Pennsylvania Code
Title 34 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Part I - Department of Labor and Industry
Chapter 5 - BLASTING, DEMOLITION, FIREWORKS AND EXPLOSIVES
Subchapter D - EXPLOSIVES
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS: EXPLOSIVES
Section 5.122 - Tables of quantity and distance

Universal Citation: 34 PA Code ยง 5.122

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 38, September 21, 2024

(a) Buildings and magazines in which explosives are kept in explosives plants shall be located at distances from buildings which are regularly occupied in whole or in part as a habitation for human beings, or any church, schoolhouse, railroad station, store, or other building where people assemble, or railroads which carry passengers for hire, or from public highways, in conformity with the following table:

Quantity and Distance Table

Quantity Which May be kept or Stored DistanceDistanceDistance
FromFromFrom
Blasting & ElectricOther ExplosivesNearestNearestNearest
Blasting Caps(in pounds)BuildingRailwayHighway
(in pounds)(in feet)(in feet)(in feet)
1,000-5,000302010
5,000-10,000604020
10,000-20,0001207035
20,000-25,0000-501459045
25,000-50,00050-10024014070
50,000-100,000100-200360220110
100,000-150,000200-300520310150
150,000-200,000300-400640380190
200,000-250,000400-500720430220
250,000-300,000500-600800480240
300,000-350,000600-700860520310
350,000-400,000700-800920550280
400,000-450,000800-900980590300
450,000-500,000900-1,0001,020610310
500,000-750,0001,000-1,5001,060640320
750,000-1,000,0001,500-2,0001,200720360
1,000,000-1,500,0002,000-3,0001,300780390
1,500,000-2,000,0003,000-4,0001,420850420
2,000,000-2,500,0004,000-5,0001,500900450
2,500,000-3,000,0005,000-6,0001,560940470
3,000,000-3,500,0006,000-7,0001,610970490
3,500,000-4,000,0007,000-8,0001,6601,000500
4,000,000-4,500,0008,000-9,0001,7001,020510
4,500,000-5,000,0009,000-10,0001,7401,040520
5,000,000-7,500,00010,000-15,0001,7801,070530
7,500,000-10,000,00015,000-20,0001,9501,170580
10,000,000-12,500,00020,000-25,0002,1101,270630
12,500,000-15,000,00025,000-30,0002,2601,360680
15,000,000-17,500,00030,000-35,0002,4101,450720
17,500,000-20,000,00035,000-40,0002,5501,530760
40,000-45,0002,6801,610800
45,000-50,0002,8001,680840
50,000-55,0002,9201,750880
55,000-60,0003,0301,820910
60,000-65,0003,1301,880940
65,000-70,0003,2201,940970
70,000-75,0003,3101,9901,000
75,000-80,0003,3902,0401,020
80,000-85,0003,4602,0801,040
85,000-90,0003,5202,1201,060
90,000-95,0003,5802,1501,080
95,000-100,0003,6302,1801,090
100,000-125,0003,6702,2001,100
125,000-150,0003,8002,2801,140
150,000-175,0003,9302,3601,180
175,000-200,0004,0602,4401,220
200,000-225,0004,1902,5201,260
225,000-250,0004,3102,5901,300
250,000-275,0004,4302,6601,340
275,000-300,0004,5502,7301,380

(b) Factory buildings in which explosives are kept shall be separated from each other, and from other buildings in explosives plants in which persons are regularly employed, and all magazines shall be located from factory buildings and buildings on explosives plants in which persons are regularly employed, in conformity with the Intraplant Quantity and Distance Table set forth in § 5.62 (relating to location).

(c) Magazines in which more than 50 pounds of explosives are kept shall be detached from other structures. Magazines where more than 5,000 pounds of explosives are kept shall be located at least 200 feet from any other magazine, except cap magazines. Magazines where quantities of explosives over 25,000 pounds are kept shall have an increase over 200 feet of 2 2/3 feet for each 1,000 pounds of explosives in excess of 25,000 pounds stored therein; these distances between magazines may be disregarded where the total quantity stored in the magazines complies with the Quantity and Distance Table set forth in subsection (a). In all cases, the quantity of explosives contained in cap magazines shall govern in regard to spacing such magazines from magazines containing other explosives, but under no circumstances shall a magazine containing blasting caps be within less than 100 feet, unbarricaded, or 50 feet, barricaded, from any magazine other than a cap magazine.

(d) Whenever a factory building or magazine is effectively screened from another explosives plant building or magazine, building, railroad or highway, by natural features of the ground or by efficient artificial barricade of such height that any straight line drawn from the top of any sidewall of the factory building or magazine to any part of the explosives plant building, magazine or building to be protected will pass through such intervening natural or efficient artificial barricade, and any straight line drawn from the top of any sidewall of the factory building or magazine to any point 12 feet above the center of the railroad or highway to be protected will pass through such intervening natural or artificial barricade, 1/2 the distances prescribed by the Quantity and Distance Table in this section, the Intraplant Quantity and Distance Table set forth in § 5.62 (relating to location), and the distances separating magazines, may be deemed applicable.

(e) The tables described in subsections (a) and (b) also apply to new construction or replacement.

This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 5.111 (relating to storage of explosive material); 34 Pa. Code § 5.191 (relating to distance limitations); and 34 Pa. Code § 11.43 (relating to employment near explosives).

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