Safex Newsletter No.82 May 2025

In alignment with our previous newsletters, we commence our articles with a safety message from Gilles de Preux, the CEO of the SEE Group, headquartered in Switzerland.

We are pleased to announce the introduction of a new member to our Board of Governors. Christo Peltz from AECI Mining will be succeeding Neil Franklin, who has stepped down due to work commitments.

Progress on our website is being prioritized under the leadership of Andy Begg, Paulo Siquera, and Ludovic Turlin. A Basis of Safety section is now operational, and significant advancements have been made on the Safety Management System. Articles regarding both initiatives are presented by Andy and Paulo.

Johanne dela Rovere from EPC presents an article on the reinforcement of windows to withstand overpressure. An assessment of the resistance of installations to blast waves typically indicates that glazed joinery and glazing are prevalent weak points in infrastructure.

Diane Ginnane elaborates on a Safety Management System developed by Dyno Nobel. Dyno Nobel has introduced an innovative Explosives Management System (ExMS) that emphasizes the identification and management of critical activities, while establishing standards and procedures that define minimum requirements for all operations related to explosives and the security of sensitive hazardous substances.

From South Africa, BME’s Dr. Ramesh Dhoorgapersadh addresses risk management in reactive ground. Reactive ground refers to soil containing high concentrations of sulfides (typically iron or copper) that have the potential to react exothermically with ammonium nitrate-based explosives.

Johanne recently delivered a presentation at a technical conference in Belgium focused on SAFEX and the associated database. In her preparation, she identified key areas for improvement, which were subsequently communicated to the webmaster.

NIXT, a Corporate Associate Member in South Africa, successfully hosted a conference in April, during which they agreed to feature two presentations in our Newsletter. One presentation will cover the Track and Trace of Explosives by Rob Penny from Synertech, while the other will discuss the application of fungi in environmental cleanup, presented by Northwest University in collaboration with Dyno Nobel and Sasol.

The current list of Board Initiatives is accessible on the homepage of the website. Should any member wish to contribute to these work groups, please feel free to reach out to me.

We are pleased to announce that our upcoming Newsletter will be published at the end of October 2025. A reminder will be distributed to solicit contributions from industry professionals.

Additionally, we would like to remind you of our triannual Congress taking place in Lisbon in April 2026. The organization of this significant event in our calendar is progressing well. We are currently seeking a few more papers on incidents for discussion during our Member Day. Please reach out to me if you are interested in representing your company.

Until we meet again, please remain vigilant and prioritize your safety.

DNA Explosive Management System

By Diane Ginnane

It is important to recognise the importance of blasting as a critical hazardous task in the industry and the extra effort that is needed to be made to ensure safety through the process of handling and use of explosives to break rock. Blasters and individuals that are exposed and handle explosives need to be taught how to identify hazards and remediations. Proper blast designs and knowledge are a key role in achieving the wanted outcome while reducing hazards. As an explosives industry it is critical that the blasters in the field that handle explosives daily follow proper procedures and policies. The blasters need to be taught and trained on how to identify hazards and inadequate conditions before loading to prevent unwanted outcomes.

Dyno Nobel across North America has identified the criticality of updated procedures and the value of regular evaluations of blasters in the field in core competencies. The Nobel Academy group provides training and support across the business. The Nobel Academy mission is to provide consistent, sustainable learning to empower our people to generate customer value, drive operational excellence and achieve our full potential. Our vision for the Nobel Academy is to educate, engage, and develop the people that lead and set the standard in the explosives industry.

Dyno Nobel has developed a groundbreaking Explosives Management System (ExMS). This system focuses on identifying and managing critical activities, establishing a standard and procedures that set minimum requirements for all activities related to explosives and the security of sensitive dangerous substances operations.

ExMS modules set minimum performance expectations and practices, providing a valuable reference for Dyno Nobel employees in their daily activities in the field. When the ExMS system was created Dyno Nobel reviewed all critical tasks and jobs within the company that needed to have responsibilities and standards reviewed and updated. (See Figure 1 for identified critical areas included in the ExMS updated documents). Dyno Nobel identified the high danger activities and created an updated policy and procedural documents to help its employees have a guide and reference for practices to follow.

Figure 1. Critical areas that were included in the ExMS updated document.

To further ensure compliance and alignment, Dyno Nobel have meticulously referenced all local legislation and laws, assuring that the ExMS system adheres to standards set by local and regional governments. (See Figure 2 for references used in creating the ExMS system.)

Figure 2. References used in creating ExMS system.

Our purpose as the Nobel Blaster Academy is to provide training needs and evaluations of its blasters in the field. We perform evaluations of blasters yearly to ensure the competencies and our people are following the standards in the Dyno Nobel ExMS. The areas that are evaluated are considered hazardous tasks for the blasters and by evaluating and grading in these areas, improves overall safety of the blasters. Blasters are observed in the field and given a score on their performance and conformance to competencies. Based on the score, coaching and areas to improve are provided to the blaster to know where they can improve their skills. During the time between the evaluation of the blasters, coaches work with the blasters to coach in areas to improve skills until the next evaluation. We feel as a group this provides enough time to improve skills and that blasters have the support and tools to develop in these identified areas. Along with the coaching and in conjunction, training is available for the blasters to take and improve their knowledge and skills.

This approach underpins the safety culture at Dyno Nobel. The Dyno Nobel Blaster Academy objective is to have competent blasters trained in hazard identification and evaluated on a yearly basis on critical task competencies and we want the blasters to know and feel they are in control of their safety.

The vision of the Dyno Nobel Blaster Academy is to pioneer a systemized approach to blasting excellence. This approach involves developing a comprehensive system that integrates tools, policies, and procedures to drive excellence in blasting. The scope of the system under development includes curriculum development, both online and in-person courses, on-the-job training with certified coaches, and competency-based assessments, all while seamlessly integrating with our ExMS. We are committed to ensuring that our blasters are well-equipped, competent, and safe as they carry out their critical tasks in the field.