EN 13630-4:2025

Explosives for civil uses - Detonating cords and safety fuses - Part 4: Verification of insensitiveness to impact of detonating cords

This document specifies a test method for the verification of the insensitiveness to impact of detonating cords.
This document does not apply to safety fuses.

Explosivstoffe für zivile Zwecke - Sprengschnüre und Sicherheitsanzündschnüre - Teil 4: Überprüfung der Schlagunempfindlichkeit von Sprengschnüren

Dieses Dokument legt ein Prüfverfahren zur Überprüfung der Schlagunempfindlichkeit von Sprengschnüren fest.
Dieses Dokument ist nicht anwendbar für Sicherheitsanzündschnüre.

Explosifs à usage civil - Cordeaux détonants et mèches de sûreté - Partie 4 : Vérification de l’insensibilité à l’impact des cordeaux détonants

Le présent document spécifie une méthode d’essai permettant de vérifier l’insensibilité à l’impact des cordeaux détonants.
Le présent document ne s’applique pas aux mèches de sûreté.

Eksplozivi za civilno uporabo - Detonacijske in počasi goreče vžigalne vrvice - 4. del: Ugotavljanje občutljivosti detonacijskih vrvic na udarec

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Sep-2025
• ICS: 71.100.30 - Explosives. Pyrotechnics and fireworks
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 321 - Explosives for civil uses
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 321/WG 6 - Explosives and propellants
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 01-Oct-2025
• Due Date: 03-Apr-2022
• Completion Date: 01-Oct-2025
• Directive: 2014/28/EU - Directive 2014/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market and supervision of explosives for civil uses
• Mandate: M/055 - Standardization mandate to CEN for explosives for civil uses
• Mandate: M/562 - Standardization Request on Explosives for civil use
• Ref Project: SIST EN 13630-4:2025 - Explosives for civil uses - Detonating cords and safety fuses - Part 4: Determination of sensitiveness to impact of detonating cords

Relations

• Replaces: EN 13630-4:2002 - Explosives for civil uses - Detonating cords and safety fuses - Part 4: Determination of sensitiveness to impact of detonating cords
• Effective Date: 23-Oct-2019

Overview

EN 13630-4:2025 is a European standard developed by CEN that specifies the test method to verify the insensitiveness to impact of detonating cords intended for civil explosive uses. This standard ensures the safety and reliability of detonating cords by assessing their resistance to impact, thereby reducing the risk of accidental initiation during handling, transport, or storage.

This standard applies exclusively to detonating cords and explicitly excludes safety fuses. The test involves subjecting test samples of detonating cords to controlled impact energy and observing whether an unintended explosion occurs.

Key Topics

• Test Method for Impact Insensitiveness
  The verification procedure involves dropping a 2 kg hammer from a height of 500 mm onto a detonating cord sample to simulate impact conditions and assess if detonation is inadvertently triggered.

• Apparatus Specifications
  The test requires a drop hammer assembly composed of:

  • A steel block foundation
  • A column with vertical guides and a release mechanism
  • A drop weight with a hardened steel striking head
  • Hardened steel anvils for sample placement
  • Safety sealing materials for detonating cord ends to prevent explosive leakage and moisture ingress

• Test Conditions and Sample Preparation
  Samples must be sealed on both ends and have a length ensuring at least 30 mm is exposed for impact. Testing occurs under controlled ambient temperature of 23 ± 10 °C and relative humidity of 50 ± 20%.

• Result Interpretation
  The test result is expressed as a “pass” if no detonation occurs in six tested samples, or “fail” if any explosion is detected during testing. Detailed observations are recorded for failure cases.

• Test Reporting
  Reports should include:

  • Reference to EN 13630-4:2025
  • Identification of the tested detonating cord
  • Ambient conditions during testing
  • Final test outcome and relevant observations

Applications

• Safety Assurance in Civil Explosives
  This standard is critical for manufacturers and users of detonating cords in mining, construction, demolition, and other civil applications involving explosives. It helps ensure cords do not detonate under accidental mechanical impacts.

• Regulatory Compliance and Market Access
  Compliance with EN 13630-4:2025 provides a presumption of conformity with essential safety requirements under EU Directive 2014/28/EU on civil explosives. It supports manufacturers in meeting regulatory approvals and market supervision standards across the EU and EFTA countries.

• Quality Control in Production
  Detonating cord producers can implement this standard to routinely verify impact insensitiveness during manufacturing and before shipment to guarantee product safety and performance.

• Risk Reduction During Handling and Transport
  By validating impact resistance, users can minimize hazards associated with unintentional detonations caused by drops or collisions during logistical operations.

Related Standards

• EN 13630 Series
  This standard is part 4 of the EN 13630 series covering detonating cords and safety fuses for civil explosives:

  • EN 13630-1:2025 - Requirements for detonating cords and safety fuses

• EN 13857-1:2025 - Vocabulary for explosives related to civil uses, providing terminology essential for understanding test definitions and procedures.

• EN ISO 4957:2018 - Standard specifying steel grade requirements relevant for manufacturing hardened test apparatus components used in this test.

• EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 - General requirements for the competence of testing laboratories, referenced for ensuring quality and reliability in test reporting.

Conclusion

EN 13630-4:2025 is a vital standard for enhancing the safety and reliability of detonating cords used in civil explosive operations. It provides a rigorous, well-defined test method to verify insensitiveness to mechanical impacts, helping manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and end-users mitigate explosion risks and maintain compliance with European safety directives.

Key SEO Keywords: detonating cords testing, insensitiveness to impact, explosives safety standard, EN 13630-4, civil explosives, detonating cords verification, impact resistance test, CEN explosives standards, EU Directive 2014/28/EU compliance, drop hammer test method.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2025
Eksplozivi za civilno uporabo - Detonacijske in počasi goreče vžigalne vrvice - 4.
del: Ugotavljanje občutljivosti detonacijskih vrvic na udarec
Explosives for civil uses - Detonating cords and safety fuses - Part 4: Determination of
sensitiveness to impact of detonating cords
Explosivstoffe für zivile Zwecke - Sprengschnüre und Sicherheitsanzündschnüre - Teil 4:
Bestimmung der Schlagempfindlichkeit von Sprengschnüren
Explosifs à usage civil - Cordeaux détonants et mèches de sûreté - Partie 4:
Détermination de la sensibilité au choc des cordeaux détonants
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 13630-4:2025
ICS:
71.100.30 Eksplozivi. Pirotehnika in Explosives. Pyrotechnics and
ognjemeti fireworks
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 13630-4
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2025
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 71.100.30 Supersedes EN 13630-4:2002
English Version
Explosives for civil uses - Detonating cords and safety
fuses - Part 4: Verification of insensitiveness to impact of
detonating cords
Explosifs à usage civil - Cordeaux détonants et mèches Explosivstoffe für zivile Zwecke - Sprengschnüre und
de sûreté - Partie 4 : Vérification de l'insensibilité à Sicherheitsanzündschnüre - Teil 4: Überprüfung der
l'impact des cordeaux détonants Schlagunempfindlichkeit von Sprengschnüren
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 15 September 2025.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 13630-4:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Principle . 5
5 Apparatus . 5
6 Preparation of test sample . 9
7 Procedure . 9
8 Expression of results . 10
9 Test report . 10
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the essential
requirements of Directive 2014/28/EU relating to the making available on the
market and supervision of explosives for civil uses aimed to be covered . 11
Bibliography . 12
European foreword
This document (EN 13630-4:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 321 “Explosives
for civil uses”, the secretariat of which is held by UNE.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2026, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by April 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 13630-4:2002.
EN 13631-4:2025 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to
EN 13631-4:2002:
a) the document title has been changed from “Part 4: Determination of sensitiveness to impact of
detonating cords” to “Part 4: Verification of insensitiveness to impact of detonating cords”;
b) the Scope has been revised to clarify the explosives covered and not covered in the document;
c) the normative references have been updated;
d) the terminology entry 3.1 has been removed;
e) the Clause 4 “Principle” has been added;
f) the apparatus has been updated and extended – the illustrations of the fall-hammer from former
Annex C have been moved here;
g) the Clause “Test pieces” is now called “Preparation of test sample” and has been revised and
extended;
h) the Clause “Procedure” has been updated;
i) the Clause 8 “Expression of results” has been added;
j) the Clause “Test report” does no longer require conformity with EN ISO/IEC 17025 and the
information to be provided has been updated and extended;
k) the former Annexes A “Range of applicability of the test method”, B “Information on special types of
use for detonating cords” and C “Illustrations of the BAM fall-hammer” have been removed;
l) the Annex ZA has been updated;
m) the Bibliography has been added and lists, e.g. EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
A list of all parts in the EN 13630 series, published under the general title Explosives for civil uses —
Detonating cords and safety fuses, can be found on the CEN website.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
1 Scope
This document specifies a test method for the verification of the insensitiveness to impact of detonating
cords.
This document does not apply to safety fuses.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 13857-1:2025, Explosives for civil uses — P
...