Canadian
Explosives Research Laboratory
The
Canadian Explosives Research Laboratory (CERL) within the Explosives Branch
of the Minerals and Metals Sector at NRCan is the only Canadian government
laboratory dealing with commercial explosives and equipment for use
in hazardous locations, and one of the few in the world.
Explosives,
including propellants and pyrotechnics, are used in a wide variety of
applications that touch our everyday lives in many ways. Explosives are
vital to the economy of Canada and the well-being of Canadians.
Explosives
are used:
- by
the mining industry to extract ore and discover orebodies;
- by
the oil and gas industries to build pipelines;
- by
the forestry industry to build roads;
- by
the construction industry to build roads and highways;
- by
the aerospace industry to fuel the rockets that put satellites in space;
- by
the fireworks and indoor pyrotechnics industries in the manufacture
of their products;
- by
the automotive industry as propellants for air bags;
- to
control avalanches; and
- for
many other applications.
If
used unwisely or improperly, explosives can be extremely dangerous. Much
of the work at CERL is aimed at protecting Canadians by improving the
safety and security of explosives during manufacture, transportation and
use, and by reducing the harmful effects of explosions.
Our
work at CERL is diverse, with many different applications, from testing
whether a product can be used safely in explosive atmospheres to reducing
the effects of accidental or terrorist blasts. CERL offers client services
in two broad areas: Explosives and Equipment
Certification, and Explosives Safety
and Security Technology.
|