Explosives Safety

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UNCLASSIFIED
Explosives Safety
TERRILL D. ROBERTS, Maj, USAFHQ USAFE/SEW,
Weapons SafetyDSN 314 480-6801 terrill.roberts_at_ra
mstein.af.mil
UNCLASSIFIED
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Objective

• Understand basic requirements and terminology
• Improve your understanding of key functions and
  processes
• Light coveragenot intended to make you a weapons
  safety expert
• Enhance your ability to ask the right weapons
  safety questions

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Overview

• Terminology
• Explosives safety guidance
• USAFE deployments
• General information
• Explosives hazard classification
• Explosives site planning
• Risk assessment
• Summary

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Terminology

• DoD Explosive Safety Board (DDESB)
• Exceptions exemptions and waivers
• Exposed Site (ES)
• Explosive Site Plan (ESP)
• Hazard Class/Division (HC/D)
• Inhabited Building distance (IB)
• Intermagazine/Intraline distance (IM/IL)
• Potential Explosive Site (PES)
• Quantity-Distance (Q-D)

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Explosive Safety Guidance
10 USCA 172 (est. 1928 - Based on Congressional
Law)
DOD 6055.9-STANDARD DoD Explosives Safety
Standards
AIR FORCE MANUAL 91-201 USAF Explosives Safety
Standards
DA Pam 385-64 Ammunition and Explosives Safety
Standards
NAVSEA OP 5, Vol. 1 Ammunition and Explosives
Safety Ashore

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Explosive Safety Guidance

• A potato is a tatter is a jojo
• A MSA is a KALA is a BLAHAsame type of facility
  just a different name

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General Safety Info

• Personnel trained IAW AFI 91-202
• Detailed local Operating Instructions (OI)
• Personnel/explosive limits
• Good housekeeping practices
• Designated smoking areas
• Safe handling procedures
• Fire protection-fire drills, fire prevention, etc
• Withdrawal distances

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Withdrawal Distances
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Explosives HazardClassification
Fire Symbol 4 HC/D 1.4 - Moderate Fire
Hazard class/division identifies the
characteristics of explosive items and then
assigns classification which govern storage and
transportation
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Chemical Hazard Symbols
Hazard symbols vary with the type of agent
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Explosives Site Planning Considerations
Type of Potential Explosion Site (PES)
Type of Exposed Site (ES)
Level of Protection Required
Type and Quantity Of Explosives
Squadron Ops
IL Intraline
PTR Public Traffic Route
PES
IM Intermagazine
IB Inhabited Building
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Explosives SitePlanning Process
Site planning is the evaluation of potential
explosion sites in relationship to surrounding
exposures
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Explosives Site Planning

• Ensures Consideration of Explosive Quantity -
  Distance Standards
• Documentation
• AF Form 943
• Site location map
• Facility design drawings
• Cover memorandum

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Methods of Site Plan Accomplishment
Assessment System for Hazard Surveys (ASHS II)
using GeoBase
Manual Approach (Stubby Pencil)
AF Form 943 and Supporting Maps
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Explosives Site Planning
Explosives Clear Zone Explosives Clear Zone
The area surrounding a potential explosion site
which is determined by the required Q-D
separation distances
PES
IBD
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Explosives Site Planning Distance Categories
Intermagazine
IM
Intermagazine (IM) IM is the minimum distance
allowed between two explosives storage locations.
This distance is expected to prevent a
simultaneous detonation This distance CANNOT be
waived.
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Explosives Site PlanningDistance Categories
Intraline
IL
IM
Related PES or ES
PES
Intraline (IL) The minimum distance allowed
between an explosives location and an operating
location or related support function
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Explosives Site PlanningDistance Categories
Public Traffic Route
PTR
IL
Public Roads, up to 5,000 vehicles per day
IM
Golf Course Fairways and Greens (not the
clubhouse)
PES
Public Traffic Route (PTR) The distance from
any explosives location to any public highway,
navigable stream, passenger railroad, or joint
military-nonmilitary taxiways
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Explosives Site PlanningDistance Categories
Inhabited Building
Public Roads, 5,000 vehicles per day
IB
PTR
Non-Related Facilities and People
IL
IM
PES
Inhabited Building (IB) Minimum allowable
distance between an inhabited building (not
directly related to the PES) and a potential
explosion site.
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Explosive site plan AF Form 943
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Explosive Site Plan Map
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Departures from Explosives Quantity-Distance
Criteria
What happens when compliance with established
explosive quantity-distance criteria cannot be
met?
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ExplosivesQuantity-Distance Exceptions

• Policy
• DoD not intended to be so rigid as to present
  from accomplishing their mission.
• Air Force weigh the added risk against the
  strategic or other compelling reasons
• Types of Exceptions
• Exemption Expected to be more than 5 yrs
• Waiver Expected to be less than 5 yrs

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Risk Assessment

• Need for exceptions to the standards must be
  weighed in terms of
• Need to accomplish the mission
• Ramifications of a mishap
• Mission
• Political
• Cost to correct
• Frequency of operation

Risk
Mission
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Risk Assessment

• List standard(s) that are not met
• All alternatives and rationale not to implement
• Assess
• Situations outweighing safety to drive exception
• Estimated impact in the event of a mishap
• Personnel injuries/fatalities
• Damage to property
• Impact on mission
• Detailed cause of exception and strategic or
  compelling reason(s)
• Wing commander must accept risk

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Commanders Risk Assessment
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Explosives Q-D Exception Approval Flow
(Approval) DDESB
SAF (Approval)
AFSC (Review/Approval)
MAJCOM (Review/Approval)
NAF (Review/Approval)
WING (Create)
Secretary of the AF approves explosive site
planning Q-D exemptions
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Summary

• Learn the WSM language to include the different
  DoD, Air Force, Army, Navy dialects
• Do not underestimate the value of explosives site
  planning as a mission preservation tool
• Insist on accurate risk assessments for the CC
• Be prepared for open interpretation of the DoD
  standards

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UNCLASSIFIED
QUESTIONS?
UNCLASSIFIED
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DOD 6055.9-STDAmmunition and Explosives Safety
Standards

• Provide the maximum possible protection to
  personnel and property
• Limit the exposure of a minimum number of
  personnel for a minimum amount of time to the
  minimum amount of ammunition and explosives
  consistent with a safe operation
• Comply with these ammunition and explosive safety
  standards

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AFMAN 91-201USAF Explosives Safety Standards

• Observe explosive safety practices during all
  operations involving live explosives
• Comply with DoD and AF explosive safety and
  environmental standards
• Provide the maximum protection possible
• Expose the minimum number of people to the
  minimum amount of explosives for the minimum
  amount of time
• Comply with AFMAN 91-201 or local explosive
  standards-whichever is more restrictive