Blast Clearance: The Final Step That Saves Lives

Of all the steps needed to ensure safety for the public and operations crews, making sure the Blast Area and Site is clear of people before blast time is one of the most important.

The process starts well before the first hole is loaded, with a review of the Blast Area Security Plan. This is done with both the blast crew and operations personnel. During this review, teams confirm:

• The expected blast time and area dimensions
• Who is responsible for guarding access points
• Communication protocols in the lead-up to detonation 

This early coordination ensures everyone knows where and when the blast will happen, and that access is tightly controlled.

As the blast is being loaded, the blaster-in-charge must be kept informed of any issues like:

• Holes drilled too short or too deep
• Incorrect explosive loading
• Stemming inconsistencies
• Connection problems
  

By communicating these in real-time, the blaster can either mitigate the issue or inform operations if the blast time or area needs to change.

Before detonation, a final step must take place:

🚦A go/no-go decision is made to confirm whether it's truly safe to proceed.

If there are unresolved concerns, escalation to supervisors or managers is essential, it's always better to delay than to fire under unsafe conditions.

Assuming everything has gone to plan, having a sufficiently sized and completely evacuated Blast Area remains critical. It accounts for the unknowns, like geological surprises, and keeps everyone out of harm’s way.

Clear protocols. Open communication. Informed decisions.

That’s how we keep people safe.