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​​​​​​​​KRS 351.315, Section 4 requires all Kentucky (general) licensed blasters, prior to obtaining their Kentucky blaster license renewal, to show proof that during the preceding three years they have attended 16 hours of department-approved, blasting-specific retraining. Licensed (general) blasters that renew their license after July 15, 2010, will then fall under the new training requirements and will need eight hours of training annually. Please see Blasters’ New Training Requirements effective July 15, 2010, for details concerning this issue. Limited Blaster’s License holders must show proof of a minimum of four hours of approved blaster retraining.

** All DNR blasting inspectors are approved for retraining instruction as determined by the manager of the Explosives and Blasting Branch.


Kentucky Blasting Conference (KBC) 

51st Annual Kentucky Blasting Conference
Date: TBD
CEUs: 8 CE Hours possible on Thursday 
            4 CE Hours possible on Friday 
Location: Central Bank Center, Lexington, Kentucky (Former Lexington Convention Center)
Online registration is suggested and will be available on the KBC Website. website of the Kentucky Blasting Conference. For more information contact: Martin Brashear – (606) 260-5875

8  HOUR BLASTER RETRAINING CLASS TO BE CONDUCTED

​Date: May 24, 2024
Where: Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, 8799 US Hwy 62 East, Central City, KY 42330
Contact: Terry Dozer (270) 543-8667

Approved Blaster Training Programs

Kentucky Blasting Conference
8-12 Hours Blaster Retraining Program
See the Kentucky Blasting Conference website  here. for more details.

Arnold Jay Stewart
606-794-9167
Austin Powder
Tom Hairhoger
(740) 968-1555 - Office
(304) 543-1038 - Cell
Larry Wardrip
(304) 543-7223 - Office
Hardin “Chip” Davis
2637 Cecilia Road
Elizabethtown, Ky. 42701
(270) 300-1370
Dirk Carolan
1080 Garland Hollow Road
Pegram, TN 37143
(615) 352-6998
dirk.carolan@austinpowder.com​

Curtis Hoskins
375 Austin Powder Lane
Lafollette, TN 37766
Office: 423-562-2227
Mobile: 423-494-2578
Bluegrass Chapter, International Society of Explosive Engineers (BSEE)
Training Coordinator – Martin W. Brashear (606) 260-5875 martin.brashear@ky.gov
Chapter President – Brian Lewis (859) 621-1249 brianlewis@bedrockcontractinginc.co
Chapter Secretary – Dana Coppage (502) 933-5900 DanaCoppage@htaenterprises.com
Chapter Offers 8-hour blaster retraining twice a year in eastern and central Ky.

Bobby Ray Bach Jr.
Phone: 276-365-2185
Carlos Delgado
308 Stoneybrook Dr.
Lexington, KY 40517
(859) 273-9249

Detonation Safety Engineering
Larry C. Schneider, P.E.
121 Cherrywood Dr.
Nicholasville, KY 40356
(859) 312-0625
8-hour retraining program

Dyno Nobel
Alexander Tyson, Senior Consultant
Business Development, South Central States US
(815) 705-8077
8-hour retraining program

Joe Nawrocki
2201 Regency Rd., Ste. 704
Lexington, KY 40503
(540) 665-9936 - Office
(443) 838-4799 - Cell
8-hour retraining program

Russell Middleton
940 Hickory Cove Road
Rogersville, TN 37857
(276) 220-1890

G. Stephen Howard, Account Manager
Southeast Region
2795 East Cottonwood Parkway, Suite 500, 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84121
Cell 1 270 836 4691

Frank Sparks
725 VI Ranch Road
Bristol, TN 37620
423-914-0353

Geoscan Seismic Services Inc.
Clinton Evans
P.O Box 1009
Grundy, VA 24614
(276) 935-2101 - Office
(276) 218-0040 - Cell
8-hour training program

Hex Consulting, LLC
Stephen Howard, President
486 Mermie Rd.
Hardin, KY 42048
(270) 363-3351 - Office
(270) 836-4691 - Cell
30-hour Initial Blaster Class

James Winfield
203 Rowan Street 
Meridian, Alabama 35759
(814) 574-8612

Kenneth A. Smith
269 West Main Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748
(cell) 508-889-0327
(work) 508-603-5230

Kurt Gleason
Rock Management Services, LLC
1212 Sival Road NW
Ramsey, IN. 47166
(502) 817-4586

Lon Santis
11104 Innsbrook Way
Ijamsville, MD 21754
(202) 288-2029

Michael A. Fritz
211 Daybreak Rush
Canton, Georgia 30114
(770) 712-7281

Midland Powder Technical Services
Seth Burns
(270) 925-3750
Eight-hour training program

Nelson Brothers, LLC
Neal Lee
3243 Ladd Ridge Road
Athens, OH  45701
(740) 603-5232
8-hour training program

Orica USA Inc.
Jody Richey
(615) 859-6082 - Office
(615) 268-7671 - Cell
8-hour training program

Overton Consulting Services
Ernie Overton
905 Burbank Road
Indianapolis, IN 46219
(219) 204-2481

Petr Explosives Training School (PETS)
Dr. Vilem Petr 
Phone: 303-273-0303
Mobile 720-273-8550 

Paul Johnson
(606) 436-4895 - Home
(606) 216-4619 - Cell
8-hour training program

Ram Inc. Explosives Technical Services
R.A. McClure Inc.
2116 Hardin Ln.
Powell, OH 43065
(740) 363-6976 - Office
(740) 362-3946 - Field

8-hour training program

RESPEC
Brian Lewis
Explosives Engineer / Senior Drill and Blast Specialist
Explosives Engineering
146 East Third Street
Lexington, KY 40508-1826
859.259.0959/c. 859.621.1249

Rock Solutions
Neil Wilson
2006 Edmonton Road
Tompkinsville, KY 42167
270-407-5881/fax 270-487-8029
Annual Retraining Only

Safety First Consulting
KY Approved 8-hour online retraining course may be used to satisfy the 8-hour annual retraining requirement for KY blasters. This course is available any time on the provider’s web site.
Tom Dotson
606-595-8073

Saulsseismic
Terry Hatter
Cell: 606-303-4293
Keith Best
Cell:  614-374-9247
Jeff Taylor
Cell: 502-682-8196

Southern Kentucky Blasting Consultants
Coleman England
(859) 242-2100 - Office
8-hour training program

Terry Dozer
515 Rose Hill Drive
Central City, KY 42330
(270) 543-8667 - Office
8-hour training program

Thoroughbred Drill and Blast Consultants
Nathan Rouse
USA: +1.859.221.8797
IRE: +353.87.608.2748
www.thoroughbreddrillandblast.com

Timothy R. Harmon
622 Clubhouse Road
Lebanon, CT 06249
(cell) 860-334-4304
(h) 860-642-3411

University of Kentucky
Jhon Silva, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Mining Engineering
234H Mining and Mineral Resources Bldg.
Lexington, KY 40506
(859) 257-1173 - Office
Josh Calnan, PhD, PE
Director of Blasting and Explosives Research & Research Coordinator
Department of Mining Engineering
131 Mining and Mineral Resources Bldg.
Lexington, KY 40506
(859) 257-8032 - Office
(704) 657-9255 - Cell

Virginia Explosives and Drilling Company

Allen Rice, Technical Representative
Office - 276-597-4449
Cell - 276-244-0037

William Reisz
CRH Americas Materials, Inc.
2110 N. leland Drive
Huntingburg, IN 47542
(812) 489-1668




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