ABSTRACT
Safety conscious mine operators and legislators have long held a vision of an “explosives-free” mining environment. Its realization has been delayed in South Africa by inter alia restricted access to modern explosives and blasting practices and limited competition in explosives supply. The scattered nature of mining activities and lack of mechanization was not conducive to innovations in explosives and initiation systems. Initial attempts at improved performance focussed on the cheapest and most widely suitable product. ANFO-type explosives initiated by capped fuse-igniter cord (CFIC) became generally used. Concerns around the destructive effects on the integrity of excavations progressively increased. Wastage arising from packaging weakness and from the charging method was an ongoing problem. The high proportion of fine material raised questions about the possibility for gold loss.
