Work

Development and Field Validation of a Blasting Safety Index (BSI) for Safe and Sustainable Quarry Operations

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study introduces a Blasting Safety Index (BSI), a composite analytical framework for quantifying the cumulative mechanical, environmental, and geotechnical effects of quarry blasting operations. The index integrates ground vibration expressed as Peak Particle Velocity (PPV), noise, dust concentration, and slope stability, each normalized and weighted according to its operational relevance, to provide a unified measure of blasting-related risk. Field application in a pyroxenic andesite quarry is presented as a demonstrative pilot case illustrating the internal coherence and operational feasibility of the proposed framework and resulted in a BSI value of 0.91, classifying the operation as high risk despite full compliance with individual regulatory thresholds. Within the applied weighting structure, PPV represented the dominant contribution to the composite index, reflecting its widely documented influence on blast-induced safety outcomes. The proposed methodology offers a transparent, measurement-based decision-support tool for operational control, regulatory communication, and environmental impact assessment. Owing to its compatibility with digital monitoring ecosystems, the BSI supports the advancement of sustainable, risk-aware, and technically optimized blasting practices within modern quarry operations.

Source: Applied Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/app16041867

Authors: Oľga Glova Végsöová, Dávid Fehér

Institution: Technical University of Košice

Language: English

Topic: Blasting Impact and Analysis

Subfield: Building and Construction

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896