- (a) Blasting circuits shall be protected from sources of stray electric current.
- (b) Detonators made by different manufacturers shall not be combined in the same blasting circuit.
- (c) Detonator leg wires shall be shunted until connected into the blasting circuit.
(d) Blasting cables shall be—
- (1) Well insulated, copper wire of a diameter not smaller than 18-gauge; and
- (2) Long enough to permit the round to be fired from a safe location that is around at least one corner from the blasting area.
- (e) Blasting cables shall be shunted until immediately before firing, except when testing for circuit continuity.
(f) Wire used between the blasting cable and detonator circuitry shall—
- (1) Be undamaged;
- (2) Be well insulated;
- (3) Have a resistance no greater than 20-gauge copper wire; and
- (4) Be not more than 30 feet long.
(g) Each wire connection in a blasting circuit shall be—
- (1) Properly spliced; and
- (2) Separated from other connections in the circuit to prevent accidental contact and arcing.
- (h) Uninsulated connections in each blasting circuit shall be kept out of water and shall not contact the coal, roof, ribs, or floor.
- (i) When 20 or fewer boreholes are fired in a round, the blasting circuit shall be wired in a single series.
- (j) Immediately prior to firing, all blasting circuits shall be tested for continuity and resistance using a blasting galvanometer or other instrument specifically designed for testing blasting circuits.
[53 FR 46786, Nov. 18, 1988; 54 FR 27641, June 30, 1989]