Storage of Shooters' Powder

The Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations 2005 (SI Number 2005/1082) came into force on 26 April 2005.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have produced an excellent Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) that gives useful guidance and an illustration of the type of box suitable for storage of shooter's powder. The MLAGBis grateful to the HSE for their kind permission to reproduce an extract from the ACOP which covers storage of shooters' powder.

Keen DIY-ers will want to get busy with saws and hammers, but for those who find hanging a simple shelf something of a challenge, there are excellent ready made boxes available for purchase from powder suppliers. Shop around for best quality and keenest prices!

Health and Safety Executive

A further meeting with the Health & Safety Executive took place on the 28th April 2008 to consider proposed changes regarding the holding of ‘shooters’ powders’. This was concerned almost exclusively with trade-related issues, such as whether the police or the local authority should licence RFDs and those who dealt in shotgun cartridges, and simplified licensing for game fairs. Of interest to shooters, however, was confirmation of the continuation of explosives licenses for shooters (the proposed use of the FAC or SGC as an authority to acquire has definitely been dropped), a much simplified application form, and the continuing acceptability of 1 kg containers for black powder, about which the HSE will advise the police in due course. The existing permitted maximum holdings of ‘shooters’ powder’ remain unaltered, viz. 15 kg of black powder, or 10 kg of black powder and 5 kg of smokeless.

British Shooting Sports Council Quarterly Reports:

January - March 2008
October - December 2007
July - September 2007
April - June 2007
January - March 2007
October - December 2006
July - Setpember 2006
April - June 2006

BSSC web site