NSAA, Explosives, operational Recording

AV-PRO 2014 – Lake Tahoe
• NSAA Explosives Use In Avalanche Control/Resource
Guide
• Avalanche Hazard Evaluation Exercise
• General Explosive/ Information
• Current Explosive Supply/Avalauncher Round Issues
• Operational Recording of Explosives Use to Satisfy ATF
Fatalities/Incidents involving explosives in
Hazard Reduction
• March 16, 1966; Ole Olefson, USFS, Crystal Mountain – Gunnery Accident
• December 13, 1973; Marvin Critton, Mammoth Mtn. – Explosive Accident
• ?, 1973; Bill Hanon, Mammoth Mtn – Lost fingers in explosives accident
• December 22, 1982; 2 Gunners and 2 Highway Techs – Avalauncher accident
• November 23, 1994; Roger Evans, USFS, Alpine Meadows – Gunnery
Accident
• December 25, 1996; Erika Pankow, Big Sky – Explosives Accident
For perspective 22 patroller’s have died in avalanches and two
have died in explosives accidents
Guidelines and Resource guide trigger
• On Christmas morning 1996, Big Sky patroller Erika Pankow dies while attempting
to relight a hand charge.
• Explosive manufacturers threaten to not sell explosives to ski resorts, put liability
insurance $ requirements and hold harmless agreements as conditions of sales.
• Pankow’s route partner, Shana Behr brings lawsuit against Big Sky for failure to
inadequately train both women in the safe use of explosive components.
US Ski Industries/NSAA Response
• Formed NSAA Explosives Committee
• Formed Committee of Patrol/Control leaders including Larry
Heywood, Bill Williamson and Woody Sherwood to develop some
guidelines and develop industry training program.
• Draft NSAA Explosive Use in Avalanche Control produced by 1997,
Revisions made in 1998 and 20002.
• Individual Resorts make effort to more effectively train workers
• CAA consulted and permission obtained to adapt their explosives use
training program for US use.
• NSAA Avalanche Blasting Resource Guide made available to US
resorts using explosives in November of 2003
Things to Bear in Mind about NSAA guidelines
• Only guidelines not meant to be a law
• Individual resorts may have more stringent requirements
• Certain states or local government agencies may have more
stringent regulations
• Intent was to bring all Control Programs in the US to at least
this level of explosives handling policy
NSAA Explosives Use Guidelines and
Avalanche Blasting Resource Guide
NSAA Avalanche Explosives
Guidelines
• Uniform system of hand charge procedures
• Adapted from:
– Federal and State Regulations
– IME and ISEE References
– US Forest Service References
– 50 Years of Explosive Use at US Ski Areas
• Deviations as required by law, or by
manufacturer recommendations
NSAA Guidelines
Definitions
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American Table of Distances
Avalanche Blaster
Blast Area
Blasting Cap
Cast, Extruded of Pressed Booster
Crimping Tool of Cap Crimper
Explosive Charge
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Fuse Ignitors
Misfire
No-light
Primer
Safety Fuse
Shelf Life
Shock Resistant
NSAA Guidelines –
Personnel
• All personnel must be trained and
supervised
• At least 2 people in blasting party, one
is a qualified avalanche blaster
• Must be in good mental and physical
condition, and competent skiers
Communications
• Team members to be in contact
– radio
– Voice, or
– line of sight
• Contact between blasting crew and area
closure personnel
• All communications to be constant
• Our local communication protocols
Transportation
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Fire prevention
Unattended explosives
Security
No public with explosives on gondola or
tramcar
• Minimum 100 ft from public, front and
back, for explosives transport on lifts
• Our program’s transport protocols
Avalanche Blasting
Resource Guide
Presented by: NSAA Explosive
Committee
Explosives Training Subcommittee:
Larry Heywood,
Bill Williamson, Gus ‘Piney’
Gilman, Corky Ward,
Doug Richmond, G.L. ‘Woody’
Sherwood
November 2003, Modified from a
training program produced in
2002 by:
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
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BASICS
STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVES
RECORDS and INVENTORIES
EXPLOSIVES COMPONENTS
BLASTING SITE CONTROL
THE BASICS
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Importance of explosives training
Avalanches
Applying explosives
Regulations and guidelines
Definitions
Personnel
Communications
Transportation
Importance of Training
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Powerful tool means big responsibility:
Stakes are too high for trial and error
Destructive potential
Personal injury
Legal liabilities
Safe Explosives Act and
Regulations
• Specifies requirements for:
– buying
– selling
– storing
– transporting
RECORDS and INVENTORIES
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Explosives Records
Magazine Logs
Magazine Inspections and Inventories
Keys
Background Checks
Disposal of Explosives
Explosives Records
Received
Retained
Consumed
Purchase and shipping
records
Magazine logs
Inventory/Inspection records
Magazine Log
2Jan02 2” Powerfrac 75%
30
7Jan02 2” Powerfrac 75%
7Jan02 2” Powerfrac 75%
10
2
30
del.
XXXXX
20
#15
XXXXX
22
#15
XXXXX
Magazine Log
Magazine Inspections/Inventories
• Inspect at least every 7 days
• Sufficient to determine unauthorized entry
• Conduct annual inspections for Forest Service and for
ATF
• Keep a log of daily activities
Key Control and Security
• Maintain a log of all distributed keys
• Only personnel authorized, per federal regs, to posses
explosives shall be issued keys
• Unregistered locks: change every year, or when keys
are stolen
• Registered locks: change if keys are stolen
Background Investigations
• 2002 Safe Explosives Act requires ski areas to request
background checks of employees authorized to
possess explosives
• State or local regulations may also require background
checks
What ATF Is looking for on inspection?
• Bills of Ladings (Received Records)
• Magazine Logs (Retained Records, Separate for each
magazine)
• DMI-Daily Movement of Inventory (Consumed Records-could
be route logs or some other form)
• Weekly Inspection of magazine records
• Magazines meet appropriate requirements
• Magazines meet Table of Distances requirements
• Explosives stored appropriately with labels out
Mt. Rose Daily Explosives Use Record
Date: _________
Routes or Use: _______________________________________________
Safety Fuse: ________ #8 Blasting Caps: ________ Mil-Det: _______
Primacord 10 50gr: ____________ Primacord 5 25gr: _____________
Avalauncher Rounds/Type: ____________________________________
Avalanche Guard Rounds: __________ AVACUPS(sizes): __________
Emulsion Units/Type: _________________________________________
Cast Primers/Type: ___________________________________________
Powerditch 1000/Unigel/Other Nitro product: _____________________
Anfo: ________________ Nonel/Shock-Dets: _____________________
Other Explosive and Type: _____________________________________
Use Logged By: _____________________
Signature: _________________________
Avalanche Hazard Evaluation Exercise
Explosives Use in Hazard Mitigation
• As a test of stability/instability
• To verify the hazard forecast for a given day
• To mitigate/reduce the hazard of any instability
determined by the initial tests and forecast
Interpretation of explosive stability test results?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pot-hole/negative results with indications of stability
Pot-hole with indications of instability (whumpfing/cracking)
Avalanche with remaining hazard
Avalanche with no remaining hazard
Explosive Delivery Methods
• Hand charges thrown
• Hand charges placed
• Hand charges placed and elevated
• Homemade/jury rigged methods of delivering hand charges
• Large Anfo shots
• Artillery
• Avalaunchers
• Bomb Trams
• Gas Ex
Commonly Used Explosives Detonation Velocities
Dyno AP+ (Emulsion)
75% Extra Gel
Cast primers
Detonating Cord
Anfo
15,000 fps
19,000 fps
24,000 fps
28,000 fps
Varies based on confinement
What we know about explosives effectiveness?
• Elevated explosives have a greater sphere of influence on the snow
• Double the size of explosives does not mean double the sphere of
influence
• Orientation of the blasting cap in relationship to the snow surface
has an effect on the sphere of influence
• Emulsions can have incomplete detonations at temps below 0°F.
• Faster explosives have more of a shattering effect and are very
effective in less dense snow-packs
• Slower explosives have more of a heaving effect and may be more
effective in wetter or denser snow
What is a standard slope charge and are most
of us using it?
• Historic definition is 1kg or 2.2 pounds
• A 2 ¼ X 12 stick of Dyno AP+ weighs 1.76 pounds
• 2# cast primer weighs 2 pounds
• Classic avalauncher round weighs 1.6 pounds
The 3 Rights for Successful Explosives Use
• The Right Charge
Type and size of explosives
• The Right Place
Terrain Considerations
Charge Size and Zone of Influence
Detonation height
Rules of Thumb
• The Right Time
Shot Placement
Avalanche Character and Explosives
• Which type of explosive and delivery would work best with which
Problem/Character?
• What size/number of explosive would work best with each problem?
• What would be the right place to put explosives for a given problem/
• What would be the right time to deliver explosives for each
problem?
• Any other considerations for explosives use based on the problem?
Current Issues with Explosives’ Supply
• One of the three main manufacturer’s of explosives has “dropped”
out of the hazard reduction business
• #8 Blasting Caps no longer available in the US or Canada
• Newer Avalauncher round like the AVR-2 and Stubby have an issue
with the arming disc coming off prior to exiting the barrel.
• Cil Orion owns Ensign-Bickford and is the only company
manufacturing Avalauncher rounds.
• Fuse speed issue between pre-made Cobra assemblies and Cobra
fuse rolls used to build assemblies in-house
January 19, 2013
Safety Bulletin
TO ALL USERS OF C-I-L Explosives Snowlauncher slip-pin avalauncher systems.
C-I-L has always taken the position that we insist users of our snowlauncher products fire
these from either a remote and protected area or that a ballistic guard be in place to protect
the practitioner in the event of a mishap. Also C-I-L has engaged their technical staff and
consultants to develop action as
shown necessary. Recent discussion and supposition on the safety of firing avalauncher units
has led us to strongly reiterate our position on this point.
All users of our snowlauncher products must do so using a remote protected position or a
ballistic
guard.
If a user finds they cannot accommodate or will not accommodate such a practise, we would
ask them to immediately stop using the C-I-L product and call C-I-L for immediate retrieval of
any product in stock. This will be done of course at no cost to the customer.
Also if anyone needs help or advice to immediately address this situation, please call our
technical consultant David Sly at 250-744-8765.
MANDATORY PROCEDURES POLICY for both SUB-CALIBER and FULL CALIBER pressure
plates.
ALWAYS:
- Initiate your gun from a remote firing area at least 100 feet away from the gun in a straight
line.
- OR
- From behind a protective ballistic shield, ground barrier, structure or snow mound
- Always ensure your crew is properly trained prior to the use of any C-I-L explosives products
NEVER:
- Stand beside your gun to fire
- Never combine any C-I-L snowlauncher system part with other manufacturer’s system part
- Force any parts together
Only game in town – Cil Orion