Explosives guidelines and standards

Explore guidelines and standards to help you manage explosives effectively and safely.

• Authorization
• Manufacturing
• Buying, selling and storing
• Screening
• Transporting
• Special Purpose Explosives
• Fireworks use
• Restricted Components

Authorization

• G03-01: Type E high explosives (HTML)
• G03-02: Guidelines for authorization of cartridges (PDF, 112 kb)
• G03-03: Guidelines for authorization of consumer and display fireworks (PDF, 293 kb)
• G03-04: Guidelines for authorization of pyrotechnic special effects (HTML
• G03-07: General standard for the authorization and classification of explosives (HTML)

Manufacturing

• G05-01: Guidelines for bulk explosives facilities (PDF, 949 kb)
• G05-02: Requirements for bulk mobile process units (PDF, 374 kb)
• G05-04: Security plan guideline (HTML)
• G05-05: Potential effects classification (PDF, 132.77 kb)
• G05-06: Pumping of water-based explosives (Contact the Explosives Regulatory Division [ERD] to get a copy.)
• G05-07: Guidelines for jet perforating gun assembly facilities (PDF, 195.16 kb)
• G05-09: Guidelines for picking and assembly for display fireworks (PDF, 321.23kb)
• G05-25: Sample security plan  (Contact the ERD to get a copy.)

Buying, selling and storing

• G06-01: Non-industrial storage guideline, 2015 (PDF, 311 kb)
• Storage of industrial explosives — standard of the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (link to the website of the Bureau)
• G06-05: Guideline for determining the storage compatibility of explosives (PDF, 196 kb)
• G06-06: Key control plan guideline (PDF, 74 kb)
• G06-07: Fire safety plan guideline (PDF, 71.9 kb)
• Explosives — quantity distances — standard of the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (link to the website of the Bureau)

Screening

• G08-02: Guideline for Applying for an approval letter (HTML)

Transporting

• G09-01: Guideline for Transporting detonators with other explosives (PDF, 40 kb)
• G09-02: Guidelines for quantified risk assessments at ports and wharves (PDF, 169 kb)

Special purpose explosives

• G13-01: Sale of high hazard purpose explosives (type S.2), reactive targets (PDF, 138 kb)

Fireworks and pyrotechnics use

• G17-01:  Special effect pyrotechnics manual (PDF, 765 Mb)
• G18-01: Display fireworks manual (HTML)

Restricted components

• G20-05: Guidelines for Tier 1 restricted component sellers (PDF, 870 kb)
• G20-06: Guidelines for Tier 2 restricted component sellers (PDF, 819 Kb)
• G20-07: Guidelines for Tier 3 restricted component sellers (PDF, 510 Kb)
• G20-04: Guidelines for recognizing and reporting suspicious transactions of explosives precursor chemicals (PDF, 454 Kb)
• G20-03: Guide for enrolments for restricted component sellers - eLMS  (PDF, 4 Mb)
• G20-01: Tier 1 restricted components security and key control guideline (PDF, 730 Kb)

Contact us

Explosives Regulatory Division
National Headquarters
588 Booth Street, 4th Floor
Ottawa ON  K1A 0Y7
Tel.: 1-855-912-0012
Email: ERDmms@nrcan.gc.ca