Help us to improve the website - give your feedback.

Ammonium nitrate

This page contains information about:

Storing and handling ammonium nitrate

HSE's leaflet INDG230 Storing and handling ammonium nitrate (PDF) [56] provides information relating to the general duties imposed on employers by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 with regard to the safe storage and handling of ammonium nitrate at, for example, harbours, merchant stores and manufacturers' premises.

HSE has produced a self-help checklist (PDF) [57] to help those storing ammonium nitrate determine if there are further measures they could take to ensure safe handling and storage of ammonium nitrate. This checklist is issued to all safety and security inspectors.

Delivery Guide dealing with Ammonium Nitrate Strategic Topics[58] has been produced as an aide for inspectors.

Legislation

The following legislation is relevant to importing and storing ammonium nitrate:

Security of ammonium nitrate

The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) hosts the Secure Your Fertiliser website[63], which aims to increase the awareness in the farming and growing community and provide practical guidance about securing fertilisers.

Further information and guidance regarding handling, storage and security can be found on the Agricultural Industries Confederation website[64].

Guidance on the security of ammonium nitrate used in blasting has been produced by NaCTSO in conjunction with the Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee and HSE.

The leaflet A Guide to the Security of Ammonium Nitrate used in Blasting (PDF) [65] offers some practical help and guidance for sites, such as quarries, that use ammonium nitrate for blasting.

Link URLs in this page

  1. Explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/index.htm
  2. Explosives Regulations 2014 (Amendment) Regulations 2016https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/regulations2016.htm
  3. Overview - The Explosives Regulations 2014https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/new-regulations.htm
  4. Guidance structurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/guidance-structure.htm
  5. Subsector guidancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/new-regs-subsector.htm
  6. Explosives Legislative Reviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/explosives-legislative-review.htm
  7. Getting startedhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/getting-started.htm
  8. Overview - Authorisations/licensinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/index.htm
  9. Hazard type https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/hazard-classification.htm
  10. Safety requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/safety-requirements.htm
  11. Separation distanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/separation/index.htm
  12. Building and construction typehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/separation/separation-distance-tables.htm
  13. Applying for a licencehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/how-to-apply.htm
  14. Local authority assenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/local-authority-assent.htm
  15. Explosives in portshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/licensing-explosives-in-ports.htm
  16. Information for enforcing authoritieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/enforcing-authorities.htm
  17. Refusals and revocations of authorisationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/refusals-revocations.htm
  18. Safeguarding planshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/safeguarding-plans.htm
  19. Manufacturinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/manufacturing.htm
  20. Securityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/storage-security.htm
  21. Storing explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/index.htm
  22. Overview - Classification for transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/index.htm
  23. UN test resultshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/un-test-results.htm
  24. UN test series FAQshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/faq-conducting-un-test-series-6.htm
  25. Analogyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/analogy.htm
  26. Non-contracting partyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/non-contracting-party.htm
  27. UN default scheme for fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/un-default-scheme-fireworks.htm
  28. How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/classification/how-to-apply.htm
  29. Overview - Fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/index.htm
  30. Firework displayshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/using.htm
  31. Storing and selling fireworkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/industry.htm
  32. Transfer of explosiveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/transfer-of-explosives.htm
  33. Overview - Ammonium nitratehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/index.htm
  34. Ammonium nitrate and COMAHhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/comah.htm
  35. Storage of ammonium nitrate blasting intermediate (ANBI)https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/storage-ammonium-nitrate.htm
  36. Notification thresholdhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/notification-threshold.htm
  37. High nitrogen contenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/high-nitrogen-content.htm
  38. Land use planninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/land-use-planning.htm
  39. Discarding and disposalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/disposal.htm
  40. Reporting losshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/reporting-loss.htm
  41. Placing civil explosives on the markethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ce-marking/index.htm
  42. Market surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/market-surveillance.htm
  43. Record keeping requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/record-keeping.htm
  44. Manufacture, storage and carriage of thermiteshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/manufacture-storage-carriage-of-thermites.htm
  45. Overview - Other topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/other.htm
  46. Exemptionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/exemptions/index.htm
  47. Record of explosives incidentshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/eidas.htm
  48. Identification and traceability https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/traceability-itoer.htm
  49. Applying for a Site Identification Codehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/applying-for-site-identification-code.htm
  50. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/resources.htm
  51. Formshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/explosive/index.htm
  52. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/publications.htm
  53. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/useful-links.htm
  54. Contactshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/contact.htm
  55. The UK has left the EU, and some rules and procedures have changed from 1 January 2021https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ce-marking/index.htm
  56. INDG230 Storing and handling ammonium nitrate https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg230.pdf
  57. self-help checklist https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/assets/docs/chklist.pdf
  58. Ammonium Nitrate Strategic Topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/delivery-guide-inspection.htm
  59. Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH)https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/comah.htm
  60. Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites)  Regulations 1990 https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/namos.htm
  61. Ammonium Nitrate Materials (High Nitrogen Content) Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/high-nitrogen-content.htm
  62. Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/landuseplanning/hazardoussubstances.htm
  63. Secure Your Fertiliser websitehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secure-your-fertiliser/secure-your-fertiliser
  64. Agricultural Industries Confederation websitehttp://www.agindustries.org.uk/
  65. A Guide to the Security of Ammonium Nitrate used in Blasting https://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/assets/docs/nactso.pdf
  66. INDG 230 - Storing and Handling Ammonium Nitratehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg230.pdf
  67. Storage and Handling Ammonium Nitrate Fertiliserhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/assets/docs/chklist.pdf
  68. Notification of Installations Handling Hazardous Substanceshttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2979/contents/made
  69. NaCTSO guidance leaflethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/assets/docs/nactso.pdf
  70. The Storage, Handling and Transportation of Ammonium Nitrate-Based Fertilisers 2015https://www.agindustries.org.uk/resource/the-storage--handling-and-transportation-of-ammonium-nitrate-based-fertilisers-2015-25-may-2016-pdf.html
  71. The storage of ammonium nitrate blasting intermediate (ANBI) in an underground minehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/ammonium/storage-ammonium-nitrate.htm
  72. UK legislationhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/
  73. AIC - Agriculture Industries Confederationhttp://www.agindustries.org.uk/
  74. Defra - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairshttp://www.defra.gov.uk/
  75. Arrangements for notification of inventories of ammonium nitratehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/nihhs.htm

Is this page useful?

Updated 2024-06-12