(225 ILCS 710/25) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 4232)
Sec. 25. Explosives; storage. The term "magazine" as used in this Section shall be held to mean and include any building or other structure or place in which explosives are stored or kept, whether above or below ground.
Sufficient explosives may be stored within a mine to meet the estimated requirements of such a mine during the succeeding 24 hours and an additional 24 hours' supply of explosives may be taken within the mine for the purpose of thawing the same in accordance with the provisions of Sections 45.51 and 45.52 of this Act, but in no event shall any greater supply of explosives be taken into or stored in the mine than is required to meet the estimated requirements of the mine during the succeeding 48 hours. No explosives shall be kept at any place within a mine where its accidental discharge would cut off the escape of miners working therein.
All explosives within the mine, except in magazines, shall be kept in stout tight boxes with hinged lids, from which explosives shall be removed only as required for immediate use. It shall be unlawful to keep such boxes containing explosives near any track or electric conductors or in any manway or to permit any grains or particles of such explosives to be or remain on the outside or about the containers in which such explosives are held. Black blasting powder and high explosives shall not be kept in the same box.
Not more than 75 pounds of explosives shall be kept in any one level at any one time, except that such explosives may be stored in an underground magazine from which supplies required for immediate use shall be distributed to the various working places by an authorized and competent person or persons. Such underground magazine may consist of a separate drift or chamber, the walls of which shall be of fire proof material or of wood covered with sheet iron. The entrance to such underground magazines shall be kept securely locked, except when it has to be entered by the person or persons in charge of the same.
All explosives, except detonators and fuses in excess of the temporary supply authorized to be taken into or stored in the mines, shall be stored in a magazine above ground which shall be placed not less than 300 feet distant from any shaft, adit, or other mining entrance, boiler, engine house, habitation, public highway or public railway. Provided, however, that in cases where the location of any mining property makes it impracticable to comply with the provisions of this Section the inspector may grant permission in writing to the operator of such mining property, to locate such magazine in some other place, if, in the opinion of the said inspector, such location be not dangerous to the safety of the mine employees or the public.
Every magazine above the ground shall be fire proof and water proof and shall be constructed of bullet-proof material. It shall be provided with mounds of earth, which shall be free from stones over one inch in diameter and shall not be less than 2 feet thick on such side or sides as are in the line with any shaft, adit, or other mine entrance, boiler, engine house, habitation, public highway or public railway, and which are not protected by natural features of the ground and such mound of earth or intervening natural feature or both shall be of sufficient height so that a line drawn from the top of any wall of the magazine to any part of the shaft, adit, mine entrance or structure to be protected, or to a point not less than 10 feet above the center of such public railway, shall pass through such mound of earth or intervening natural object. The floors of all such magazines shall be laid with sound boards, free from knots, tongued and grooved and not to exceed 6 inches in width. All nails in the interior of the magazine shall be countersunk. The ground around such magazine shall be kept free from rubbish, dead grass, shrubbery, or other encumbrances and no person shall be allowed to loiter about such place. No electric wires, matches, fire, candles, oil or gas for illuminating purposes, shall be permitted within any surface magazine or closer than 10 feet of the explosives stored therein.
Magazines shall be ventilated, and the openings for ventilation shall be so constructed that sparks of fire may not enter therein, magazines shall at all times be kept clean and dry and free from grit. Before any alterations are made to any part thereof, all explosives shall be carefully removed and the magazine thoroughly washed out. All tools and instruments used in making repairs shall be of wood, copper, brass or other soft metal or material. In no case shall nails or screws be driven into a magazine or into material that has once formed a part of the magazine, and all wooden parts discarded shall be burned in a safe place immediately.
All detonators shall be stored above ground in a suitable magazine or magazines, properly protected against molestation: Provided, that a sufficient supply for the needs of the mine during 48 hours may be stored underground as hereinafter stated. No detonator shall be stored within 100 feet of other explosives underground or within 300 feet of other explosives above ground. No detonator shall be taken into any magazine containing other explosives. No fuses shall be capped with detonators in any magazine or in any other place where detonators or other explosives are stored, but special benches shall be provided, at least 50 feet from such storage places, where all fuses shall be capped. Cap crimpers shall be furnished in sufficient quantity to avoid the necessity of crimping in any other way. No detonator shall be transported with other explosives except when made into a primer with such other explosives. All primers shall be exploded within 10 hours after making. Not more than 1,000 detonators shall be kept underground in any one level at any time. Fuse shall not be stored underground for a longer period than 72 hours.
When supplies of explosives or fuse are removed from a magazine those that have been longest in the magazine shall be taken first. Packages of explosives shall be removed to a safe distance from the magazine before being opened, and no such packages shall be opened with any metallic instrument, other than copper or brass.
Any failure on the part of the operator of any mine coming within the provisions of this Act to carry out and enforce any or all of the requirements of this Section shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor and shall be punished as hereinafter provided.
(Source: P.A. 87-1133.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015