Arms and Explosives Act
(Chapter 13, Section 46)
Arms and Explosives (Explosives) Rules
R 2
G.N. No. S 415/2006

REVISED EDITION 2007
(1st October 2007)
[14th July 2006]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Citation
1.  These Rules may be cited as the Arms and Explosives (Explosives) Rules.
Definitions
2.—(1)  In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —
“attendant” means a person who accompanies the driver of a vehicle carrying any explosives during a journey to ensure the safety and security of the explosives;
“blasting explosive” means an explosive substance allocated, on classification under Part II, the UN Number 0081, 0082, 0083, 0084, 0241, 0331 or 0332;
“Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore” means the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore established under the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 41);
“Class 1” means the classification of dangerous goods as set out in the latest edition of the United Nations Book on Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations (Ref: ST/SG/AC.10/1) prepared by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods;
“classified”, in relation to an article, a substance, a combination or a unit load, means —
(a)assigned to Class 1, a Division and a Compatibility Group and, in the case of an article or a substance, allocated a UN Number; or
(b)excluded from Class 1 and designated as, or as not, presenting a significant hazard from explosion;
“combination” means a combination in the same packaging of —
(a)2 or more articles or substances; or
(b)one or more articles and one or more substances;
“Compatibility Group letter” means the letter in the second column of the First Schedule that is assigned to a Compatibility Group;
“consignee” means a person who makes a purchase of, or who receives, explosives from a consignor;
“consignor” means a person who hands over dangerous goods for movement;
“container” has the same meaning as in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 170A);
“detonating cord” means an explosive article allocated, on classification under Part II, the UN Number 0065 or 0289;
“detonating fuse” means an explosive article allocated, on classification under Part II, the UN Number 0106, 0107, 0257 or 0367;
“detonator”  —
(a)means an initiator for explosives that contains a charge of high explosives fired by means of a flame, a spark, an electric current or a shock tube; and
(b)includes an explosive article allocated, on classification under Part II, the UN Number 0029, 0030, 0255, 0267, 0360, 0361, 0455 or 0456;
“Division” means a division of Class 1 set out in the first column of the Second Schedule;
“explosive article” means an article containing one or more explosive substances;
“explosive substance” means a solid or liquid substance, or a mixture of solid, liquid or solid and liquid substances, which —
(a)by chemical reaction, is capable in itself of producing gas at such a temperature, pressure and speed as to cause damage to its surroundings; or
(b)is designed to produce an effect by heat, light, sound, gas or smoke, or any combination of these, as a result of non-detonative self-sustaining exothermic chemical reaction;
“explosives” includes any explosive article or explosive substance;
“fireworks” means an explosive article allocated, on classification under Part II, any of the UN Numbers 0333 to 0337;
“gunpowder” means an explosive substance allocated, on classification under Part II, the UN Number 0027;
“hazard classification code”, in relation to an article, a substance, a combination or a unit load, means the Division number followed by the Compatibility Group letter of the article, substance, combination or unit load as assigned on classification;
“Health Sciences Authority” means the Health Sciences Authority established under the Health Sciences Authority Act (Cap. 122C);
“inner packaging”, in relation to an article, a substance or a combination which has more than one packaging surrounding it —
(a)means the packaging immediately surrounding the article, substance or combination; but
(b)does not include, in the case of an article, any envelope, case or contrivance forming part of the article;
“Inspector of Explosives” means —
(a)an analyst employed by the Health Sciences Authority; or
(b)any other suitably qualified person,
who is appointed by the Minister to be an Inspector of Explosives for the purposes of these Rules;
“label” includes any mark;
“licensed dealer” means a person licensed under rule 35 to deal in explosives;
“Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore” means the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore established under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 170A);
“motor vehicle” has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276);
“name”, in relation to an explosive article or explosive substance, means the name of the explosive article or explosive substance —
(a)as shown in a licence issued by the Licensing Officer in respect of the manufacture or importation of the explosive article or explosive substance; or
(b)as otherwise approved in writing by the Licensing Officer;
“outer packaging”, in relation to an article, a substance or a combination —
(a)means —
(i)where there is only one packaging surrounding the article, substance or combination, that packaging; or
(ii)where there is more than one packaging surrounding the article, substance or combination, the outermost packaging; but
(b)does not include —
(i)in the case of an article, any envelope, case or contrivance forming part of the article; or
(ii)any type of freight container, aircraft container, container with integral pallet, aircraft pallet or vehicle;
“Port Master” has the same meaning as in the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act (Cap. 170A);
“possession”, in relation to an explosive, means —
(a)having the care, control or management of the explosive;
(b)having the explosive in the care, control or management of another person; or
(c)having the explosive on the person, including something carried or worn by the person,
for any purpose except —
(d)to convey, store, import, export, dispose or supply the explosive;
(e)to carry out blasting operations;
(f)due to the manufacture or purchase of, or dealing in, any explosive; or
(g)to use as ammunition in a firearm the possession of which is authorised by a licence under the Arms and Explosives (Arms) Rules (R 1);
[S 800/2020 wef 21/09/2020]
“road” has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276);
“safety fuse” means a flexible cord that contains an internal burning medium by which fire is conveyed, at a continuous and uniform rate, for the purpose of firing a plain detonator or blackpowder without initiating burning in a similar fuse that may be in lateral contact alongside it;
“shot” includes a series of shots fired as part of one blast;
“shotfirer” means a person appointed in accordance with the procedures referred to in rule 57(2)(a)(ii) or 70(2)(a)(ii) to be responsible for shotfiring operations;
“shotfiring operation” includes —
(a)checking to ensure that the blasting specification is appropriate for the site conditions at the time the blasting is to take place;
(b)mixing explosives;
(c)priming a cartridge;
(d)charging and stemming a shothole;
(e)linking or connecting a round of shots;
(f)withdrawal and sheltering of persons;
(g)inspecting and testing a shotfiring circuit;
(h)firing a shot; and
(i)checking for misfires;
“store” means a place which is licensed for the storage of dangerous goods or, in relation to any premises, such part of the premises as is so licensed;
“supply” means supply (whether as principal or as agent) in the course of, or for use at, work by way of —
(a)sale, offer for sale, lease, hire or hire purchase;
(b)commercial sample;
(c)transfer from a factory, warehouse or other place of work to another place of work, whether or not in the same ownership; or
(d)importation into Singapore;
“trailer” has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Act (Cap. 276);
“trainee shotfirer” means a person appointed in accordance with the procedures referred to in rule 57(2)(a)(ii) or 70(2)(a)(ii) to undergo training in shotfiring operations under the close personal supervision of a shotfirer;
“unit load”  —
(a)means a unit formed when packages or unpacked articles are assembled on or in a device which enables them to be mechanically handled as one unit; but
(b)does not include any freight container, aircraft container, container with integral pallet, aircraft pallet or vehicle;
“UN Number” means United Nations Serial Number, that is to say a four-digit number used by the United Nations to identify an explosive article or explosive substance;
“vehicle” has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Act and includes a motor vehicle and a trailer.
(2)  In these Rules, any reference to the quantity of any explosives shall be construed as a reference to the net mass of explosive substance in that explosive.
(3)  In these Rules —
(a)any reference to the carriage of explosives in a vehicle shall include a reference to the carriage of explosives on the vehicle or in a freight container attached to the vehicle;
(b)a motor vehicle with an attached trailer shall be treated as one vehicle; and
(c)any articles, substances or articles and substances which are carried in one vehicle shall be treated as carried together.
(4)  In these Rules —
(a)where any reference is made to the use of a vehicle (other than a trailer) for the carriage of explosives, such use shall be treated as —
(i)beginning with the loading of the explosives onto the vehicle for the purposes of such carriage; and
(ii)ending with the unloading of the explosives from the vehicle; and
(b)where any reference is made to the use of a trailer for the carriage of explosives, such use shall be treated as —
(i)beginning with —
(A)the loading of the explosives onto the trailer for the purposes of such carriage; or
(B)the attaching of the trailer to a motor vehicle for the purposes of such carriage,
whichever is the later in time; and
(ii)ending with —
(A)the unloading of the explosives from the trailer; or
(B)the detaching of the trailer from the motor vehicle,
whichever is the earlier in time.
Application of Rules
3.—(1)  Subject to paragraphs (2) to (5), these Rules shall apply to —
(a)any explosive article or explosive substance, whether or not in any packaging;
(b)any combination in the same packaging of —
(i)2 or more explosive articles or explosive substances; or
(ii)one or more explosive articles and one or more explosive substances; and
(c)any unit load of —
(i)explosive articles, whether or not in any packaging;
(ii)packaged explosive substances; or
(iii)any combination in the same packaging of —
(A)2 or more explosive articles or explosive substances; or
(B)one or more explosive articles and one or more explosive substances.
(2)  These Rules shall apply in relation to the supply of any explosive article, explosive substance, combination or unit load referred to in paragraph (1) only in so far as that explosive article, explosive substance, combination or unit load is supplied with a view to producing a practical effect by explosion or a pyrotechnic effect.
(3)  Part II shall not apply to any article, substance, combination or unit load which is in transit on any aircraft or vessel if —
(a)it is not to be unloaded in Singapore;
(b)before it enters Singapore, notification of its nature is given to the Licensing Officer and —
(i)where it is in transit on an aircraft, to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore; or
(ii)where it is in transit on a vessel, to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore;
(c)it is an article lawfully carried on board the aircraft or vessel for the purpose of safety;
(d)it is carried on board a vessel which is a warship;
(e)it is being transhipped from one aircraft to another for the purpose of being conveyed to a place outside Singapore and there is compliance with the classification and labelling provisions of the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air published by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, as revised or re-issued from time to time; or
(f)it is being transhipped from one vessel to another for the purpose of being conveyed to a place outside Singapore and there is compliance with the classification and labelling provisions of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code published by the International Maritime Organisation, as revised or re-issued from time to time.
(4)  Part II shall not apply to any article or substance —
(a)which is used in a manufacturing process, or which is being manufactured, examined or tested, at a place of manufacture; or
(b)which has been removed from its packaging for immediate use.
(5)  These Rules shall not apply to any explosive nuclear device or any component thereof.