CES Ethics & Professional Conduct 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency has primary jurisdiction over explosives licensing and must be notified of changes in responsible persons at a licensed facility?
- OSHA
- ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) (Correct answer)
- DEA
- FBI
Correct answer: ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)
The ATF is the primary federal agency regulating explosive materials under the Safe Explosives Act and must be notified of changes in responsible persons.
Question 2: A CES professional's license is suspended pending investigation. They are approached for consulting advice on an active blast project. They should:
- Provide informal advice since no money changes hands
- Decline all professional involvement during the suspension period (Correct answer)
- Act as a non-credentialed observer only
- Consult if the client signs a liability waiver
Correct answer: Decline all professional involvement during the suspension period
A suspended license means the holder cannot legally or ethically provide professional services in their credentialed capacity during the suspension.
Question 3: When a CES identifies a safety hazard at a blasting site managed by another licensed operator, the appropriate action is to:
- Mind their own business to respect professional boundaries
- Alert the site operator and, if unaddressed, notify the relevant authority (Correct answer)
- Immediately contact regulators without first alerting the operator
- Document the hazard and include it in their own records only
Correct answer: Alert the site operator and, if unaddressed, notify the relevant authority
Professional ethics prioritize public safety, requiring a CES to communicate hazards to the responsible party and escalate if the hazard is not corrected.
Question 4: Under the Safe Explosives Act, which category of individuals is prohibited from possessing explosive materials?
- Non-licensed contractors
- Convicted felons and other prohibited persons as defined by federal law (Correct answer)
- Foreign nationals on valid work visas
- Persons under age 25
Correct answer: Convicted felons and other prohibited persons as defined by federal law
The Safe Explosives Act prohibits convicted felons, those convicted of domestic violence, unlawful users of controlled substances, and other specifically listed prohibited persons from possessing explosives.
Question 5: A CES is training junior blasters and notices one trainee has a reckless attitude toward safety protocols. The ethical responsibility is to:
- Continue training and hope the attitude improves
- Document the concern and restrict or remove the trainee from the program (Correct answer)
- Assign more dangerous tasks to test the trainee
- Ignore it unless an incident occurs
Correct answer: Document the concern and restrict or remove the trainee from the program
A CES responsible for training has an ethical duty to protect public safety by identifying and addressing unsafe attitudes before granting further access to explosives.
Question 6: What is the ethical obligation of a CES who is aware of a competitor illegally storing explosive materials?
- Report the competitor to the ATF (Correct answer)
- Remain silent to avoid business retaliation
- Negotiate directly with the competitor to comply
- File a civil lawsuit against the competitor
Correct answer: Report the competitor to the ATF
Knowledge of illegal explosive storage creates a legal and ethical duty to report the violation to the ATF, as it poses a public safety risk.
Question 7: A CES who holds a federal explosives license (FEL) is relocating their business. What must they do before operating at the new location?
- Notify the ATF and obtain an updated license for the new premises (Correct answer)
- Continue using the existing license until it expires
- Post a bond at the new location
- Inform only local fire authorities
Correct answer: Notify the ATF and obtain an updated license for the new premises
An FEL is premises-specific, so a licensee must notify the ATF and receive authorization for the new location before conducting business there.
CES Ethics & Professional Conduct 3
Which federal agency has primary jurisdiction over explosives licensing and must be notified of changes in responsible persons at a licensed facility?