Explosives

Scope

This experimental work instruction applies to the use of explosives / energetics in experiments at Diamond.

 

Pre-visit

User Principal Investigator shall provide the following to the Diamond Local Contact at least eight weeks prior to the experiment at Diamond:

• Essential Information Requirements (see below).

Assurances that User-provided materials and equipment achieves the relevant:

• Essential Safety Requirements (see below).

Assurances that Users coming to Diamond achieve the relevant:

• Essential Competency Requirements (see below).

Assurances that the experiment and equipment is compliant with the safety requirements of the home institution.

Diamond Local Contact shall:

• Verify with the Principal Beamline Scientist that the experiment is within the beamline safe operating envelope (see Diamond User Experimental Safety HAS-PRC-0078) and meets the requirements of Safe & Secure Explosive Operations HAS-PRC-0080 (including authorisation to store and use explosive materials); and
• Ensure compliance with the Essential Competency Requirements  (see below)

Ensure compliance with the following for Diamond provided equipment or materials:

• Essential Information Requirements (see below);
• Essential Safety Requirements (see below).

 

Pre-experiment

Diamond Local Contact shall ensure that:

• The above pre-visit requirements for User provided equipment and materials are reviewed by a competent scientist or technician; and
• The beamline and persons supervising the experiment meet the requirements of Safe & Secure Explosive Operations HAS-PRC-0080.

 

Experimental Setup

Diamond Local Contact & User Visit Principal Investigator shall collaborate to ensure adherence to:

• Essential Experimental Setup Checklist (see below).

 

Operation

Diamond Local Contact & User Visit Principal Investigator shall collaborate to ensure adherence to:

• Essential Operational Checklist (see below).

 

Essential Safety Requirements

Equipment shall be:

• Rated and compatible for the intended pressure, substances, sample environment and setup conditions at Diamond;
• Suitably tested by a competent person or body to ensure safe operation at Diamond.  Non-standard set-ups shall be commissioned and tested prior to coming to Diamond;
• Safely packaged & transported to Diamond to prevent damage that could affect safe operation; and
• Suitably risk assessed, identifying failure modes, safety controls and emergency controls (ref. Essential Hazard & Failure Mode Checklist).
• Fitted with suitable safety devices (e.g., bursting discs / blow-off ports, earthing straps, etc.);
• Labelling: Equipment CE / UKCA marked or has an appropriate declaration of conformity; and
• Remote operation enabled as far as possible.

Materials shall be:

• The lowest energy & quantities possible for the experiment; and
• Compliant with legal requirements for transportation, handling, storage, and security, whilst at Diamond.

 

Essential Information Requirements

Information required:

• A full description of the proposed experimental setup & technical specifications;
• Explosives / energetics details including names, formulas, states, quantities (which must be below that which requires a license or regulatory permission), legal requirements for handling and storage, security requirements, etc.;
• Safety risks including potential response to heating, drop / shock, electrostatic discharge, laser illumination, incompatible substances, direct x-ray exposure, etc.;
• Copies of licenses / regulatory permissions for the use of the materials at Diamond, unless below the regulatory threshold;
• Safe operating procedure / instructions for any equipment not provided by Diamond;
• Unique Identification mark of any equipment not provided by Diamond, i.e., its serial number; and
• Assurances and evidence that all equipment has full up-to-date test and calibration certificates (where applicable).

 

Essential Competency Requirements

Person setting up experimental equipment shall:

• Have sufficient experience of setup, test and operation of the equipment, explosives / energetics, risks and required safety controls to ensure safe setup;
• Have sufficient skills and be practiced in safe setup and operation of the equipment, explosives / energetics, risks and required safety controls used in the experiment;
• Have sufficient knowledge of the essential safety requirements of the equipment to ensure safe setup; and
• Be aware of their responsibilities associated with the necessary legal permissions for safe handling and storage of the specific explosives / energetics.

Persons operating equipment shall:

• Have sufficient experience and be practiced in safe use of the specific equipment, explosives / energetics and required safety controls to ensure safe operation;
• Have sufficient skills and be practiced in safe use of the specific equipment, explosives / energetics and required safety controls used in the experiment;
• Have sufficient knowledge of the essential equipment safety requirements, explosives / energetics, and safety controls to ensure safe operation.  This includes knowing when to stop operations and what to do in the case of an emergency;
• Be suitably supervised if they do not have sufficient skills, knowledge, and experience; and
• All Diamond persons handling or supervising explosives experiments and operations shall meet the requirements of Safe & Secure Explosive Operations HAS-PRC-0080 and have completed Explosives Safety training.

 

Essential Experimental Setup Checklist

• Persons setting up the equipment meet the Essential Competency Requirements.
• Persons setting up the equipment shall be covered by the necessary regulatory licenses or permissions.
• Amounts within the regulatory permission or are below the threshold which requires a license or regulatory permission.
• Security: The necessary security arrangements (both physical and procedural) are available to accommodate the samples during the set-up, running, and decommissioning of the experiment.
• Storage: There is a secure place for the materials to be stored when unattended (e.g., a lockable metal cupboard).
• Materials are insensitive and will not initiate under normal or any foreseeable accident conditions.
• Visual inspection of the setup.
• Manufacturer’s instructions (where applicable) have been followed during setting up.
• Remote shutdown is enabled for all experimental equipment.
• Modifications from planned setup have been checked by a competent person.

 

Essential Operation Checklist

• Persons operating the equipment meet the Essential Competency Requirements.
• Non-essential persons are prevented from entering experimental areas.
• Sample accounting requirements are implemented.
• Visual check of the setup is carried out before every operation.
• Modifications to the planned setup are done by a competent person and checked against the Essential Experimental Setup Checklist.
• Safety controls stated in the User Experimental Risk Assessment (ERA) (or lab form) are applied, and the ERA has been graded and validated.
• Safety controls stated in both the beamline risk assessment and any Diamond equipment risk assessment are applied.
• Lone-working prohibition is in place and understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Suitable supervision of the experiment is in place to ensure safety.
• Failure modes of the set-up are understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• PPE identified on the risk assessment is provided, it fits, it is in good condition, and all operators are proficient in its correct usage.
• Emergency conditions and required action is understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Emergency action on unplanned detonation / deflagration or other energetic event, or potential for this to occur is understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Emergency action on the fire alarm sounding is understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Emergency action on gas detection sounding is understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Emergency action on power outage is understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Emergency action on loss of sample is understood by all persons supervising the experiment.
• Sample return / disposal requirements implemented.
• If safety issues are identified, the Principal Beamline Scientist (PBS) must be contacted, and the issues resolved before continuing with the experiment.

 

Essential Hazard & Failure Mode Checklist

The main hazards are:

• Explosive initiation resulting from electrical energy (e.g., static discharge);
• Explosive initiation resulting from radiation energy (both Ionising and Non-ionising);
• Explosive initiation resulting from kinetic energy (drop / shock);
• Explosive initiation resulting from ageing or degradation;
• Explosive initiation resulting from service failures (cooling water, inert atmosphere, power supply;
• Over-pressurisation resulting from no or incorrect bursting disc(s) / incorrect setup;
• Fire resulting from detonation / deflagration / decomposition of explosive material; and
• Incompatibilities detonation / deflagration / decomposition due to incompatibility with other experimental components.

Principal failure modes are:

• Poor equipment and / or system design;
• Poor installation / setup;
• Poor maintenance of equipment;
• Inadequate repairs or modifications;
• An unsafe system of work; and
• Operator error, poor training / supervision.