Explosive managers have a critical responsibility of reducing risk to tolerable levels in their working environments to avoid injury to personnel and damage to structures.

Frikkie Mostert, a scientist and researcher from the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, told delegates at the fourth annual explosives managers summit, interaction between safety managers and specialists in the explosive industry is essential in working towards the reduction of risk.

Mostert was addressing delegate under the theme ‘explosive managers’ responsibilities’. Speaking on embedding safety practices in explosive related research, he said, “We would define tolerable risk as no injury to personnel as well as no unforeseen damage to structures or equipment. We also need to hasten to add that rules around occupational health and safety in the explosive industry cannot be compromised.”

Rudzani Ramabulana, deputy director in the department’s occupational health and safety unit, stated, “When there are frequent incidents at a number of workplaces that cause either injury to personnel or damage to structures, you become worried as a regulator.”

He said it was therefore necessary to go back to the basics and remind industry managers that:

• nothing should be done without the explosive manager’s permission
• the law says an explosives manager must be a competent and certificated person
• an ideal explosives manager must also familiarise himself or herself with human resource issues and also understand psychological aspects that may affect a manager’s performance
• managers must understand health and safety issues.