Handling Rules

Part of Gunpowder and Explosives

Safe handling rules for working with gunpowder and explosive materials.

Why This Matters

Gunpowder does not care about your intentions. It does not distinguish between a deliberate ignition and an accidental one. A single spark, a moment of static discharge, friction from a metal tool, or a dropped container can turn a routine operation into a fatal explosion in a fraction of a second.

Throughout history, even experienced powder-makers and military armories have suffered catastrophic accidents. The Great Explosion at Delft in 1654 killed over 100 people when a powder magazine detonated. Countless individual powder-makers have been killed or maimed by small-scale accidents during grinding, mixing, and handling. Every one of these accidents was preventable.

In a rebuilding civilization, the people making and using gunpowder are irreplaceable. The loss of even one trained powder-maker to a preventable accident is a catastrophe. These handling rules exist because every one of them was written in someone’s blood.

The Five Fundamental Rules

These rules apply to every interaction with gunpowder, its components, and all explosive materials without exception.

1. No Metal-on-Metal Near Powder

Metal tools striking metal surfaces create sparks. A single spark can ignite gunpowder. This means:

• Never use iron or steel tools to handle, measure, transfer, or work with powder
• Use only wooden, copper, bronze, or brass implements
• No iron nails, buckles, buttons, or hardware on clothing worn while handling powder
• No iron-shod boots or shoes on the floor of a powder magazine
• If you must work near powder and metal is present, ensure the metal cannot contact any other hard surface

Common Violations

The most frequent source of metal sparks in historical powder accidents was iron shovels, iron-hooped barrels, and steel buckles on clothing. Replace all of these with wooden and leather alternatives.

2. No Open Flame Within 15 Meters

This rule is absolute. No candles, no lanterns, no torches, no pipes, no cooking fires within 15 meters of any area where powder is stored, handled, or processed.

If illumination is needed in a powder magazine, use only:

• Natural daylight through windows
• Reflected light using mirrors
• Lanterns placed behind glass walls in sealed alcoves (the “magazine lamp” design)
• In extreme need, a candle inside a sealed glass lantern placed well above the working area

3. Control Static Electricity

Gunpowder can be ignited by electrostatic discharge. This risk is highest in dry conditions, when working with fine powder, and when materials are being poured or transferred (which generates static through friction).

Mitigation:

• Ground yourself before handling powder (touch a metal object connected to earth)
• Dampen the floor of the work area to increase humidity
• Never pour powder from one container to another over a distance — keep containers touching
• Wear natural fiber clothing (cotton, linen, wool) — synthetics generate more static
• Do not handle powder during thunderstorms

4. Minimize Exposure Time and Quantity

The less time you spend near powder, and the less powder you are near, the lower your risk. This principle drives all magazine and workshop design:

• Keep only the amount of powder needed for the immediate task at the workstation
• Return unused powder to the magazine immediately
• Never leave powder containers open longer than necessary
• Process powder in small batches
• Separate storage from work areas by the maximum practical distance

5. Never Work Alone

Every powder-handling operation requires at least two people:

• One person performs the work
• One person observes from a safe distance, ready to respond to emergencies
• The observer monitors for unsafe conditions the worker may not notice
• If the worker is incapacitated, the observer can provide aid or summon help

Specific Handling Procedures

Transferring Powder

When moving powder from one container to another:

1. Both containers must be made of non-sparking materials (wood, leather, copper, stoneware)
2. Place both containers on a grounded surface
3. Pour slowly and steadily — do not dump or shake
4. Use a wooden or copper scoop if precise amounts are needed
5. After transfer, wipe any spilled powder with a damp cloth before moving anything
6. Never drag containers across the floor — lift them

Measuring Powder

When weighing or measuring powder for charges:

1. Use a balance scale with copper or brass pans
2. Handle weights with clean, dry hands
3. Add powder to the scale pan with a wooden spoon, a small amount at a time
4. Never drop weights onto a pan containing powder
5. Record measurements immediately — do not rely on memory

Transporting Powder

Moving powder from the magazine to the work site:

1. Use purpose-built powder containers: wooden kegs with wooden hoops, leather bags, or copper canisters
2. Never carry more than needed for the day’s work
3. Carry containers upright — do not sling over shoulders or allow swinging
4. Use a dedicated path clear of sparking hazards (rocks, metal debris)
5. In wet weather, protect containers from water (damp powder is less sensitive but may not function)
6. If transporting by cart, use a wooden cart with wooden wheels. Pad the container to prevent bouncing.

Cleaning Up

After every powder-handling session:

1. Sweep all work surfaces with a damp broom or cloth
2. Collect all spilled powder — do not leave traces on floors, shelves, or equipment
3. Wash your hands and arms before touching any other materials
4. Dispose of swept-up powder by burning it in small amounts outdoors, or dissolving in water
5. Clean all tools used and return them to designated storage

Personal Safety Equipment

Clothing

• Cotton or linen outer clothing — never wool (generates static) or leather with metal hardware
• Soft-soled shoes (leather or cloth) without nails or metal plates
• No jewelry, watches, or metal accessories
• Long hair must be tied back and covered

Protective Gear

• Leather apron (without metal buckles or rivets)
• Damp cotton cloth mask when handling fine powder (prevents inhalation)
• No gloves during precision work (reduce sensitivity and dexterity), but leather gloves are appropriate for carrying kegs

Magazine (Storage) Rules

Construction

• Build magazines of non-combustible materials (stone, brick) or wood without metal fasteners
• No iron nails, hinges, or hardware — use wooden pegs, copper hinges, copper nails
• Floor must be smooth wood or flagstone — no gravel or rough surfaces
• Roof should be lightweight (thatch or thin wood) so that if an explosion occurs, the force vents upward rather than outward

Access

• Only authorized, trained persons may enter the magazine
• Lock the magazine when not in active use
• Post clear warning signs visible from all approaches
• Maintain a clear zone of at least 30 meters around the magazine — no buildings, no stored materials, no traffic

Climate Control

• Keep the magazine dry: good roof drainage, no ground moisture contact (raise the floor above grade)
• Provide ventilation to prevent moisture buildup, but screen all openings to prevent sparks or embers from entering
• Monitor temperature — excessive heat from direct sun can warm powder to dangerous levels. Shade the magazine or bury it partially underground.

Inventory

• Maintain a written record of all powder entering and leaving the magazine
• Record the date of production for each batch
• Use oldest powder first (first in, first out)
• Periodically inspect stored powder for signs of degradation: caking, color change, saltpeter bloom (white crystals forming on the surface of corned grains)

Emergency Procedures

Powder Fire

If loose powder ignites:

1. Do not attempt to smother or extinguish. Small quantities of loose powder burn out in seconds. Large quantities will explode before you can respond.
2. Move away immediately — at least 30 meters
3. Warn everyone in the area
4. If the fire has not reached the magazine, and you can safely do so, remove additional powder from the danger zone
5. After the fire is out, drench the area with water before approaching

Clothing Fire

If your clothing catches fire from a powder flash:

1. Stop, drop, and roll — standard fire response
2. A companion should smother flames with a blanket or douse with water
3. Powder burns are flash burns — intense but brief. The fire will go out quickly, but burns may be severe.
4. Treat burns with clean, cool water. Do not apply grease or oil.

Injury Response

Keep a medical kit at the powder works at all times containing:

• Clean cloths for bandaging
• Clean water for washing wounds and burns
• A stretcher or board for transporting injured persons
• A designated route to the nearest medical aid