Explosives Act, 1875

Byelaws as to wharves in which gunpowder is loaded or unloaded.

36. The occupier of every wharf or dock on or in which gunpowder is loaded or unloaded (if such loading or unloading is not otherwise subject to any byelaws under this Act) may, and if so required by the Secretary of State shall, from time to time, with the sanction of the Secretary of State, make byelaws for regulating the loading and unloading of gunpowder on or in such wharf or dock, and in particular for declaring or regulating all or any of the matters which can be declared or regulated in the case of any wharf or dock within the jurisdiction of a harbour authority by byelaws made by such authority in pursuance of this Act.

The penalties to be annexed to any breach, or attempt to commit any breach, of any such byelaws may be all or any of the following penalties, and may be imposed on such persons and graduated in such manner as may be deemed just, according to the gravity of the offence, and according as it may be a first or second or other subsequent offence, that is to say, pecuniary penalties not exceeding twenty pounds for each offence, and ten pounds for each day during which the offence continues, and forfeiture of all or any part of the gunpowder in respect of which, or found on the wharf or in the dock or part of the wharf or dock in respect of which, the breach of byelaw has taken place.

Any byelaws made in pursuance of this section may, and if required by the Secretary of State shall, be rescinded, altered, or added to by byelaws made by the occupier, with the sanction of the Secretary of State.

If an occupier is required by the Secretary of State to make byelaws under this section for any matter, and fail within three months after such requisition to comply therewith to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State may make such byelaws, which shall have effect as if made by the occupier with the sanction of the Secretary of State.

Where by reason of a wharf being a public wharf or otherwise, there is no occupier thereof, or the occupier thereof is unknown, the Secretary of State may make byelaws with respect to such wharf in like manner as if the occupier had failed to comply with his requisition: Provided that where such wharf abuts on any harbour, canal, or railway, the harbour authority or canal or railway company shall have the same power, and, if so required by the Secretary of State, shall be under the same obligation to make byelaws under this section for such wharf as if they were the occupiers thereof.