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Blaster Trade Regulations

made under Section 17A of the

Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act

S.N.S. 2003, c. 1

N.S. Reg. 205/2016 (effective April 1, 2017)

amended to N.S. Reg. 145/2022 (effective July 6, 2022)



Table of Contents


Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.
Click here to go to the text of the regulations.

 

 

Citation

Definitions

Classes of certification in blaster trade

Terms of apprenticeship for blaster trade

Wage schedules for apprentices in blaster trade

Blaster certificate through trade qualification

Blaster certificate term and renewal

Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations

Transition


 

Citation

1        These trade regulations may be cited as the Blaster Trade Regulations.


Definitions

2        (1)    In these regulations,

 

“Act” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act;

 

“blaster apprentice” means a person who has entered into an apprenticeship agreement with an employer in the blaster trade;

 

“blaster journeyperson” means a person who holds a certificate of qualification in the blaster trade;

 

“blaster trade” means the occupation of a blaster, consisting of conducting and supervising blasting activity as defined in the Blasting Safety Regulations;

 

Blasting Safety Regulations” means the Blasting Safety Regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act;

 

“former blasting regulations” means the General Blasting Regulations, N.S. Reg. 77/1990, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act;

 

“General Regulations” means the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act General Regulations made under the Act.

 

          (2)    A term defined in the General Regulations has the same meaning when used in these regulations.

 

          (3)    A term defined in the Blasting Safety Regulations has the same meaning when used in these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires.


Classes of certification in blaster trade

3        (1)    The following are the classes of certification in the blaster trade:

 

                   (a)      Blaster (3rd Class);

 

                   (b)     Blaster (2nd Class);

 

                   (c)      Blaster (1st Class).

 

          (2)    A person who holds a blaster certificate is authorized to conduct and supervise blasting activity specified in the Blasting Safety Regulations for the class of blaster certificate held.


Terms of apprenticeship for blaster trade

4        (1)    The term of apprenticeship for a Blaster (3rd Class) consists of all of the following:

 

                   (a)      a single level consisting of 900 documented hours of the combination of practical experience and the portion of technical training spent learning the skills of the designated trade as described in clause 26(1A)(a) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director, and including at least 4 supervised blasts;

 

                   (b)     related technical training as described in clause 26(1A)(b) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director;

 

                   (c)      a certification examination.

 

          (2)    The term of apprenticeship for a Blaster (2nd Class) consists of all of the following:

 

                   (a)      a single level consisting of 2250 hours of the combination of practical experience and the portion of technical training spent learning the skills of the designated trade as described in clause 26(1A)(a) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director, 1350 hours of which must be obtained after obtaining a Blaster (3rd Class) certificate, and including at least 12 supervised blasts, 8 of which must be performed after obtaining a Blaster (3rd Class) certificate;

 

                   (b)     related technical training as described in clause 26(1A)(b) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director;

 

                   (c)      a certification examination.

 

          (3)    The term of apprenticeship for a Blaster (1st Class) consists of all of the following:

 

                   (a)      a single level consisting of 3600 hours of the combination of practical experience and the portion of technical training spent learning the skills of the designated trade as described in clause 26(1A)(a) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director, 1350 hours of which must be obtained after obtaining a Blaster (2nd Class) certificate, and including at least 12 supervised blasts within 50 m of a structure that is normally occupied in whole or in part by people, such as a house, residence, shop, church or school;

 

                   (b)     related technical training as described in clause 26(1A)(b) of the General Regulations and as approved by the Director;

 

                   (c)      a certification examination.

 

          (4)    Any probationary period included in a term of apprenticeship for the blaster trade as permitted by subsection 12(2) of the General Regulations must be no longer than 3 months.

 

5        [repealed]


Wage schedules for apprentices in blaster trade

6        (1)    Subject to subsection (2), the minimum wage rate for each hour worked by a blaster trade apprentice in their term of apprenticeship is a percentage of the wage for a blaster journeyperson in the same place of employment, as set out in the following table:


Wages for Blaster Apprentice

Class of Certification

Hours in Term of

Apprenticeship

(term consists of single level)

Minimum Wage

(% of journeyperson’s wage)

Blaster (3rd Class)

900

60% of Blaster (1st Class)

Blaster (2nd Class)

2250

70% of Blaster (1st Class)

Blaster (1st Class)

3600

80% of Blaster (1st Class)

 

          (2)    An employer must not employ a blaster apprentice at a wage for actual hours worked that is lower than the wage that would be paid at the minimum wage rate prescribed in the Minimum Wage Order (General) made under the Labour Standards Code.


Blaster certificate through trade qualification

7        (1)    The requirements of paragraph 30(1)(a)(ii)(A) and clause 30(1)(b) of the General Regulations for a person who does not hold a certificate of apprenticeship and is applying for a certificate of qualification in the blaster trade must be met as set out in the following table:


Class of Certification

Hours of Practical Experience Required

(General Regulations, paragraph 30(1)(a)(ii)(A))

Tasks Required to
Demonstrate Competency

(General Regulations, clause 30(1)(b))

Blaster (3rd Class)

1350 hours

at least 4 blasts

Blaster (2nd Class)

3375 hours

at least 12 blasts

Blaster (1st Class)

5400 hours

at least 24 blasts, 12 of which must be within 50 m of a structure that is normally occupied in whole or in part by people, such as a house, residence, shop, church or school

 

          (2)    The practical experience referred to in the table in subsection (1) must be as approved by the Director.


Blaster certificate term and renewal

8        (1)    A certificate of qualification in the blaster trade is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued and may be renewed.

 

          (2)    A certificate of qualification in the blaster trade that is renewed in accordance with subsection 35B(2) of the General Regulations is valid for a further term of 5 years from its most recent expiry date.

 

          (3)    An applicant for renewal of a certificate of qualification in the blaster trade must, in addition to paying the prescribed fee within the specified time in accordance with subsection 35B(2) of the General Regulations, complete to the Director’s satisfaction any training or examination, or combination of training and examination, relevant to the blaster trade that the Director requires.


Compliance with identity card requirements of General Regulations

9        For the purposes of Section 34 of the General Regulations, which requires an apprentice or journeyperson to keep their identity card in their possession when practising the designated trade and produce it on request, a person is practising the blaster trade while the person is doing any of the following:

 

                   (a)      for an apprentice,

 

                              (i)      acquiring practical experience in the trade, or

 

                              (ii)     learning the skills of the trade during the technical training portion of apprenticeship training;

 

                   (b)     for a journeyperson, performing the duties of the trade as defined in these regulations or their duties as set out in the General Regulations.


Transition

10      A person who, immediately before the coming into force of these regulations, was an apprentice in an apprenticeship program under the Blaster Trade Regulations, N.S. Reg. 90/2008, continues as an apprentice in that program under these regulations.


 

 


 

Legislative History
Reference Tables

Blaster Trade Regulations

N.S. Reg. 205/2016

Apprenticeship and Trade Qualifications Act

Note:  The information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Blaster Trade Regulations made under the Apprenticeship and Trade Qualifications Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

205/2016

Apr 1, 2017

date specified

Oct 28, 2016

145/2022

Jul 6, 2022

date filed

Jul 15, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following regulations are not yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.
Regulation

In force
date*

How in force

Royal Gazette
Part II Issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added
am. = amended

fc. = fee change
ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed
rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

5........................................................

rep. 145/2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that changes to headings are not included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections:

 

Note

Effective
date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repealed and Superseded:

N.S.
Regulation

Title

In force
date

Repealed
date

90/2008

Blaster Trade Regulations

Apr 1, 2008

Apr 1, 2017

Note:  Only regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this table.  It may not reflect the entire history of regulations on this subject matter.