The new Explosives Regulations 2014 (ER 2014) will come into force on 1 October 2014.
HSE has been working with stakeholders since 2010 to review existing health and safety related explosives legislation. One of the key aims of that review has been to consolidate, modernise, and, where practicable, simplify the legislative arrangements.
Explosives Regulations 2014 (ER2014)
ER 2014 consolidates and therefore revokes a number of existing explosives regulations. It brings together the requirements of health and safety related explosives legislation into a framework based around common topics such as authorisation, safety, security and placing on the market.
The main changes to the regulatory framework affecting fireworks include:
• Merging registrations into the licensing system
• Allowing local authorities to issue licences up to 5 years, aligning them with equivalent HSE/police-issued licences
• Exceptions for keeping higher hazard and desensitised explosives without a licence have been updated
• Tables of separation distances have been restructured to better allow for sites with more than one store. The tables have also been revised to cover quantities of explosives greater than 2000kg
• A revised list of explosives that can be acquired or acquired and kept without an explosives certificate from the police.
• The repeal of the Fireworks Act 1951, as its remaining provisions have been superseded by the Pyrotechnic (Safety) Regulations 2010
• MSER 2005 (ACOP – L139) withdrawn
The Explosive Regulations will be supported by new guidance:
• L150 - focuses on safety provisions
• L151 - covers security provisions
Legislation affecting fireworks reviewed:
• Explosives Act 1875
• Control of Explosives Regulations 1991 (COER)
• Placing on the Market and Supervision of Transfers of Explosives Regulations 1993 (POMSTER)
• Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 (MSER)