor”. Where storage is in bullet-resistant magazines recommended for explosives or where the storage is protected by a bullet-resistant wall, distances, and barricade thicknesses in excess of those prescribed in Table H-21 are not required. ³ The distances in the table apply to ammonium nitrate that passes the insensitivity test prescribed in the definition of ammonium nitrate fertilizer promulgated by the National Plant Food Institute; and ammonium nitrate failing to pass said test shall be stored at separation distances determined by competent persons. (Definition and Test Procedures for Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer, National Plant Food Institute, November 1964.) ⁴ These distances apply to nitro-carbo-nitrates and blasting agents which pass the insensitivity test prescribed in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. ⁵ Earth, or sand dikes, or enclosures filled with the prescribed minimum thickness of earth or sand are acceptable artificial barricades. Natural barricades, such as hills or timber of sufficient density that the surrounding exposures which require protection cannot be seen from the “donor” when the trees are bare of leaves, are also acceptable. ⁶ When the ammonium nitrate must be counted in determining the distances to be maintained from inhabited buildings, passenger railways and public highways, it may be counted at one-half its actual weight because its blast effect is lower.