Explosives have recently been found in the possession of members of the public not authorised to possess them. This has raised concerns with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety in regards to explosives safety and security.
Industries engaged in the possession and use of explosives are reminded of the need to have appropriate controls and procedures in place to ensure explosives are secure from sabotage, theft, unexplained loss and that there is no unauthorised access.
The requirements for the safe storage and security of explosives are outlined in the Dangerous Goods Safety (Explosives) Regulations 2007, the Australian Code for the Transport of Explosives by Road and Rail, 3rd Edition (AEC3) and Australian Standard 2187 Explosives – Storage, transport and use.
Note: Recently the Western Australian Police and the Department investigated the theft of explosives from a mine site. Despite site records showing discrepancies between the recorded quantities and the actual quantities of explosives stored, these discrepancies were not investigated by the company. The root cause of the theft of the explosives was the illegal conduct of a trusted employee.