A few years ago, Steer was urgently called to a quarry in Flisa, Norway, following a hazardous blast incident—known in the blasting industry as a column misfire. This occurs when only the bottom charges in a drilled borehole detonate, while the upper charges remain unexploded. These remaining explosives pose a serious risk to safety and site operations.
A column misfire, sometimes referred to as a partial detonation, is a critical safety issue in blasting. In this case, the bottom part of the charge successfully detonated, but the vertical column of explosives above it failed to initiate. Multiple boreholes were left with live explosive cartridges and electric detonators, suspended in fractured rock.
There was no clear technical explanation for the failure, making it even more dangerous to approach without specialized expertise.
To resolve the situation quickly and safely, Steer mobilized within hours with:
A Caterpillar 336 excavator, ideal for heavy-duty rock handling-duty and precise excavation
A mobile command vehicle for coordinating field operations and maintaining safe distances
A trained team with extensive experience in handling unexploded ordnance
Using a standard digging bucket, the team began carefully excavating the blast debris, searching for and exposing undetonated materials. Large boulders were overturned one by one to ensure no live charges were buried underneath.
During the excavation, numerous explosive cartridges were recovered manually, some still connected to live detonators. Every piece was handled with strict explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) protocols to prevent accidental initiation.
Steer’s CAT 336 excavator carefully turning over blasted material to uncover unexploded charges at the Flisa site.
Thanks to Steer’s fast mobilization and precise work, the quarry was cleared without injuries or further incidents. More importantly, operations were able to resume with minimal delays, helping Gunnar Holt maintain production schedules and avoid costly interruptions.
The Flisa response highlights Steer's unique capability to act fast, operate safely, and solve complex explosive-related challenges. Whether planned or unexpected, Steer stands ready to support quarry operations, infrastructure projects, and emergency interventions wherever safety and precision matter most.
