Blasting system control

1. A method of planning and implementing a blasting system which is to include a plurality of boreholes, the method including the steps of:

1) providing a device which generates positional information;

2) providing a processor;

3) prior to installing detonators in the plurality of boreholes, using the device to determine positional information relating to a boundary of a blast site;

4) prior to installing detonators in the plurality of boreholes, inputting parameters relating to the blasting system and the positional information into the processor;

5) prior to installing detonators in the plurality of boreholes, using the processor to generate locational information relating to the location of each borehole in the blast site;

6) prior to installing detonators in the plurality of boreholes, using the device to indicate the location of each borehole to an operator;

7) using the processor to prompt a blaster, in respect of each borehole, to ensure that all the parameters relating to the blasting system and the positional information have been input into the processor and, only once all the parameters relating to the blasting system and the positional information, determined by a program executed by the processor, have been supplied to the processor, does the processor record that all of the blasting requirements of a particular borehole have been met; and

8) using the processor to validate said parameters which have been input and which are required from a security or a technical aspect, to ensure that the blast is effectively implemented; characterized in that said parameters relate to data which are selected from data which record in respect of each borehole: its location; its depth; the time taken to drill the borehole; information data on a machine or person doing the drilling; the type and number of detonators and boosters placed in the borehole; the depth, in the borehole, of each detonator; the time taken to pump an emulsion into the borehole; the quantity of emulsion in the borehole; and the nature of stemming placed in the borehole; and

characterized in that the device and the processor are separate from the detonators.

2. A method according to claim 1 which is implemented at a site at which boreholes have already been drilled, wherein the locations of the drilled boreholes are validated against the locations indicated in step 6 and a blasting plan is then generated using the validated locational information of the boreholes as an input parameter.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein, in step 3, the positional information is absolute or relative positional information.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein boundaries of the blast site are determined in step 3 and, within the boundaries, locational information for a plurality of boreholes is generated in step 5, and the boreholes are then drilled at the respective locations.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein, in step 3, the positional information is absolute or relative positional information.