XN000022-1977-09-11 — Page 9

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1977

WHENEVER A TRUCK IS CARRYING EXPLOSIVE CARGO, AN EXPLOSIVES INSPECTOR SITS UP FRONT WITH THE DRIVER, WHILE FOLLOWING UP THE REAR ARE EXPLOSIVES SUPERVISORS IN A PERSONNEL TRUCK. AS THE EXPLOSIVES ARE DELIVERED TO EACH BLASTING SITE A NUMBER OF SUPERVISORS STAY AT THE SITE TO ENSURE THAT THE EXPLOSIVES ARE PROPERLY USED OR DESTROYED AND DO NOT GO ASTRAY.

THE LIST OF EXPLOSIVES CONSUMERS GETS LONGER WEEK BY WEEK AS HONG KONG GOES THROUGH AN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD AND THE QUANTITY OF EXPLOSIVES CONSUMED INCREASES. ON ONE DAY ALONE RECENTLY OVER 20 TONS OF EXPLOSIVES WERE DELIVERED AND CONSUMED BY SUNDOWN.

MAJOR CONSUMERS ARE THE HIGH ISLAND RESERVOIR PROJECT, MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY SITES, NEW TOWN PROJECTS, THE TUEN MUN EXPRESSWAY AND THE LARGE STONE QUARRIES WORKING OVERTIME TO SATISFY A CONTINUING AND INCREASING DEMAND FOR STONE PRODUCTS.

THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL AND THE NEW BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL WILL ALSO BECOME MAJOR CONSUMERS OF EXPLOSIVES WHEN WORK UNDERGROUND GETS UNDERWAY.

A RECENT ADVANCE IN EXPLOSIVES TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL PROVE SIGNIFICANT FOR HONG KONG IS THE ADVENT OF WATERGEL, A NEW EXPLOSIVE WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS SENSITIVE THAN DYNAMITE AND CONSEQUENTLY MUCH SAFER.

IT IS SAFER TO STORE, TO TRANSPORT AND TO USE AND YET WHEN INITIATED IS AS POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE AS DYNAMITE.

+ THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WATERGEL, CR SLURRY EXPLOSIVE AS IT IS SOMETIMES CALLED, WILL EVENTUALLY ŘEPLACE DYNAMITE ALTOGETHER, SAID MR. RANSON AND, HE ADDED, +IN THE INTERESTS OF IMPROVED SAFETY THE SOONER IT DOES SO THE BETTER+.

APART FROM THE IMPROVEMENT TO SAFETY IT PROVIDES, WATERGEL HAS OTHER ADVANTAGES TO OFFER. IT CAN BE HANDLED WITHOUT CAUSING THE NAUSEOUS HEADACHES ASSOCIATED WITH THE NITRO-GLYCERINE DYNAMITES AND GEL IGNITES AND, FOR TUNNELLERS, IT HAS MUCH BETTER FUME CHARACTERISTICS ALLOWING WORKERS TO APPROACH THE WORK FACE SOONER AFTER BLASTING.

WATERGEL USED SO FAR IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN IMPORTED MAINLY FROM THE UNITED STATES BUT CONSIGNMENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN OBTAINED FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM AND JAPAN.

ITS CONSUMPTION PRESENTLY ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 PER CENT OF ALL CARTRIDGED EXPLOSIVES USED IN HONG KONG AND WILL PROBABLY INCREASE AS ITS BENEFITS BECOME MORE WIDELY APPRECIATED.

WHATEVER KIND OF EXPLOSIVE IS USED, HOWEVER, THE PRESENT RIGID CONTROL OVER ITS TRANSPORTATION AND USE WILL CONTINUE TO BE EXERCISED IN THE INTERESTS OF SAFETY AND SECURITY.

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