A well attended meeting held at the Players Golf Club, Codrington, heard Paul Rushton, HM Inspector of Health and Safety (Explosives), give a talk on best practice in record keeping for explosives. He was ably assisted by Colin Hanks, Avon and Somerset Explosives Liaison Officer. The talk was split into two halves. In the first half Mr Rushton gave practical guidance on how to maintain accurate records as required by COER, that are simple and easy to understand both by users and regulators. He gave examples of common errors ranging from simple arithmetical ones to manufacturers marking the incorrect quantity on the box.

Mr Rushton gave guidance on how to correct errors when they are discovered and showed examples of how it should be done. He strongly advised against writing over the incorrect figure or use of Tippex as it could lead to additional confusion. He strongly advised that for confirming stock entering and leaving a store, there should be a system involving two people verifying the movement. He concluded this half of the talk with an example of a suitable record sheet. A sharp-eyed member of the audience spotted an error in this record which showed how easy it was to make a mistake!

For the second half Mr Rushton gave details of new legislation that would be coming into force on 5 April 2010 as a result of an EC Directive. This is the Identification and Traceability of Explosives Regulations (ITOER). Its aim is to uniquely identify explosives and accessories so they can be traced from production site through to their final use. This should help prevent misuse and theft and assist the authorities in tracing the origin of lost or stolen explosives. Whilst the bulk of the responsibilities fall on manufacturers and suppliers, the fact that records will need to be kept for ten years and be much more complicated will inevitably create problems for end users. For example a local quarry firing three hundred shots a year will require a significant storage area simply to keep records for this length of time. The draft regulations are out for consultation and responses are required by 2 November 2009.

A very lively question and answer session followed. Eric Darlow gave a vote of thanks to Mr Rushton for a very interesting talk and to Colin Hanks for his valuable assistance on the practical aspects of explosives storage.