020-6 Wyo. Code R. § 6-6 - Blaster Certification
(a) General.
(i) The Department of Environmental Quality,
Land Quality Division and the State Inspector of Mines will jointly administer
this Section by Memorandum of Understanding.
(b) Definition.
(i) A blaster or shot-firer is a person
directly responsible for the use of explosives in surface coal mining
operations or surface blasting operations incident to underground coal mining
operations.
(c)
Requirements.
(i) All blasting operations
shall be conducted under the direction of a certified blaster having a minimum
of two years of blasting experience.
(ii) Certificates of blaster certification
shall be carried by blasters or shall be on file at the mine site during
blasting operations and shall be exhibited to any authorized State or Federal
inspector upon request.
(iii) A
blaster and at least one other person shall be present in the blasting area at
the firing of a blast.
(iv) Persons
responsible for blasting operations at a blasting site shall be familiar with
the operator's blasting plan and site-specific performance standards.
(d) Training.
(i) The Department of Environmental Quality,
Land Quality Division, shall establish or approve training programs for persons
seeking to become certified as blasters. These training programs shall include:
(A) Selection of the type of explosives to be
used;
(B) Determination of the
properties of explosives which will produce desired results at an acceptable
level of risk;
(C) Handling,
transportation, and storage of explosives;
(D) Geologic and topographic considerations
of blast designs;
(E) Design of a
blast hole with critical dimensions;
(F) Pattern design, field layout, and timing
of blast holes;
(G) Field
applications of blast designs;
(H)
Loading blast holes, including priming and boostering;
(I) Initiation systems and blasting
machines;
(J) Blasting vibrations,
airblast, and flyrock, including monitoring techniques and methods to control
adverse affects;
(K) Secondary
blasting applications;
(L) Current
Federal and State rules applicable to the use of explosives;
(M) Blast records;
(N) Schedules;
(O) Preblasting surveys, including
availability, coverage, and the use of in-blast designs;
(P) Blast plan requirements;
(Q) Certification and training;
(R) Signs, warning signals, and site control;
and
(S) Unpredictable hazards,
including lightning, stray currents, radio waves, and misfires.
(ii) Reciprocity of blaster's
certificates from other approved State or Federal programs will require
approval of the Administrator and the State Mine Inspector and at a minimum,
knowledge of site-specific performance standards and blasting plan.
(e) Examination.
(i) To attain certification, a candidate must
receive a passing score on the written and oral examinations which are prepared
and approved by the Administrator.
(ii) The written examination for candidates
for blaster certification shall test their competence in and practical
application of the topics set forth in Section
6(d).
(iii) The oral examination for candidates for
blaster certification shall test the use of explosives in relation to
site-specific performance standards and the blasting plan under which they will
be operating.
(f)
Issuance of Certification.
(i) Certificates
will be issued to those candidates receiving a passing score on the
certification examination. The certification will expire five years from the
issuance date.
(g)
Renewal.
(i) Certificates may be renewed upon
completion of the training, examination and certification program as required
by the Administrator.
(h) Revocation.
(i) Following written notice and opportunity
for hearing, the blasting certification will be revoked or suspended upon
finding of:
(A) Noncompliance with any
blasting-related order of Land Quality Division or the State Inspector of
Mines;
(B) Unlawful use in the
workplace of, or current addiction to, alcohol, narcotics, or other dangerous
drugs;
(C) Violation of any
provision of the State or Federal explosives laws or regulations; and
(D) Providing false information or a
misrepresentation to obtain certification.
(ii) If advance notice and opportunity for
hearing cannot be provided, an opportunity for a hearing shall be provided as
soon as practical following the suspension or revocation.
(iii) Upon notice of revocation, the blaster
shall immediately surrender to the Land Quality Division the revoked
certification.
(i)
Maintenance of Certificates.
(i) Certificates
will be protected from loss, theft, or unauthorized duplication and any such
occurrence shall be reported to the Land Quality Division
immediately.
(ii) Certificates
shall not be assigned or transferred.
(iii) The blasters shall not delegate their
responsibilities to any individual who is not a certified blaster.
Notes
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