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Enforcement

Explosives: update

The UK has left the EU, and some rules and procedures have changed from 1 January 2021[55].

The Health and Safety Executive's Explosives Inspectorate works in partnership with local authorities, fire and rescue services and the police in enforcing legislation on explosives in Great Britain (separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland).

In general terms the division of responsibilities is as follows. HSE has licensing and enforcement responsibility for:

  • manufacture
  • stores of more than two tonnes
  • storage at mines and in harbour areas
  • on-site mixing
  • transport of explosives

Local authorities, fire services and the police are responsible for licensing and enforcement for stores holding less than two tonnes of explosive. The licensing/enforcement responsibility will depend on the type of explosive and on the area.

  • The police are the enforcing authority if the explosives include either smokeless powder or an explosive that does requires and explosive certificate.
  • The local authority or fire and rescue services are the enforcing authority if the explosives do not require an explosive certificate.
  • The Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing authority in the metropolitan counties (ie West Midlands, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Tyne and Wear, South, and West Yorkshire) as well as in Cornwall and Oxfordshire the local licensing authority is the fire and rescue service.
  • in all other areas the enforcing authority will normally be the Trading Standards Department of the local authority (in some parts of England this will be part of the County Council).

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

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Updated 2024-06-12