The conference is intended for:

• Managers and employees of blasting services;
• Manufacturers and distributors of explosives and blasting equipment;
• Research staff involved in explosive materials and blasting operations;
• Individuals interested in the safety of blasting agents used in mining (open-pit, underground, borehole) as well as engineering works (e.g., demolition, clearance of unexploded ordnance).

Conference Topics:

• Theory, technology, and current production of explosives, detonators, and detonating cords;
• Modern explosives, detonators, and other blasting agents for mining and engineering works;
• Safety and environmental aspects of resource extraction using blasting methods;
• Alignment of Polish quality and safety requirements for mining blasting agents with European Union standards;
• Activities of the Notified Bodies regarding directives, with particular focus on  Directive 2014/28/EU;
• Legal and formal aspects of using explosives;
• Blasting techniques and safety measures;
• Specialized engineering blasting;
• Environmental protection against the harmful effects of blasting operations, including seismic vibration measurements;
• Promotion of manufacturers and companies involved in the production and distribution of explosives and blasting equipment;
• Discussion on trends in legal and regulatory changes;
• Non-explosive systems for excavation, crushing and rock fracturing as an alternative to blasting operations;
• Impact of future updates to the list of harmonized standards on the explosives conformity assessment process under Directive 2014/28/EU.

Participation Costs (including accommodation)

• 715 EUR + 0% VAT – single room accommodation,
• 595 EUR + 0% VAT – double room accommodation,
• 125 EUR + 0% VAT – additional overnight stay with dinner and breakfast (October 4-5, 2026)

Additional Paid Options:

• Exhibition stand and equipment/technology/methodology presentation:
• Price per square meter: 250 EUR + 23% VAT
• Promotional presentation (manufacturer/distributor): 700 EUR + 23% VAT
• Advertisement in the conference publication: Half-page color or black-and-white: 480 EUR + 23% VAT or Full-page color or black-and-white: 600 EUR + 23% VAT
• Roll-up display in the main hall and conference room throughout the event: 489 EUR + 23% VAT
• Other options depending on organizer capabilities (to be arranged individually).

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE OF THE CONFERENCE

dr hab. inż. Piotr Mertuszka, prof. CUPRUM – Chair

Members:

• prof. dr hab. inż. Jolanta Biegańska (AGH)
• dr hab. inż. Andrzej Biessikirski, prof. AGH
• dr hab. inż. Daniel Buczkowski (SBŁ-IPO)
• dr hab. inż. Tomasz Jarosz, prof. PŚ
• dr inż. Bartłomiej Kramarczyk (NITROERG)
• prof. dr hab. inż. Andrzej Maranda (SBŁ-IPO)
• dr inż. Józef Pyra (AGH)
• dr hab. inż. Sylwester Rajwa, prof. GIG-PIB
• dr hab. inż. Marek Rotkegel, prof. GIG-PIB
• dr inż. Robert Laszlo (INSEMEX)
• dr inż. Jacek Sobala (GIG-PIB)
• dr inż. Anna Sołtys (AGH)
• dr inż. Dariusz Stefaniak (GIG-PIB)
• dr hab. inż. Agnieszka Stolarczyk, prof. PŚ
• dr inż. Marcin Szumny (CUPRUM)

Secretary:

• mgr inż. Ewa Bubis-Subel

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF THE CONFERENCE

dr inż. Mateusz Pytlik – Chair

Members:

• mgr inż. Mariusz Borek
• mgr Stefan Targos
• inż. Wojciech Pająk
• mgr inż. Sonia Nachlik
• dr inż. Józef Pyra
• dr inż. Anna Sołtys

Secretary:

• mgr inż. Ewa Bubis-Subel

Conference Programme
Scientific and Technical Conference
BLASTING SAFETY

October 5-7, 2026
Ustroń, Hotel Diament

Organizer
Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute (GIG-PIB)

Patronage
President of the State Mining Authority
European Federation of Explosives Engineers

Monday, October 5, 2026
08:30 – 10:00 Conference Registration
10:00 – 10:45 Conference Opening
Welcome address by:
Zbigniew Lubosik – Deputy Director for Geoengineering and Industrial Safety at GIG-PIB
Dariusz Stefaniak – Head of the Conformity Assessment Body at GIG-PIB
Mateusz Pytlik – Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Conference

10:45 – 11:50 Session I

Session Chairs: dr inż. Zbigniew Lubosik (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)

10:45 – 11:00 Blasting safety in light of hazardous incidents that occurred in mining operations during 2024-2025, Adam Maj (State Mining Authority)
11:00 – 11:20 Safety under control: practical aspects of oversight and analysis of non-compliance by entities licensed to acquire and use explosives intended for civil use, Dawid Wojciechowski (Silesian Voivodeship Office in Katowice)
11:20 – 11:35 Legal and technical requirements for the design and construction of permanent explosive storage facilities in underground mining, Piotr Mertuszka (KGHM CUPRUM Sp. z o.o. Research & Development Center), Mateusz Pytlik (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)
11:35 – 11:50 Discussion
11:50 – 12:20 Coffee Break

12:20 – 13:45 Session II

Session Chairs: dr inż. Jacek Sobala (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute) and prof. Ján Lokaj (Slovak University of Technology)

12:20 – 13:00 Modern methods of non-explosive fracturing of boreholes using liquid CO2, Jan Smuda, Paweł Gajdosz (Zakład Odmetanowania Kopalń „ZOK II”), Sylwester Rajwa, Mateusz Pytlik (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)
13:00 – 13:15 Safety and technology of blasting operations in areas at risk of gas and rock outburst, Nikodem Szlązak (AGH University), Tomasz Sołtysiak (Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A., KWK Pniówek), Jakub Ryszka (District Mining Authority in Rybnik)
13:15 – 13:30 Conducting blasting operations in the context of coal dust explosion hazard, Adam Michałek, Mateusz Waluga (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)
13:30 – 13:45 Discussion
13:45 – 14:45 Lunch

15:00 – 16:15 Session III

Session Chairs: prof. dr hab. inż. Andrzej Maranda (Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Industrial Organic Chemistry) and dr hab. inż. Piotr Mertuszka, prof. CUPRUM (KGHM CUPRUM Sp. z o.o. Research & Development Center)

15:00 – 15:15 Prediction and verification of the dynamic effects caused by the demolition of tall industrial structures using explosives, as illustrated by coal silos, Józef Pyra, Anna Sołtys, Dariusz Chlebowski (AGH University), Leon Budzicz, Anna Rokicka (Przedsiębiorstwo Cama)
15:15 – 15:30 Specialized blasting in underground mining – a case study, Marcin Szumny, Piotr Mertuszka (KGHM CUPRUM Sp. z o.o. Research & Development Center)
15:30 – 15:45 Assessment of Rock Fragmentation after Blasting Operations – Capabilities, Limitations and Validation of Results, Tomasz Żołądek (Holcim Kruszywa)
15:45 – 16:00 Fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate used for production of high-quality ANFO, Andrzej Brzozowski (Holcim Polska (KOSD Rudawa))
16:00 – 16:15 Discussion
16:15 – 16:45 Coffee Break

16:45 – 17:45 Session IV

Session Chairs: dr inż. Mateusz Pytlik (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute) oraz dr hab. inż. Andrzej Biessikirski, prof. AGH (AGH University)

16:45 – 17:00 MEMU vehicles and charging vehicles manufactured by Biuro Handlowe RUDA, Marcin Pondel, Krzysztof Rudnikowicz, Stanisław Zając (Biuro Handlowe „RUDA” Sp. z o.o. Sp. k.)
17:00 – 17:15 EC TEST measuring equipment useful for analyzing high-speed phenomena, Paweł Gawecki (EC TEST Systems Sp. z o.o.)
17:15 – 17:30 Company presentation: NITROERG S.A., Elżbieta Błotny (Nitroerg S.A.)
17:30 – 17:45 Company presentation: EXPLOMINETECH, Piotr Kapustianyk, Tomasz Stanio (Explominetech)
17:45 – 18:00 Coffee Break
20:00 – 24:00 Gala dinner

Tuesday, October 6, 2026
10:00 – 11:15 Session V

Prowadzący: dr inż. Marcin Szumny (KGHM CUPRUM Sp. z o.o. Research & Development Center) and dr inż. Anna Sołtys (AGH University)

10:00 – 10:15 Safety regulations for blasting works in the territory of Armenia, Jolanta Biegańska (Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza), Mariam Avagyan, Kristine Sahakyan (National University of Architecture and Construction of Armeni)
10:15 – 10:30 Nitromethane influence on detonation parameters, sensitivity and thermal stability of ANFO, Andrzej Biessikirski, Michał Dworzak, Andrzej Baziak, Jolanta Biegańska (AGH University), Mateusz Pytlik, Sonia Nachlik (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)
10:30 – 10:45 Explosion welding of metals, physical aspects and applications, Ján Lokaj, Jan Hives, Martin Sahul (Slovak University of Technology), Miroslav Sahul (Czech Technical University in Prague)
10:45 – 11:00 Experimentally supported simulations for AI digital twin development in blast engineering, Robert Laszlo, Emilian Ghicioi, Ciprian Jitea, Stefan Ilici, Cristian Radeanu (National Institute for Research and Development in Mine Safety and Protection to Explosion – INSEMEX (Romania))
11:00 – 11:15 Discussion
11:15 – 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:45 Session VI

Session Chairs: dr inż. Józef Pyra (AGH University) and dr inż. Bartłomiej Kramarczyk (Nitroerg S.A.)

11:30 – 11:45 Influence of drill bit types on progress and quality of drilling in sandstone quarries, Marcin Pustelnik (Holcim Poland (KOSD Rudawa))
11:45 – 12:00 Selection of blasting parameters to minimize vibration impact on the environment, Kamil Gądek (Holcim Kruszywa)
12:00 – 12:40 General overview of the nature of criminal incidents in the context of explosives for civil use, Łukasz Michałek, Piotr Borzencki (Independent Counter-Terrorist Police Sub-Unit in Katowice)
12:40 – 12:45 Discussion
12:45 – 13:45 Lunch

13:45 – 15:00 Session VII

Session Chairs: dr inż. Mateusz Pytlik and dr hab. inż. Marek Rotkegel (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)

13:45 – 14:45 Project SEDAS – Safe and Effective Removal of Arch Supports in Mine Workings, Mateusz Pytlik, Marek Rotkegel, Sonia Nachlik, Wojciech Pająk, Dariusz Stefaniak, Robert Hildebrandt, Wojciech Adamus, Adrian Toman (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute), Wojciech Głuchowski, Marek Łagoda, Karol Krukowski (Łukasiewicz – Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals), Robert Laszlo, Stefan Ilici (National Institute for Research and Development in Mine Safety and Protection to Explosion – INSEMEX (Romania)), Konrad Szydło, Karol Ćwielong, Łukasz Dulski, Adrian Guzy, Adam Rurański (Łukasiewicz – Institute of Industrial Organic Chemistry), Paweł Baranowski, Krzysztof Damaziak (Military University of Technology)
14:45 – 15:00 Discussion
15:45 – 16:00 Transfer to Regional Dinner
16:30 – 20:30 Regional Dinner
Note: 18:30 – 19:30 Dinner at the hotel for participants not attending the regional dinner (please inform us in advance if you wish to choose this option)

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
10:15 – 12:15 Session VIII

Session Chairs: prof. dr hab. inż. Jolanta Biegańska (AGH University) and dr inż. Dariusz Stefaniak (Central Mining Institute – National Research Institute)

10:15 – 10:30 Comparison of standards for assessing the impact of vibrations from blasting operations, Tomasz Sałaciński, Andrzej Maranda (Łukasiewicz – Institute of Industrial Organic Chemistry)
10:30 – 10:45 Comparison of standards for assessing the impact of vibrations from blasting operations, Anna Sołtys, Józef Pyra, Jan Winzer (AGH University)
10:45 – 11:00 Effect of quarry transport ramp inclination on energy consumption level needed for its construction and operation, Michał Dudek (Holcim Poland (KOSD Rudawa)), Michał Dworzak, Przemysław Bodziony, Andrzej Biessikirski (Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza)
11:00 – 11:15 Risk of musculoskeletal strain among workers performing blasting operations in open-pit mining, Michał Dworzak, Andrzej Biessikirski, Krzysztof Barański (AGH University)
11:15 – 11:30 Overview of legal regulations regarding the safety of production, transport and storage of ammonium nitrate, Krzysztof Barański, Andrzej Biessikirski, Michał Dworzak (AGH University)
11:30 – 11:45 Transport classification of shock tubes, Daniel Buczkowski (Łukasiewicz – Institute of Industrial Organic Chemistry)
11:45 – 12:00 The impact of the future update of the list of harmonised standards on the conformity assessment process of explosives in light of Directive 2014/28/EU, Mateusz Pytlik (Główny Instytut Górnictwa – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy), Piotr Mertuszka (KGHM CUPRUM Sp. z o.o. Centrum Badawczo-Rozwojowe)
12:00 – 12:15 Discussion
12:15 – 12:30 Conference Closing
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch