CES Storage & Transportation of Explosives 2 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: What placarding is required on a vehicle transporting Division 1.1 explosive materials under DOT regulations?
- EXPLOSIVE 1.1 placards displayed on all four sides of the vehicle (Correct answer)
- DANGEROUS placards on the front and rear only
- FLAMMABLE placards if ANFO is aboard
- No placards if the quantity is under 1,000 lbs
Correct answer: EXPLOSIVE 1.1 placards displayed on all four sides of the vehicle
DOT requires EXPLOSIVE 1.1 placards to be displayed on all four sides of vehicles transporting Division 1.1 materials regardless of quantity, ensuring visibility from every direction.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a 'day box' (field box) used at a blasting work site?
- To store blast records and daily logs at the site
- To temporarily hold small quantities of explosives needed for that day's operations (Correct answer)
- To house blasting equipment and tools overnight
- To provide crew shelter during adverse weather conditions
Correct answer: To temporarily hold small quantities of explosives needed for that day's operations
A day box is an approved portable storage container that holds the quantity of explosives needed for a single day's work at the blast site, reducing multiple trips to the main magazine.
Question 3: Which of the following is strictly prohibited in the vicinity of explosive magazines?
- A logbook for recording inventory
- Wooden interior flooring
- Combustible materials such as weeds and dry brush (Correct answer)
- Organized shelving for storing explosive cases
Correct answer: Combustible materials such as weeds and dry brush
ATF regulations require that combustible vegetation and debris be cleared from around magazines because fire spreading to the structure could cause a catastrophic explosion.
Question 4: When explosives and detonators must be transported in the same vehicle, what is the required arrangement per DOT regulations?
- They may be freely mixed if the combined weight is under 50 lbs
- They must be separated only by a wooden divider
- Detonators must be in a separate, secured compartment or a separate vehicle (Correct answer)
- Detonators must be locked in a box but may share the same cargo area
Correct answer: Detonators must be in a separate, secured compartment or a separate vehicle
DOT and ATF require that detonators be transported separately from other explosivesâeither in a divided vehicle with a proper barrier meeting specifications or in a completely separate vehicleâmirroring the magazine storage separation requirement.
Question 5: What is the regulatory term for the minimum required distance between an explosive storage magazine and a protected structure such as an inhabited building?
- Buffer zone
- Separation distance (Correct answer)
- Safety radius
- Exclusion perimeter
Correct answer: Separation distance
'Separation distance' is the ATF and IME regulatory term for the minimum required spacing between an explosive storage facility and a protected structure, determined using Quantity-Distance tables.
Question 6: What ATF specification must padlocks used to secure Type I and Type II magazines meet?
- Any commercial padlock rated for outdoor use
- A keyed padlock with a shackle of any diameter
- A padlock with a hardened steel body and shackle of at least 3/8-inch diameter (Correct answer)
- A combination lock rated for industrial environments
Correct answer: A padlock with a hardened steel body and shackle of at least 3/8-inch diameter
ATF regulations (27 CFR 555.208) specify that Type I and Type II magazine padlocks must have a hardened steel body and a shackle of at least 3/8-inch diameter to resist forced entry.
Question 7: Under DOT 49 CFR Part 172 Subpart H, who must receive hazardous materials training before handling or preparing shipments of explosive materials?
- Only the licensed vehicle driver
- Only ATF-licensed blasters at the destination site
- All employees who perform any function involving hazardous materials transport, including loading and documentation (Correct answer)
- Only employees who directly contact the explosive packages
Correct answer: All employees who perform any function involving hazardous materials transport, including loading and documentation
DOT requires that all employees performing any hazmat transportation functionâloading, unloading, marking, labeling, placarding, or preparing shipping papersâreceive proper training, not just the driver.
CES Storage & Transportation of Explosives 2
What placarding is required on a vehicle transporting Division 1.1 explosive materials under DOT regulations?