A shotfirer licence allows you to use, possess, purchase, store and transport limited quantities of blasting explosives.

This includes transporting up to 250kg of blasting explosives (net explosives quantity) without a separate licence to transport explosives in a suitable vehicle.

Shotfirers at mine sites

You don't need a shotfirer licence to work at a mine site if you meet the requirements listed in section 37(1) of the Explosives Regulation 2017 and are appointed by the site senior executive or underground mine manager.

Application requirements

Check the application form for a list of requirements, including requirements for security clearances, a medical assessment and competency requirements (see also below).

Competency requirements

The competency requirements are listed in competency requirements for Queensland shotfirer licences (PDF, 268KB).

In Queensland, the following registered training organisations provide this training:

• Blast Management International Pty Ltd
• DTE Enterprises Pty Ltd
• Highland Training Services Pty Ltd
• Modular Training Pty Ltd
• TAFE Queensland
• Tectra Australia Pty Ltd.

How to apply

Your application should include:

• Form E200 – Application for an occupational authority* (shotfirer licence)
• licence fee (see below)
• supporting documents (according to the required documentation on the application form).

*Note: If you apply for an occupational authority, your biometric data (digital photo and signature) will be retained while your licence remains current. It will be destroyed if your application is withdrawn or refused, or your licence expires.

Fees and payment options

Licence fees can only be paid via credit card (BPOINT) following submission of the online form. Read more about payment of licence fees.

Fees for shotfirer licences

Obligations of licence holders

Use of explosives

As a licensed shotfirer, you must use explosives as required by the Australian Standard AS2187 Part 2 or an alternative safety measure for the standard.

You must take reasonable precautions to:

• prevent misfires
• minimise the risk of material being projected beyond the exclusion zone (flyrock)
• minimise excessive noise
• minimise the adverse effects of ground vibration and shock waves
• ensure the security of an explosive used in blasting activities.

You must not use an explosive after either the manufacturer's recommended shelf life or the approved, extended shelf life.

Recordkeeping

You should keep a record of:

• the amount and type of explosives you buy and use
• each blast conducted.

Notification requirements

Shotfirers must notify us of any blasting activity (other than at a mine site, a quarry, down-hole wells for oil and gas, or an explosives factory) at least 7 days before the intended blasting activity.

Blast fumes are gases that may be generated during blasting. These can include nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, both of which can seriously affect people's health, so it is vital to manage them.

• Read Guidance Note 20: Management of oxides of nitrogen in open cut blasting (PDF, 2.5MB) for more information.
• Use our fume reporting template (DOCX, 394KB) to report on blast fumes. For further information, read our explanatory notes for fume reporting template (DOCX, 23KB).

Characteristics of blast fumes

Blast fumes can be a reddish/orange cloud, which shows the presence of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). This colour is more pronounced and deeper with higher NO₂ concentrations.

Blast fumes with NO₂ also have a pungent odour and taste. NO₂ has a very strong, acrid odour that can be smelled at much lower levels than the tolerable limits. At low levels, the effects are extremely unlikely to be harmful to health, particularly if you can't see the reddish/brown gas.

NO₂ above 2.5 parts-per-million (ppm) is visible. Concentrations above 4ppm may deaden the sense of smell.

Tolerable exposure

There is a level of tolerable exposure that people can deal with. The short-term exposure limit (STEL) for NO₂ is 5ppm. STEL exposures should not last longer than 15 minutes and not be repeated more than 4 times a day with at least 60 minutes between successive exposures.

Mine sites should work towards preventing fume generation. However, where this isn't possible, they should keep fume exposures below the STEL.

Symptoms of overexposure

• Eye irritation and coughing
• Initial dizziness and/or headache (may subside)
• Shortness of breath
• Cyanosis (blue lips, fingertips) 5–8 hours later

Responding to exposure

Immediately report exposure to your supervisor and follow the site medical plan. If a medical practitioner examines and releases you but you develop symptoms later, seek urgent medical attention.

Preventing exposure to blast fumes

• Set and maintain credible blast-exclusion zones and fume-management zones.
• Inform blast controller of fume clouds, and their location and movement.
• Do not enter or remain in fume clouds.
• Move out of fume cloud path.
• Wear gas monitors if directed.

You can measure NO_x using portable gas detectors. Calibrate and set monitors correctly before use.

Reporting blast fume incidents

You must report significant blast fume incidents to the Explosives Inspectorate. A significant event is one that causes exposures, unplanned evacuations, fume management zone is breached or the fume leaves the lease boundary.

Use our fume reporting template (DOCX, 394KB) to report on blast fumes. For further information, read our explanatory notes for fume reporting template (DOCX, 23KB).

Resources to assist in managing blast fumes

• Explosives safety alert 44: Prevention and management of blast fumes
• Mines safety alert 269: Potential contamination of underground mine ventilation by blast fumes generated at an open cut mine
• Reporting explosives incidents
• Queensland Guidance Note 20: Management of oxides of nitrogen in open cut blasting (PDF, 2.5MB)

Presentations on the deployment and implementation of Queensland guidance note 20 (see above):

• Avoiding exposure to oxides of nitrogen fumes from surface blasts (PDF, 2.2MB)
• Health effects of nitrogen oxides (PDF, 253KB)
• Blast fume monitoring and modelling (PDF, 2.1MB)
• Post blast fume: Contributors and prevention (PDF, 6.8MB)
• Fume management process (PDF, 907KB)
• Key results of investigations (PDF, 1.1MB)

Blasting operations can cause excessive noise and vibrations. Noise from blasting is a significant factor and can be disturbing to neighbouring residents or other workers in the area. It is the leading element for blasting complaints in Queensland.

People can detect vibration at levels much lower than those that cause even superficial damage to susceptible structures. However, excessive structural vibration caused by ground vibration from blasting can severely damage a structure.

Therefore, only a competent person complying with best practice environmental management should conduct blasting to minimise the impacts of airblast overpressure and ground-borne vibration on the community.

Noise criteria

Ensure that, if blasting noise does spread to a noise-sensitive place, the airblast overpressure:

• isn't more than 115dB (linear) peak for 9 out of any 10 consecutive blasts, regardless of the interval between blasts
• doesn't exceed 120dB (linear) peak for any blast.

Vibration criteria

Ensure that, if ground vibration does spread to a noise-sensitive place, the ground-borne vibration doesn't exceed a peak particle velocity of:

• 5mm per second for 9 out of any 10 consecutive blasts, regardless of the interval between blasts
• 10mm per second for any blast.

Blasting times

To minimise disruption to the public, blasting is to be conducted only between 9am and 3pm on Monday to Friday, and between 9am and 1pm on Saturdays (not on Sundays or public holidays).

Conduct blasting outside these times only when blasting during these times is impracticable or the site is so remote that no one will be affected.

Weather effects

When a temperature inversion or heavy, low cloud cover is present, airblast overpressure values will be higher than normal in surrounding areas. Therefore, avoid blasting if predicted airblast overpressure values in noise-sensitive places exceed acceptable levels. If this isn't practical, schedule the blasting to minimise noise annoyance, such as 11am–1pm.

Also, avoid blasting when strong winds are blowing from the blasting site towards noise-sensitive places.

Monitoring

Conduct monitoring and record the following:

• maximum instantaneous charge in kilograms
• location of the blast (including which bench level)
• airblast overpressure level, dB (linear) peak
• peak particle velocity (mms^-1)
• location, date and time of recording
• meteorological conditions
• distances from the blast site to noise-affected buildings, structures or boundary of any noise-sensitive place.

If you can't access a property for monitoring, measure at the property boundary and extrapolate the results to reflect the impact at the receptor premises.

Measure blasting noise with measurement equipment with a lower limiting frequency of 2Hz (-3dB response point of the measurement system) and a detector onset time of no more than 100 microseconds.

Vibration instruments must be able to measure over a range of 0.1mms^-1 to 300mms^-1 with accuracy within 5% and a frequency response flat to within 5% over a frequency range of 4.5Hz to 250Hz.

Outdoor measurement of airblast overpressure

Measure airblast overpressure at a location that is:

• exposed to the direction of blasting
• at least 4m from any noise-affected building or structure, or within the boundary of a noise-sensitive place
• 1.2–1.5m above the ground.

Outdoor measurement of ground vibration

Attach the ground-borne vibration transducer (or array) to a mass of at least 30kg to ensure good coupling with the ground where the blast site and the measurement site can't be shown to be on the same underlying strata. Ensure the mass is buried so its uppermost surface is level with the ground surface.

Place the ground-borne vibration transducer (or array) at least the longest dimension of the foundations of a noise-affected building or structure away from it, and between that building or structure and the blasting site.

Quality assurance

Only a qualified and experienced person or organisation should measure and report on airblast overpressure and ground vibration levels.

Recording

Record the details of measuring instruments, measuring procedure, location, date and time of recording, and weather conditions for each assessment.

Keep records of the results of all airblast overpressure and ground vibration levels and other required information for at least 5 years.

Flyrock is the undesirable throw of debris from a blast. Because flyrock can cause severe injury and property damage, shotfirers must take precautions to prevent it, especially if blasting occurs near property or people.

Nearly all previous flyrock incidents could have been avoided. Shotfirers and blast designers must consider flyrock prevention from the early stages of blast planning and take all necessary steps to minimise it. You may need to close off roads, walkways, etc., during a blast to remove the risk.

Causes of flyrock

Flyrock is usually caused by the incorrect selection or application of burden, insufficient stemming length or blast holes initiated out of sequence.

Trench blasting and blasting where bench heights are small compared with the burden usually provide the greatest potential for flyrock because the degree of confinement and the specific charge are both high, and the charge is sometimes placed close to the surface.

Precautions to take

The geology of the rock being blasted is also important to consider, including joints, fissures and other planes of weakness. When designing a shot, you must account for the type of rock and local variability in rock properties, including the presence of more highly weathered rock near the surface.

Good blast design is the best way to avoid flyrock. This includes:

• selecting the direction of the blasting face to place people and buildings behind the face
• avoiding shallow blasts less than 1m in depth, and using high blast ratio and small hole diameters where possible
• ensuring burden is one-third to one-half the depth of holes
• using a stemming depth either no less than 25 times the diameter of the hole or no less than the burden, whichever is greater
• ensuring stemming is free from rocks and properly tamped
• using sequential or delay firing so all shots initiate from the face backwards
• avoiding overcharging when conducting secondary blasting.

Previous excavations and the driller of the blast holes can provide important information about the rock's structure.

The area surrounding a blast site must be inspected to determine the distances to residences, roads, public places and dangerous goods storages. Consider the presence of these areas when deciding how much protection you need.

Drilling and loading

While a blast pattern determined by experience may be satisfactory, inaccuracies in drilling, including incorrect angle of blast holes, can cause large deviations from the planned pattern. This can create flyrock, excessive noise and vibration. You should use instruments to determine the drilling pattern. It will be difficult to estimate the burden in hilly terrain.

You should also use the correct charge weight in the blast hole. When using ANFO or other free-running explosive, pour measured quantities into the hole and check using a tape measure or wooden pole to monitor the build-up of the explosive column. This avoids overcharging due to explosives concentrating in fissures or chambers in the rock.

Precautions when covering the blast

If you need to cover blasting that is shallow or near residences, roads, public places, etc., place enough cover on the blast to further minimise the possibility of flyrock.

If you use backfilling to cover loaded holes, ensure the material is sorted and free from stones. Carefully place the cover to avoid damaging connecting wires, shock tube or detonating cord trunklines. Use only the minimum thickness required to eliminate flyrock.

You can use blasting mats as additional cover. If you do this:

• cover the rock in a layer of sandbags at least in the area of the hole collar to protect the mat from damage
• load and fire only the number of holes that blasting mats can adequately cover at one time, and anchor mats where possible
• don't place rock or debris on top of the mats, as they may become missiles
• don't use long-delay or multiple-delay safety fuse firing where you're depending on mats to contain flyrock, as the first firing holes may strip the mats off the remaining unfired holes
• don't use metal mats (e.g. wire rope or steel ring) near overhead power lines
• don't damage connecting wires, shock tube or detonating cord trunklines when laying mats.

Also consider...

• Read Explosives importance notice 4 - flyrock incidents for more information.
• Refer to Explosives safety alert 61 - flyrock damage outside the blast-exclusion zone.

Premature initiation of signal tube ('snap, slap, shoot')

Incidents have occurred when vehicles driving over loaded shots have caught on the signal tube, stretching and snapping it. In some cases, the signal tube has initiated and a loaded hole has fired.

To prevent this hazard, there are several control measures that should be implemented:

• Follow the manufacturer's recommendation for the maximum weight loading for the tube.
• Ensure that excessive tension is not placed on the tube, such as pulling on the signal tube of a primer jammed in a blast hole.
• Avoid or limit vehicles operating on the blast site. When vehicles are on site, personnel should rigorously follow procedures when operating vehicles near signal tube.
• Use spotters to assist vehicle drivers manoeuvre on the shot during loading and stemming activities.

Dropping primers down blast holes

Poor practices have involved primers progressing down blast holes at higher speeds than those recommended by the manufacturer.

Problems that may occur include:

• Excessive impact when the primer reaches the bottom of the hole may cause the explosive to initiate prematurely.
• Misfires may also occur when cord is cut when passing over sharp irregularities in the sidewall of the hole.
• The detonator may be dislodged from the primer.

Suggested control measures include the following:

• Ensure that safe loading procedures are followed according to site procedures and the manufacturer/supplier technical data sheet.
• Don't allow sensitive initiating explosives, such as detonators, detonating cord and boosters, to be thrown or to freewheel down blast holes. They should always be lowered slowly according to applicable procedures.