At what percentage of methane is there a danger when firing permissible explosives?

Methane becomes a serious concern in mining environments, particularly when firing permissible explosives, at a concentration of 1%. At this level, methane can create an explosive atmosphere when mixed with air, posing significant safety risks to workers and the operation.

Understanding the impact of methane is crucial when establishing safety protocols. At concentrations below 1%, the risk is considered lower, as there is generally not enough methane to create a flammable or explosive environment. Therefore, maintaining awareness of methane levels and ensuring they do not exceed this threshold allows for safer practices during blasting operations.

For effective safety management, it's essential that miners and supervisors continuously monitor and control gas concentrations to ensure they remain below dangerous levels. This is especially true when explosives are involved, where even minor increases can turn a manageable situation into one that could result in explosive hazards.