Ingo,
As a miner, I was told about "Fire bosses" in coal mines and
some hard rock mines. In the Sullivan Mine (and most others) men did
their own blasting. There were three types of government issued
"blasting certificates"; "incidental blasting certificates" which
permitted transportation workers and others to detonate small blasts
when working on chutes, etc.; "miners' blasting certificates" which
permitted the holder to detonate "rounds" and (theoretically) to perform
any other underground blasting; and "surface blasting certificates"
which permitted the holder to detonate blasts anywhere (obeying, of
course, all regulations).
In practice, more experienced miners ( who were classed as
"barmen" or "diamond drill loaders") were in charge of loading the
larger diamond drill blasts. Although any miner could theoretically
detonate such a blast, mine electricians were usually involved with the
wiring of the electrical blasting caps (which were used in conjunction
with prima cord) - I am not sure if they required a "miner" with them or
if some were qualified as blasters themselves. I do know that a friend,
Geordie Scott, an electrical foreman. had survived a large blast which
had been detonated by an apprentice electrician while Geordie was
inspecting the wiring.
A few "barmen" possessed surface blasting cerificates and did
surface blasting for the company. In the Sullivan Mine, blasting
qualifications were not related to one's level in management. Few, if
any, shifters and mine foremen were qualified as surface blasters.
Blasting certificates were issued by the government on the basis of
training and experience. Miners had to pass tests, and be able to
demonstrate that they had sufficient experience before being issued a
certificate.
Among the miners themselves, a few old timers, who had worked
with pure nitroglycerine were considered the greatest experts on
blasting. The fact that they were still alive meant that they knew what
they were doing.
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