The Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations

The Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations (MSER) and Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) were issued by the Health and Safety Commission, and came into effect on 26 April 2005, having largely replaced the Explosives Acts 1875 and 1923. 

The Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 (Published by HSE Books Sudbury). 

It should also be noted that the Regulations apply to the manufacture and storage of explosives whether this is for work or non-work purposes. This means that they would apply to anyone storing explosives for personal recreational use, or to clubs or societies storing for firework displays or re-enactment events. 

A substantial amount of laboratory research involves materials considered, in the legal sense of the term, as explosives rather than simply chemicals which can explode under appropriate conditions. The term explosive in this relatively rrarrow sense is defined as any material determined to be within the scope of Title 18, United States Code, Chapter 40, Importation Manufacture, Distribution and Storage of Explosive Materials, and any material classified as an erqrlosive by the Department of Transportation in the Hazardous Material regulations (Title 49 CFR, Parts 100-199). A list of the materials that are within the scope of Title 18, United States Code, Chapter 40 is published periodically by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

The federal government is the only entity that can authorize the manufacture, sale, storage, and use of explosives. Therefore, it can issue administrative regulations requiring mandatory and random inspection of facilities as a licensing requirement. 

The OSHA standard includes the manufacture, storage, transportation, and use of explosives, blasting agents, and pyrotechnics, with no threshold or minimum quantity. The ERA standard includes all Division 1.1 explosives, as listed and defined in the U.S. DOT regulations [36]. The threshold quantity is set at 5000 pounds, based on the potential to detonate and yield a blast wave overpressure of 3 psi (gauge) at a distance of 100 meters (-328 feet) [5]. It should be noted that many explosives are listed in 49 CFR 172.101 as forbidden rather than 1.1, and these materials include Type A peroxides and particularly ketone peroxides [36]. 

These and the numerous associated Orders and Regulations cover the manufacture, storage, carriage and use of explosives, licensing and registration of premises, fire precautions, etc. 

The manufacturing, transportation, storage, distribution, and use of explosives are comprehensively regulated on the local, state, and federal level. 

The transportation of explosives, including 1,3-DNB and 1,3,5-TNB, must be in accordance with the Department of Transportation hazardous material regulations (49 CFR 171-190) and the motor carrier safety regulations (49 CFR 390-398). Numerous states have established regulations on explosives for air quality control, solid waste disposal, storage, manufacture, and use. 

At present, AN is classified as "anexplosive ingredient and oxidizing material. Its manufacture, use, storage distribution and possession are regulated by the Federal Explosives Act, which is administered by the US Bureau of Mines. A yellow label, the same as for Amm perchlorate, is required on all railroad shipments. Since 1947, fortunately, there have been no major disasters with AN, only a few fires have occurred... 

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