Explosives Charging and Firing SWMS

For licensed shotfirers, civil and earthworks contractors and principal contractors who charge and fire blast holes at construction and civil sites that are not mines. It follows the job from the licence, blast plan and notice checks through storing and issuing explosives, the exclusion zone, charging, the final clearance and firing to the post-blast inspection, misfires and the return of unused explosives. Drilling has its own SWMS.

Construction work that involves the use of explosives is high risk construction work (WHS Regulation s 291(h)), so the explosives item is ticked and a SWMS is required before the work starts (s 299). You can also tick powered mobile plant movement (item o) where charging vehicles or other plant move in the blast area, and a fall of more than 2 metres (item a) where work is near a highwall or crest. Coal mines and mines to which the mining safety Acts apply are outside the WHS Act (schedule 1, part 2, division 1, section 2(1)(a) and (b)), and a quarry is a mine unless a regulation declares otherwise (Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 s 9(1)(f) and (4)), so use the site’s own system there. The Explosives Act 1999 and Explosives Regulation 2017 apply in addition, and this SWMS does not replace the licences, authorities and notices they require.

New to SWMS? Read What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?

What Is Covered In Our Explosives Charging and Firing SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Confirm the authority, blast plan and notices before explosives are ordered” to “Return, account for and record the explosives, and close out”. The hazards and controls include:

• Unplanned initiation of explosives and detonators
• Unlicensed or unsupervised handling of explosives
• Lost, stolen or insecure explosives
• People inside the exclusion zone at firing
• Flyrock beyond the exclusion zone
• Ground vibration and air blast
• Misfires and undetonated explosive in the muck
• Fumes and dust after the blast
• Loose rock and unstable faces after firing
• Lightning and storms during charging
• Charging the wrong hole or amount
• Unaccounted explosives and missing records

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Involves the use of explosives

Licences, Training and Competency

• Shotfirer licence or licence to use explosives held by the person who charges and fires (Explosives Regulation 2017 ss 32 and 33); a shotfirer licence authorises use of blasting explosives only with a current competency assessment from a registered training organisation, performed within the 5 years before the thing is done (s 33(2), (3))
• A person without their own authority may use blasting explosives only in the presence and under the direct supervision of a prescribed shotfirer (Explosives Regulation 2017 s 149(b)), and the holder of the shotfirer licence must be satisfied the person is an adult, physically able to carry out blasting activities and has satisfactory knowledge of the Act’s requirements for the blasting and its hazards (s 151)
• Employees given access to explosives are at least 18 years old, and at least 21 to drive a vehicle that is transporting explosives; where the employer’s authority is security sensitive they hold a security clearance or work under direct supervision of someone who does (Explosives Act 1999 s 33; Explosives Regulation 2017 s 18A)
• Authority to transport the explosives in the vehicle (Explosives Act 1999 s 50): a shotfirer licence (with its current competency assessment) or a licence to use explosives authorises transport of the explosives for use under the licence as Part 9 of the Regulation requires (Explosives Regulation 2017 ss 33(1)(e), 33(2) and 32(d)); an explosives driver licence authorises its holder to drive a vehicle that a licence to transport explosives covers for that class of explosive (s 31A)
• A competent person experienced in the controlled use of explosives for the work, consulted before it is decided to use explosives, and a licensed competent person who develops the blast management plan and has it authorised before blasting starts (Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021 section 4.5)
• General construction induction training card (white card) for construction work, and a site induction covering the blast times, warning signals, exclusion zone and sentry points (WHS Regulation ss 316 and 317)
• Sentries briefed on their position, the radio calls and the signals; trained traffic controllers where a road is closed or controlled
• First aid equipment, facilities and trained first aiders (or access to them) to suit the work and the distance from medical help (WHS Regulation s 42)

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): s 291(h) (construction work that involves the use of explosives) and ss 299 to 303 (safe work method statements); s 142 (notice of demolition work involving explosives); chapter 8A (crystalline silica substances)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld), schedule 1, part 2, division 5, section 7: the WHS Act does not limit the Explosives Act 1999, which prevails if the two are inconsistent (subject to s 7(1), which still requires a health and safety duty to be discharged even where another Act prescribes a lesser duty)
• Explosives Act 1999 (Qld): ss 32 (duty of care), 33 (employers’ obligations), 34 (possession), 44 (storage), 49 (precautions when storing), 50 (transport), 53 (use), 54 (using explosives under conditions endangering life), 56 (notice of explosives incidents) and 57 (site not to be interfered with)
• Explosives Regulation 2017 (Qld): ss 18A, 31A, 32, 33 (ages and licences), 103 (storing blasting explosives), 137 (transporting explosives), 148 to 155 (using blasting explosives, shotfirers, records and notices of proposed blasting) and schedule 7 (misfire)
• AS 2187, part 2, as Explosives Regulation 2017 ss 152 and 153 name it (the Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021 section 4.5 refers to AS 2187.2: Explosives – Storage and use – Use of Explosives)
• Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021 (using explosives 4.5; atmospheric conditions and ventilation 4.6)
• Demolition Work Code of Practice 2021 (using explosives 4.14, for demolition, which has its own SWMS)
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work Code of Practice 2021
• Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): overhead and underground electric lines, sections 13 to 15 and the exclusion zones in sections 10 to 13 and schedule 2
• Mining safety Acts: the WHS Act does not apply to a coal mine to which the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 applies, or to a mine to which the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 applies (WHS Act schedule 1, part 2, division 1, section 2(1)(a) and (b)); a quarry is a mine unless a regulation declares otherwise (Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999 s 9(1)(f) and (4))

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (18 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 10 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: safety boots, hard hat and long-sleeved high-visibility clothing; safety glasses or goggles for the charge-up crew and anyone in the blast area
• Emergency arrangements for: misfire or suspected misfire, unplanned explosion, injury or fire near explosives and explosives lost or stolen (or that appear to be), or insecure
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed November 2026.