NFPA 495 Explosive Materials Code 2018

This guide will help you to identify requirements and apply reasonable levels of safety for explosive materials.  This applies to transportation, storage, sale, and manufacturing.  The explosive materials that are covered include blasting agents, emulsion materials, smokeless propellants, small arms ammunition, water gel, and black powder propellants. 

Table of Contents

1. Administration

Scope
Purpose
Application
Retroactivity
Equivalency
Enforcement

2. Referenced Publications

General
NFPA Publications
Other Publications
References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections

3. Definitions

General
NFPA Official Definitions
General Definitions

4. Security and Safety of Explosive Materials

Basic Requirements
Permit Requirements
Permit Classes
Requirements for Blaster’s Permit
Posting of Permits
Permit Restrictions
Denial or Revocation of Permits
Record Keeping and Reporting
Applications
10 Renewals

5. Manufacturing and Testing

Scope
General Requirements

6. Blasting Agents

Scope
Fixed Location Mixing
Bulk Mixing and Delivery Vehicles
Bulk Storage Bins
Storage of Blasting Agents and Supplies
Transportation of Packaged Blasting Agents
Use of Blasting Agents

7. Water Gel, Slurry, and Emulsion Explosive Materials
Scope
Fixed Location Mixing
Bulk Mixing and Delivery Vehicles
Storage of Water Gels, Slurries, and Emulsions

8. Transportation of Explosive Materials on Highways

Basic Requirements
Transportation Vehicles
Operation of Transportation Vehicles

9. Aboveground Storage of Explosive Materials

Scope
Basic Requirements
Classification and Use of Magazines
Location of Magazines
Magazine Construction – Basic Requirements
Magazine Construction – Requirements for Specific Types
Storage Within Magazines
Miscellaneous Safety Precautions

10. Use of Explosive Materials for Blasting

Basic Requirements
Preblast Operations
Initiating Blasts
Procedures After Blasting
Misfires
Disposal of Explosive Materials

11. Ground Vibration, Air Overpressure, Flyrock, and Gases

Basic Requirements
Ground Vibration
Air Overpressure
Flyrock
Gases

12. Explosive Materials at Piers and Railway, Truck, and Air Terminals

Basic Requirements
Notifications
Facilities for Trailer-on-Flatcar and Container-on-Flatcar
Designation of Facilities

13. Precursor Chemicals

Basic Requirements
Storage
Use
Record Keeping and Reporting

14. Small Arms Ammunition and Primers, Smokeless Propellants, and Black Powder Propellants

Basic Requirements
Small Arms Ammunition
Smokeless Propellants
Black Powder
Small Arms Primers

Annex A Explanatory Material

Annex B Sample Ordinance Adopting NFPA 495

Annex C Recommended Separation Distances of Ammonium Nitrate and Blasting Agents from Explosives or Blasting Agents

Annex D Magazine Construction

Annex E U.S. Department of Transportation Proposed Revisions of Explosive Materials Transport Regulations

Annex F Informational References