The Blast Report

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Jun 2026

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About the show

'The Blast Report' - the podcast that's blowing up the blasting, mining, and civil explosives industries! Each episode is packed with topics, from the latest and greatest blasting techniques to in-depth discussions on safety and regulations, to real-life "Fire in the Hole" stories in the field and from the past. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the industry, this podcast provides a community with valuable insights and information. So tune in while you're on the way to the job site or waiting on the all clear!

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49 recent

June 1, 2026Episode 491 hr 0 min

EP 49 - Larry Beans: If We Drill It, We Shoot It

Evan Thibaud sits down with Larry Beans for a detailed interview of Larry's life and his progression in the blasting industry. Larry shares insights he learned early on in his career and key business changes that have allowed him to stay successful all these years. "The three of us have been together since 1973…53 years and we’re still working together for Maurer & Scott in the explosive business!This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by WipWare! Since 1986 WipWare Photoanalysis Systems has provided solutions for fragmentation optimization! WipWare is a global company with influence in any industry where fragmentation is key to success. They not only measure and monitor materials, they create ACTIONABLE data. Mine to Mill can be fully refined with the hardware and software options. Whether you use drones for photos or intatl on of their industry leading camera along the haulage process, WipWare creates solid analysis to confirm your blast design is the most effective it can be.This small business has a big impact! Because you can't manage what you can't measure!🎧 Tune in!

April 13, 2026Episode 481 hr 21 min

EP 48 - Phil Porter and Tailgate Safety at an Early Age

Evan Thibaud caught Phil Porter for a nice interview where Phil goes back to his early days of blasting. From hand mixing ANFO at 9 years old to looking after large diameter boreholes in the iron range. Phil’s educational background and start at the Ohio Dynamite Company led to years of success in the industry.This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by Dyno Nobel! For over 150 years, Dyno Nobel has been a global leader in the commercial explosives industry. With origins dating back to Alfred Nobel himself, Dyno Nobel provides historic leadership in explosives, serving the mining, quarrying, civil, and construction industries. As one of the largest players in the industrial explosives business, Dyno Nobel’s vital role in helping customers is highlighted across the world. From Safety initiatives, developments in bulk explosive technology, and meeting KPI’s, Dyno Nobel understands the needs of their customers today and into the future. Their full line of products and services challenges the status quo and delivers on their promises. So, when you need groundbreaking performance. You trust Dyno Nobel.🎧 Tune in!

March 9, 2026Episode 471 hr 9 min

EP47 - Tom Greiwe, Demolition blasting & its Challenges

Evan Thibaud sits down with Missouri State Blaster License holder #11! Tom shares how he married into the blasting business and how his love for blasting has grown over the years even with some close calls in his early days.This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sauls Seismic! Sauls Seismic has over 45 years of quality experience in seismic consulting and environmental monitoring and has built relationships with customers across the industry.Not only is data shared with stakeholders in a timely manner but it’s Saul’s unbiased, third party results that are what teams need for confirming their work site is within compliance.Saul's exclusive partnership with NOMIS seismographs offers leading vibration monitors for all your blasting operations whether you're optimizing for a large metal mine, maintaining relationships with home owners around your demolition job, or if you need their preblast surveys for your construction project. Sauls Seismic is a proud partner of all blasting applications and is happy to be safe and effective on YOUR next job site. Check them out at Saulsseismic.com🎧 Tune in!

January 23, 2026Episode 4649 min

EP46 - Jack Eloranta Part 2: Mine-to-Mill or mind games?

Evan and Jack continue their conversation about the unique constraints in large diameter blastholes. From cut-offs to fumes, to the factors in the Mine-to-Mill principles, Jack shares years of observations and advice that he learned the hard way when blasting in hard rock. You're not going to want to miss this advice and how to apply proven Mine-to-Mill methodology.This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by WipWare! Since 1986 WipWare Photoanalysis Systems has provided solutions for fragmentation optimization! WipWare is a global company with influence in any industry where fragmentation is key to success. They not only measure and monitor materials, they create ACTIONABLE data. Mine to Mill can be fully refined with the hardware and software options. Whether you use drones for photos or intatl on of their industry leading camera along the haulage process, WipWare creates solid analysis to confirm your blast design is the most effective it can be.This small business has a big impact! Because you can't manage what you can't measure!🎧 Tune in!

January 14, 2026Episode 4554 min

EP45 - Jack Eloranta Part 1: Large blastholes, larger challenges.

Past president of ISEE comes on the show and shares his start to the unique and difficult challenges of blasting Taconite in America’s Iron mines. This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by WipWare! Since 1986 WipWare Photoanalysis Systems has provided solutions for fragmentation optimization! WipWare is a global company with influence in any industry where fragmentation is key to success. They not only measure and monitor materials, they create ACTIONABLE data. Mine to Mill can be fully refined with the hardware and software options. Whether you use drones for photos or intatl on of their industry leading camera along the haulage process, WipWare creates solid analysis to confirm your blast design is the most effective it can be.This small business has a big impact! Because you can't manage what you can't measure!🎧 Tune in!

December 2, 2025Episode 4425 min

EP44 - BARON FIDLER PART 2: A DESIRE TO BE PART OF GROWING TECHNOLOGY

Baron and Evan continue their conversation as Baron Fidler shared his experiences in growing bulk emulsions and the challenges he faced over the years. This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by Dyno Nobel! For over 150 years, Dyno Nobel has been a global leader in the commercial explosives industry. With origins dating back to Alfred Nobel himself, Dyno Nobel provides historic leadership in explosives, serving the mining, quarrying, civil, and construction industries. As one of the largest players in the industrial explosives business, Dyno Nobel’s vital role in helping customers is highlighted across the world. From Safety initiatives, developments in bulk explosive technology, and meeting KPI’s, Dyno Nobel understands the needs of their customers today and into the future. Their full line of products and services challenges the status quo and delivers on their promises. So, when you need groundbreaking performance. You trust Dyno Nobel.🎧 Tune in to this second part!

November 18, 2025Episode 4027 min

EP43 - Baron Fidler Part 1: "More Than I Realized"

Interviewing one of the first ever recipients of the Best In The West Scholarships and how this kicked off his long and successful career! Baron Fidler and Evan talk about his career and how working with a powder company sent him to diverse applications of blasting.‼️ Special thanks to our #sponsor Dyno Nobel. For over 150 years, this global leader in commercial explosives. With roots tracing back to Alfred Nobel, has delivered groundbreaking, safety-focused performance for the mining, quarrying, and construction industries. Trust Dyno Nobel for your next project. 🎧 Tune in!

October 24, 2025Episode 3933 min

EP42 - Shashi Kanth Part 2: Blasting Forward

In part two, with Shashi's story, he shares how he got the opportunity to work with students and how that impacted his future and the futures of so many students through collaborations with industry support.‼️ Special thanks to our #sponsor Best in the West Conference. For over 20 years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in scholarships, bringing together miners, drill & blast suppliers, and government agencies.📅 See you at the next Best in the West Conference April 22nd 2026. 🎧 Tune in and keep blasting forward with us!

October 16, 2025Episode 4121 min

EP41 - Shashi Kanth Part 1: Blasting Back Home

In this interview of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, Evan Thibaud hears Shashi’s story on how he started in India and, with a bit of luck, how he signed up for an amazing program from Ensign Bickford that brought him back to India and how that formed his basis in the explosives industry. ‼️ Special thanks to our #sponsor Best in the West Conference. For over 20 years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in scholarships, bringing together miners, drill & blast suppliers, and government agencies.And of course, a big thank you to Walt Partridge, the voice behind the auction and the cause.📅 See you at the next Best in the West Conference in 2026.🎧 Tune in and blast into Shashi’s journey — Part 1 is live now!

September 17, 2025Episode 4045 min

EP40 - Tom Thurman Part 2: "Next to the Worst"

In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, our interview with Tom continues as we dive more into his career and some of the incidents he was part of. We hear some of goals for passing on knowledge to the people who follow in his footsteps in explosive related investigations.‼️ Special thanks to our #sponsor ISEE. For over 50 years, ISEE has been dedicated to enhancing the safety, science, skill, and benefits of explosives engineering worldwide. From training and certifications to world-class networking, they continue shaping the future of our industry.📅 Don’t miss ISEE’s 52nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique in Reno, Nevada, January 20–25, 2026. Learn more at isee.org.🎧 Tune in and hear how lessons from the field become a legacy for the next generation of explosives professionals.