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.

Get to know our new Governor from AECI Mining : Christo PELTZ

Personal Details:

  • Date of Birth: 26 May 1973 (51 Years of age)
  • Marital Status: Married to Martiana Peltz (Clinical Psychologist) since 2001 Children: Mika (daughter 15y) & Zander (son 12y)
  • Formal Education: Matriculated in 1991 & Completed BTech in Explosives Technology in 1997 Pretoria Technicon & Certificate in Management from Henley (England)
  • Several courses in general safety such as SAMTRAC, Apollo RCA, first aid, firefighting etc.

Working History:

Commercial Blasting Operations

  • In-Service training at Civil Blasting Company doing drilling, loading and blasting
  • In-Service training at narrow reef gold mine doing blasting and face advance measurements

AECI Research and Technical Department

  • Started at AECI in August of 1994 as a temp doing in service training.
  • Permanently employed since March 1996 employed as a research assistant.
  • Worked extensively on Initiating systems and becoming technical custodian for complete range of initiating systems. Experience in Capped fuse and Igniter Cord, Shock tube Detonator systems, Electronic Detonator Systems, Detonating cord & Boosters. During this time was promoted from Technologist to Senior Technologist and ultimately Chief Technologist.
  • In 2006 I was promoted to Explosives Manager in charge of R&D safety and started working extensively with Government departments including Department of Employment & Labour, South African Police Services, Department of Mineral- and Petroleum Resources and Department of Transport. A lot of the research job aspect during this time was spent on Electronic Detonator development and as a result have strong capability in Electronic Detonator design.

Product Management

In 2009 I was promoted to Product Manager for Packaged Explosives and relocated to the AECI Mining Head Office. The Product Management portfolio grew to include the entire range of Initiating System products. During this time the engagement of Government departments became more formalised and I was appointed as the official liaison between the Chief Inspector of Explosives and AECI.

Safety & Risk Management

In the last quarter of 2017 I was promoted to my current role as Company Risk and Safety Manager for AECI Mining. My current role assigns accountability for the safety and risk associated with AECI Mining which includes National Keypoint management, MHI, Safety & Health and Legislative Risk for

Accountability for Explosives control of the Modderfontein Factory. I serve on the National Institute of Explosives Technology as the Vice Chair in the SA context and as Deputy Governor at SAFEX. I have investigated many explosives incidents over the years and have a good knowledge of incident investigation and Root Cause Analysis.

In a nutshell, I’ll describe myself as an experienced explosives practitioner with practical experience in plant, product & packaging design. I also have experience in manufacture, storage, distribution, transport, use and destruction of energetic materials, remediation of explosives contaminated sites with specific speciality in Electronic Detonator systems.

In closing, I also have a personal passion for safety as it resonates with my personal core values.