Safety Protocols

Part of Gunpowder and Explosives

Comprehensive safety protocols covering every phase of explosives production, storage, and use.

Why This Matters

The history of black powder is written as much in accident reports as in engineering achievements. The Powder Tower of Delft exploded in 1654, killing hundreds. The Royal Gunpowder Mills at Faversham suffered repeated fatal explosions across centuries. In 19th-century America, powder mill explosions were so routine that mills were built with lightweight roofs designed to blow upward rather than outward, sacrificing the building to protect workers in adjacent structures.

Every one of these disasters was preventable. They were caused by dust accumulation, metal-on-metal sparks, static discharge, improper storage, or human complacency. The safety protocols in this article are distilled from centuries of hard-won experience — each rule exists because someone died when it was violated.

In a rebuilding civilization, you cannot afford to learn these lessons the hard way. You have a small population of irreplaceable skilled workers. A single powder accident can kill your only trained chemist, destroy months of saltpeter production, and set your community’s engineering capability back by years. Safety is not an overhead cost — it is the foundation on which your entire explosives program stands or falls.

The Safety Framework

Safety protocols for explosives work are organized into five domains:

1. Personnel — Who handles what, training requirements, personal protective measures
2. Facility — How buildings and work areas are designed and maintained
3. Operations — Procedures for each phase of production and use
4. Storage — How finished products and raw materials are kept
5. Emergency — What to do when things go wrong

Personnel Protocols

Training Requirements

No person should handle explosive materials without training in:

• The properties of each material they will work with (sensitivity, burn rate, ignition sources)
• The specific procedures for their assigned task
• Emergency procedures including fire response and first aid
• At least one supervised practice session for each procedure before working independently

The Buddy System

No One Works Alone

Every operation involving explosive materials requires at least two trained people. One performs the work; the other observes from a safe distance, ready to respond to emergencies.

The observer must:

• Be within visual contact at all times
• Know the emergency procedures
• Have access to fire suppression equipment (water buckets)
• Know the location of the nearest medical supplies
• Not be performing any other task while observing

Personal Conduct Rules

While working with explosive materials:

• No eating, drinking, or smoking in work areas
• No running, horseplay, or sudden movements
• No loose clothing, dangling jewelry, or unsecured long hair
• No conversations that distract from the task at hand
• If you feel tired, ill, or distracted, STOP work and leave the area
• If you see an unsafe condition, STOP work immediately and alert everyone

Clothing Requirements

Item	Required	Prohibited
Outer garments	Cotton or linen	Wool, silk, synthetic fabrics (static)
Footwear	Soft-soled leather or cloth	Metal nails, iron cleats, hobnails
Head covering	Cotton cap or cloth	Nothing that generates static
Accessories	None	Metal jewelry, watches, belt buckles
Apron	Leather (no metal rivets)	-

Facility Design

The Principle of Separation

Every facility handling explosive materials must separate:

• Production areas from each other — grinding, mixing, corning, and drying each in their own space
• Production from storage — the magazine must be distant from all work areas
• Explosive areas from everything else — living quarters, other workshops, livestock

Minimum Separation Distances

Between	Minimum Distance
Adjacent production buildings	30 meters
Production building and magazine	60 meters
Magazine and nearest inhabited building	100 meters
Any explosive area and public road	60 meters

Building Construction

Production buildings should be designed to minimize damage from explosions:

• Walls: Light construction (wood frame) on three sides; one wall should be blast-resistant (earth berm, stone, or heavy timber) on the side facing other buildings
• Roof: Lightweight (thatch, thin boards, sheet metal) so that an explosion vents upward rather than outward
• Floor: Smooth, non-sparking surface (hardwood planks, packed clay, or flagstone). No gravel, no metal plates.
• Doors: Open outward for quick escape. No metal latches — use wooden or leather fasteners.
• Windows: Provide maximum natural light to avoid the need for artificial illumination near powder.

Earth Berms

The most effective protection between buildings is an earth berm — a mound of packed earth between the blast source and what you want to protect:

• Minimum height: 1 meter above the roof line of the building it protects
• Minimum thickness at the top: 2 meters
• Sloped sides with grass cover to prevent erosion
• Berms absorb blast energy and stop fragments more effectively than any wall

Lightning Protection

Powder magazines and production facilities must be protected from lightning:

1. Install a lightning rod (iron or copper rod) extending at least 2 meters above the highest point of the building
2. Run a heavy copper or iron conductor down the outside of the building
3. Connect the conductor to a ground rod driven at least 2 meters into moist earth
4. During thunderstorms, cease all powder operations and evacuate production areas

Operational Protocols

Daily Procedures

Before starting work each day:

1. Inspect the work area for any overnight changes (water leaks, animal intrusion, structural damage)
2. Check that all fire suppression equipment is in place and functional
3. Verify that no unauthorized materials have been brought into the work area
4. Review the day’s planned operations and ensure all materials are ready
5. Brief all workers on the day’s tasks and any special precautions

During operations:

1. Work with the minimum quantity of explosive material needed for the immediate task
2. Keep containers closed when not actively dispensing
3. Clean up any spills immediately with a damp cloth
4. Maintain the work area in a clean, orderly state at all times
5. No more than two people in a single production building at any time

At the end of each work day:

1. Return all unused materials to proper storage
2. Clean all work surfaces with damp cloths
3. Sweep floors with a damp broom
4. Dispose of sweepings by burning in small amounts outdoors, or dissolving in water
5. Secure all buildings and storage areas
6. Record the day’s production and material usage in the log

Phase-Specific Protocols

Grinding:

• Grind each component separately — never mixed
• Work in small batches (100 g maximum per mortar load)
• Use non-sparking tools only (stone, wood, copper)
• If the material becomes warm to the touch, stop and allow it to cool

Mixing (Incorporation):

• Always wet-mix — never combine dry components
• Work outdoors or in a building with blast-vent roof
• Maximum batch size: 500 g
• If a batch ignites during mixing (rare with wet mixing), LEAVE IMMEDIATELY — do not attempt to extinguish

Corning and Granulation:

• Damp powder is safest to handle but becomes dangerous as it dries
• Spread grains thin for drying — never in thick layers
• Never dry near any flame or heat source
• Monitor drying powder regularly

Fuse Making:

• Small quantities of powder are involved; fire risk is lower but still present
• Test every batch before operational use
• Store finished fuse away from bulk powder

Storage Protocols

Magazine Design

A powder magazine must provide:

1. Dryness: Waterproof roof, raised floor (at least 30 cm above grade), good drainage around the building
2. Ventilation: Screened openings near the top of walls for air circulation, preventing moisture buildup
3. Darkness: Minimal windows to reduce solar heating
4. Security: Strong door with a reliable lock; no unauthorized access
5. Fire resistance: No flammable materials in contact with the magazine exterior. Clear vegetation for 5 meters around.

Storage Rules

• Store powder in sealed containers (wooden kegs with wooden hoops, stoneware jars, copper canisters)
• Never stack containers more than two high
• Leave space between containers for air circulation
• Store fuse, powder, and ignition materials in separate compartments or separate magazines
• Maintain a written inventory: what is stored, how much, when it was produced, when it was last inspected
• First in, first out: use oldest powder first

Inspection Schedule

Inspection	Frequency	What to Check
Magazine exterior	Weekly	Roof integrity, drainage, vegetation clearance, lightning protection
Magazine interior	Monthly	Moisture, container integrity, signs of degradation
Powder quality	Quarterly	Burn test on sample from each batch; check for caking or discoloration
Inventory verification	Monthly	Physical count matches records

Emergency Protocols

Fire in a Work Area

1. Evacuate immediately. Do not attempt to fight a fire involving explosive materials. Shout a warning to all nearby workers.
2. Move to the designated assembly point (at least 100 meters from any explosive area).
3. Account for all personnel.
4. If the fire does not involve powder directly and can be safely fought with water, one trained person may attempt suppression ONLY if the fire has not reached any explosive material.
5. If powder is involved or at risk, stay away until the fire burns out completely.

Explosion

1. After the blast, wait at least 5 minutes before approaching. Secondary explosions are possible.
2. Approach cautiously, watching for unstable structures, scattered materials, and injured persons.
3. Account for all personnel immediately.
4. Administer first aid to survivors.
5. Secure the area — prevent anyone from entering until it has been inspected.
6. Investigate the cause before resuming any operations.

Misfire (Failed Blast)

1. Wait 30 minutes minimum. Some fuse failures result in very slow burning that can still reach the charge.
2. Do not approach the misfired hole.
3. Do not attempt to remove the charge.
4. Do not drill into or near the misfired hole.
5. Fire a secondary charge from a new bore hole at least 30 cm away.
6. If the secondary charge does not detonate the misfire, flood the misfired hole with water and wait 24 hours.

Medical Emergencies

Keep the following at every explosive work site:

• Clean water (at least 10 liters) for washing burns and wounds
• Clean cloths for bandaging
• A stretcher or carrying board
• A designated route to the nearest medical care
• Trained first-aid responders

For powder burns:

1. Remove clothing from the burned area (do not pull if stuck to skin)
2. Flush with cool, clean water for at least 10 minutes
3. Cover with clean, damp cloth
4. Do not apply grease, oil, or any other substance
5. Transport to medical care

Record Keeping

Maintain a permanent log for the explosives operation including:

• Daily production records (quantities of each material processed, finished powder produced)
• Inventory of stored materials (updated with every addition or withdrawal)
• Personnel on duty each day
• Any incidents, near-misses, or safety concerns
• Maintenance performed on facilities and equipment
• Test results for each batch of powder and fuse
• Weather conditions that may affect operations

This log serves three purposes: it enables quality control, it provides evidence for incident investigation, and it allows future powder-makers to learn from your experience.