Blaster Training Courses

Blaster applicants are required to prove they completed 16 hours of approved blaster training when submitting their certificate applications. This applies to both new and renewal applications. Companies, organizations, and associations must submit the curricula of their training courses to the NYS Department of Labor, License & Certification Unit, Room 161A, Building 12, State Office Campus, Albany, NY 12226, for review and approval. The Department of Labor will notify submitters that the course is approved or not approved. Approved courses will be posted on this page.

It is expected that the curricula will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• blasting safety
• electrical safety
• safe loading & handling
• transportation
• flyrock
• misfires
• premature detonations
• storage
• security
• new products
• detonator safety
• incident reporting
• bulk explosives
• seismographs
• NYS CR 61 & 39 regulations

Training should cover the specific hazards and control measures for the type of blasting. Refresher training should address what is new in the industry, such as products, procedures, and regulations. It should not be a repeat of the previous training. Note that the MSHA 8-hour refresher training is not acceptable in lieu of blaster training.

Please feel free to contact the License & Certificate Unit at License&[email protected]  or at 518-457-2735 if you have any questions.

Note: there are many courses given throughout the country which may be acceptable, but they have not been submitted for approval.  Any training provider can submit a curriculum for approval.

• ISEE Level Two —this is via manuals only — currently 8 credit hours.
• ISEE: one day-long Blaster Training seminar given at the Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Techniques — 8 hours (4-8 additional hours allowed if attending the entire conference). Contact information: www.isee.org, phone 440-349-4400 (you must phone to register for the online course).
• MSHA: Mine Blasting Safety & Application Seminar. This is a two-day seminar held at the National Mine Health & Safety Academy (usually in January) – 16 hours. www.msha.gov
• Pennsylvania State two-day Blasting Seminar — 16 hours (there is also a condensed one-day seminar for the gas field industry— 8 hours). Bing or Google search: Pennsylvania blaster conference.
• Detonation Safety Engineering: Back to Basics — 16 hours; Basic construction Blasting — 8 hours; Practical Blasting Fundamentals (ISEE level one certification) – 16 hours; Fundamental Topics in Blasting — 8 hours.
• Explosives Academy: online training – NYS Blaster's Certification and Training Program, which includes 3-8 hour courses (also available in Spanish). www.explosivesacademy.org
• Explosives Services International Ltd. (Louisiana): Explosives Safety Course – 16 hours. Call 225-275-2152 or email [email protected]
• R.A. McClure Inc: BEST-Blasting Explosives Safety Training Course, 2 1/2 days; BSAT-Blasting Safety Application Training — 8-hour course. Customized courses are available. Email [email protected]
• Binex Solutions LLC: NYSDOL Blaster Training – 8 hours. Call 518-378-4508.
• Safety Environmental & Operational Training Inc. (Louisiana): Explosives License Refresher – 4 hours. www.seot-inc.com
• ISEE Connecticut Chapter 2011 conference with 8-hour seminar presented by MSHA.
• ISEE Potomac Chapter 16-hour "Blasting Basics & Safety Conference."
• Maurer & Scott, Inc. – Annual, 8-Hour, Blaster’s Refresher Training
• Independent Explosives and Dyno Nobel – Blasters 8-Hour Certification Refresher Training
• Liberty Blasting Group – Blaster Training 8-Hour Course

The following courses are given internally, for employees only:

• Maine Drilling & Blasting (in-house training): Blaster Technical Training – 24 hours; Electronic Initiation Training – 16 hours; Understanding & Measuring the Ground and Air Response from Blasting – 8 hours.
• Cold Springs Granite (in-house training): Modules OJ-QU-047, SA-QU-003, and WI-WH-1300, 4 hours total.
• Austin Powder (in-house training): 8 hours Blaster Refresher; 30 hours Hazmat.
• Dyno Nobel (in-house training): Initial Explosive Training – 40 hours; Refresher Explosives Training – 16 hours; and the 8-hour blaster seminar offered to customers.
• Cargill Salt in conjunction with Dyno Nobel (in-house training): 16-hour class with 8 hours in the field.
• North American Industrial Services, Inc. (in-house training): NAIS Blaster Training Program – Phase II, and OSHA 29 CFR 1910 & 19261 BATF regulations – 18-hour class.
• Orica USA, Inc. Basic Explosives Application Training – 16 hours, by DMS Safety Services.