SAFEX International: Overview and Legal Disclaimers

SAFEX International operates independently and is not classified as a Trade Association. The organization primarily focuses on critical issues pertaining to safety, health, environmental protection, and security in relation to explosives and their precursor chemicals throughout the entire product life cycle.

To support these objectives, SAFEX International has developed a series of documents and guidelines known as the Basis of Safety (BoS). These materials have been collaboratively created by various member companies on an international scale, with the aim of enhancing safety standards in the operations, transportation, storage, and disposal of explosive products and hazardous chemicals.

It is important to note that the BoS documents are intended solely as training materials and guidelines for users. While SAFEX International strives to provide comprehensive and accurate resources, the organization expressly disclaims any legal liability arising from the application or execution of actions undertaken by individual users based on the content provided. Users are encouraged to exercise their own judgment and seek professional advice as necessary when implementing safety practices and protocols related to explosives and hazardous materials.

By utilizing the BoS documents and guidelines, users acknowledge and accept that SAFEX International cannot be held responsible for any consequences resulting from their actions or decisions.

SAFEX Newsletter

The SAFEX Newsletter was initiated for all members and other interested parties:

  • To inform the SAFEX Community of what is happening in SAFEX.
  • To provide a forum for readers to learn from the published articles and opinions expressed.
  • To encourage networking among members of the SAFEX Community.
  • To ensure SHE practices stay current and is shared.

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Incident Notification

Members can now notify SAFEX of incidents online by completing the Notification of Incident form after accessing the restricted pages (Intranet) with their access codes.

If your Company is a SAFEX Member and you don't have your individual access codes, please request them using the Member Nomination Form. Please do NOT use anyone else's access codes

Braamfontein Explosion, 1896

The incident information that gets reported to SAFEX is collected in the SAFEX database. It is a gold mine of information about past incidents and readily available for SAFEX Members to access. With almost 1,000 incidents captured in the database, it provides a richness of information that is difficult to equal. The other remarkable fact is that those incidents date back almost 100 years. In 1896 an explosion occurred in the Braamfontein Station. It happened in South Africa, our own backyard so to speak. Let’s take this tragedy as the subject of our case study.

Presentation given at the NIXT Conference #77, South Africa on 26 October 2023.
Boet Coetzee

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