Mining Explosives Handling & Magazine SWMS
Bulk explosives transport, magazine storage, on-bench charging, primer assembly. Australian Explosives Code 7th edition + state explosives regulations. Magazine licensing, transport DG class 1, blast crew competency.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Mining explosives handling covers the receipt, storage, transport, issue, handling and return of explosives and detonators at a mine — the lifecycle of the explosive product around the blasting operation itself. While the blast is the visible hazard, the handling and storage of explosives carry their own severe risks: unintended initiation from incorrect handling, static, impact or incompatible storage; the consequences of theft, diversion or loss of explosives, which is a serious public-safety and security matter; and the fire and explosion risk of an explosives magazine. This document is written on the basis that explosives are controlled from receipt to return under the explosives legislation and a magazine and handling regime, with strict separation, security, accounting and competency at every step.
Explosives handling is governed by the explosives regime layered over the mining regime: explosives are regulated under the explosives legislation, which governs licensing and authorisation, the design and licensing of magazines, transport, and security; under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations the use of explosives is a principal mining hazard requiring a principal mining hazard management plan; and where handling forms part of construction blasting, the use of explosives is high risk construction work under the model WHS Regulations requiring a safe work method statement. This document coordinates the storage, separation, transport, security, accounting and handling controls so explosives are managed without unintended initiation, loss or diversion.
Hazards identified
9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Detonation during handling, transport or storage causing fatal injury
Sympathetic detonation or escalation from incorrect magazine storage
Catastrophic magazine explosion affecting workers and surrounds
Diversion of explosives with serious public-safety and security consequences
Increased sensitivity and unpredictable behaviour of degraded product
Initiation or loss during movement between magazine and the blast
Unaccounted explosives that may be lost, diverted or left in the field
Premature initiation of electric or electronic detonators
Musculoskeletal injury, with the added consequence of dropping explosives
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Engineering: licensed magazines designed and sited to the explosives legislation, with explosives and detonators stored separately in their own compliant magazines, and controls against fire, impact and static.
- 2Engineering: compliant transport of explosives around the mine — approved vehicles and containers, segregation of explosives and detonators, and controls against impact and static during movement.
- 3Administrative: an explosives-management and security plan covering receipt, storage, issue, handling and return, with strict access control, security against theft or diversion, and reporting of any loss.
- 4Administrative: an accounting system that reconciles explosives issued against those used and returned, so no explosives are unaccounted for, with records retained.
- 5Administrative: handling only by licensed and authorised personnel, with procedures for damaged or deteriorated explosives and for the safe disposal of unusable product.
- 6Administrative: prepare a principal mining hazard management plan for the use of explosives and, where handling supports construction blasting, a SWMS for the high risk construction work, and comply with the explosives legislation throughout.
- 7Administrative: control static and stray electrical energy near detonators, and consult and train workers in the handling, storage and security controls.
- 8Administrative: all workers must hold a valid White Card (General Construction Induction Training, CPCCWHS1001) where construction work applies, and the mining inductions, statutory tickets and competencies required for the mine before entering the operation.
- 9Administrative: conduct a pre-shift toolbox talk covering the day's work, the principal mining hazards and their controls, atmospheric and ground conditions, plant movements, required PPE and emergency procedures, and record attendance in the consultation section.
- 10Administrative: consult workers and health and safety representatives on the work and its risks, record the consultation, and keep this document and the relevant plans available at the operation.
- 11PPE: underground or site high-visibility clothing, head protection, eye protection to AS/NZS 1337.1, hearing protection matched to the measured noise, gloves, and Class I or Class II safety footwear with protective toecap to AS/NZS 2210.3.
- 12Administrative: review and update this SWMS and the relevant principal mining hazard management plan whenever the work, the ground or atmospheric conditions, the plant or the controls change, after any incident or near miss, when a worker or health and safety representative raises a concern, or at minimum every 12 months.
Applicable Codes of Practice
The mining-specific regulations requiring identification of principal mining hazards and a principal mining hazard management plan for each, within the mine safety management system.
The risk management process and hierarchy of controls applied to the principal mining hazards of the work.
The risk assessment, silica risk control plan, air monitoring and health monitoring duties where the work generates respirable crystalline silica.
Controls and the exposure standard for the high noise levels generated by mining and processing plant.
Selection, fit testing, use and maintenance of the respiratory protection required for the dust, diesel particulate, silica and atmospheric hazards of the work.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Handling explosives for blasting is part of work with the use of explosives, which is high risk construction work under the model WHS Regulations requiring a SWMS, and is a principal mining hazard with its own management plan, layered with the explosives legislation.
This work is governed by the dual mining regime. Under the model WHS Regulations it is high risk construction work — engaging the categories above — so a SWMS must be prepared before the work commences, kept readily accessible, reviewed as necessary, and given to the principal contractor if one is appointed. Under the Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations the mine operator must identify the principal mining hazards relating to the storage, transport, handling and security of explosives and prepare a principal mining hazard management plan for each, within the mine safety management system. Where the work generates respirable crystalline silica, the silica risk control plan, air monitoring and health monitoring duties apply, with the exposure standard reframed as a workplace exposure limit from 1 December 2026. Mining incidents in this category can be catastrophic, and breaches of the primary duty of care under the model WHS Act and the mines legislation are actively enforced, with offence categories running from failure-to-comply through to reckless conduct, and the most serious breaches carrying imprisonment for individuals. Body-corporate maxima are substantial and indexed; the current maximum follows the prevailing schedule of the responsible regulator.
Who this is for
- →Explosives storekeepers and magazine keepers at mines.
- →Charge-up and blast crews drawing and returning explosives.
- →Explosives transport personnel moving product around the mine.
- →Explosives and blasting supervisors managing the magazine and security.
- →Mine managers and supervisors overseeing the explosives principal mining hazard management plan and the security plan.
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) fully compatible with Microsoft Word 2016 and newer, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- ✓Title page with editable fields for the mine operator and PCBU name, ABN, site address, project name, principal contractor details, and document revision date.
- ✓Hazard register with the mining explosives handling hazards — each with a documented consequence, inherent risk rating on a 5x5 likelihood-consequence matrix, hierarchy-of-control measures, and residual risk rating.
- ✓Magazine storage and separation prompts, a transport and segregation section, an explosives accounting and reconciliation system, and security, loss-reporting and damaged-explosives fields.
- ✓Principal mining hazard management plan reference prompts and, where relevant, a silica risk control plan aligned to the model crystalline silica Code of Practice referencing the 0.05 mg/m3 exposure standard.
- ✓Competency, statutory-ticket and induction verification fields, and a respiratory protection selection and fit-test record per AS/NZS 1715.
- ✓Worker consultation record and a worker sign-on register (blank, expandable).
- ✓Applicable legislation and Codes of Practice schedule pre-populated for the model WHS and mines jurisdiction with a state-variance reference table covering the harmonised states, plus Victoria.
- ✓Emergency procedure template and a revision log.
Worked example
A mine manages explosives and detonators around its blasting operation, from receipt through storage, issue, handling and return. Because the work involves the use of explosives, an explosives principal mining hazard management plan is in place, a SWMS is prepared where the handling supports construction blasting, and the work complies with the explosives legislation for licensing, magazines, transport and security. Explosives and detonators are stored separately in their own licensed magazines designed and sited to the legislation, with controls against fire, impact and static. An explosives-management and security plan governs receipt, storage, issue, handling and return, with strict access control and security against theft or diversion, and an accounting system reconciles explosives issued against those used and returned so none are unaccounted for. Transport around the mine uses approved vehicles and containers with explosives and detonators segregated. Handling is only by licensed and authorised personnel, with procedures for damaged or deteriorated explosives and safe disposal of unusable product, and static and stray electrical energy near detonators are controlled. Workers are trained in the controls. The plan, SWMS, accounting and security records are retained.
Related legislation
- Model Work Health and Safety Act — primary duty of care; the duty to consult workers; the reckless-conduct offence; and notifiable-incident provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Model Work Health and Safety Regulations — Section 291 high risk construction work and the SWMS preparation and review duties, and where relevant the crystalline silica high-risk processing, silica risk control plan, air monitoring and health monitoring provisions, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation / Work Health and Safety (Mines) Regulations — identification of principal mining hazards, principal mining hazard management plans, the mine safety management system and, for underground mines, ventilation control plans, as enacted in each jurisdiction.
- Exposure standards: respirable crystalline silica 0.05 mg/m3 (eight-hour TWA), reframed as a workplace exposure limit from 1 December 2026; respirable dust and, in coal, the lower coal-mine dust standard; and diesel particulate matter, currently 0.1 mg/m3 (sub-micron elemental carbon) with a Workplace Exposure Limit of 0.01 mg/m3 (respirable elemental carbon) from 1 December 2026.
- Victoria, and other jurisdictions, operate their own mining safety and work health and safety legislation; in Victoria the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Regulations 2017 and the relevant mining instruments apply in place of the model instruments.
Frequently asked questions
Why is explosives handling hazardous even away from the blast?
The receipt, storage, transport, issue and return of explosives carry their own severe risks: unintended initiation from impact, friction, static or incorrect handling; incompatible storage causing sympathetic detonation; the fire and explosion risk of a magazine; and the public-safety consequences of theft, diversion or loss. These are managed under the explosives legislation and a magazine and handling regime.
Why must explosives and detonators be stored separately?
Storing explosives and detonators together risks sympathetic detonation or escalation if one initiates, so they are stored separately in their own licensed magazines designed and sited to the explosives legislation, with controls against fire, impact and static. The separation is a fundamental requirement of compliant explosives storage.
How is the security of explosives maintained?
Through an explosives-management and security plan with strict access control and security against theft or diversion, and an accounting system that reconciles explosives issued against those used and returned so none are unaccounted for, with any loss reported. The security of explosives is a serious public-safety matter, so accounting and security are integral to the handling regime.
What happens to damaged or deteriorated explosives?
Aged or damaged explosives can become more sensitive and behave unpredictably, so there are procedures for identifying and segregating damaged or deteriorated product and for its safe disposal by competent personnel, rather than continuing to use or store unstable explosives.
What licensing and plans apply to explosives handling?
Explosives are regulated under the explosives legislation governing licensing and authorisation, magazine design and licensing, transport and security; the use of explosives is a principal mining hazard requiring a principal mining hazard management plan; and where handling supports construction blasting it is high risk construction work requiring a SWMS. Only licensed and authorised personnel handle explosives.