MAGAZINE AND MAGAZINE AREA SECURITY

Magazine areas are protected by nonclimbable fences. All the entrances are locked unless guards are posted. Post a sign at all the entrances to restricted areas. The sign indicates that every vehicle must stop, that each person must present proper credentials to the guard, and that all articles prohibited within the area must be given to the guard. The exact wording of the signs are left to the discretion of the commanding officer. However, the word explosive doesn't appear on the sign, and the sign isn't attached to the magazines.

Special precautions are taken to guard or patrol the areas that not protected by suitable fencing. Magazine and explosives areas where ammunition, explosives, and other items of high-security classification are stored must be adequately guarded at all times.

Don't let unauthorized personnel enter or remain in any magazine or explosives area. Personnel involved in ammunition handling operations are authorized in magazines or buildings that contain explosives only as required, and they must enter and leave explosives areas at designated points.

Additional information on the requirements for posting, fencing, unguarded facilities and vehicles, emergency events, and security alarm systems is found

in Department of the Navy Physical Security Instruction for Sensitive Conventional Arms, Ammunitions and Explosives (AA&E), OPNAVINST 5530.13.

MAGAZINE/MAGAZINE AREA INSPECTIONS

The commanding officer, or duly authorized representative, requires regular and frequent magazine inspections. These inspections include ready-service

lockers, ready-service magazines, and magazine areas. Magazine inspections are conducted to make sure the following conditions are met:

Ensure magazine repairs are made, if needed.

Ensure that safety regulations, particularly those that involve cleanliness and elimination of fire hazards, are observed.

Ensure that magazine contents are not deteriorating into an unsafe condition, and they are stored in an orderly, compatible, and approved manner.

The magazine area inspections are designed to make sure the following actions are being maintained

Firebreaks are being maintained.

Fire protection equipment, when required, is available and serviceable.

Roads are good and in usable condition.

Fences are secure.

At times area inspections are performed more often than magazine inspections, particularly during seasons when grass or brush fires are most likely to occur.

General Inspection Requirements

Some of the types of things you look for when conducting general magazine inspections are security, safety, cleanliness, atmosphere (temperature and humidity), identification of contents, and posting. A checklist covering all safety regulations and requirements of magazine operations is used when you conduct magazine inspections. This helps you make sure you don't overlook violations or hazards. The checklist provides an adequate and full description of any condition that is unsatisfactory and in violation of requirements. Make sure the checklist is properly authenticated and made a part of the magazine log.

Frequency of Inspections

The inspection frequency is determined by the commanding officer or duly authorized representative. The frequency varies, depending on the number of magazines to be inspected, weather conditions, season of the year, number of magazines requiring special attention (for example, environmentally controlled), and security requirements of magazines/magazine areas. Inspections are conducted during daylight hours. Make sure there is enough light to see that any substandard condition that exists is seen and reported to the inspector. The exception to this procedure is security inspections; they are conducted during the day and at night.

Temperature Control Considerations

The majority of the ordnance items in the Navy inventory are designed to withstand temperatures in the range of 130 to 160 Fahrenheit. Temperatures within conventional ordnance storage magazines seldom exceed 105 Fahrenheit. Therefore, you don't have to closely monitor the temperatures within these magazines. However, in the case of special magazines, such as certain missile/missile components, torpedoes, and mine magazines that require environmental control, control-system monitoring is still required

Report of Inspections

You must record the date and hour of each inspection in a magazine inspection log above the signature of the person who made the inspection. Promptly report substandard or abnormal conditions to the officer or supervisor in charge of correcting it. Then annotate the observed conditions in the log. Note satisfactory and normal conditions in the log by the entry normal. Magazine inspection logs may be destroyed 1 year from the date of last entry.

AMMUNITION HANDLING

The AO must be familiar with handling ammunition. It is a repetitious task, whether at a shore station or aboard ship. Repetitious work, no matter how dangerous, often becomes routine and leads to carelessness. Therefore, pay attention to what you are doing to prevent accidents in operations dealing with ammunition and explosives.

Whenever ammunition or explosives are received, transferred, or stowed, an officer or petty officer that knows the rules governing the care and handling of ammunition supervises the work. The supervisor makes sure that all work personnel are aware of the need to be careful when they handle ammunition and explosives.

Handling equipment is properly maintained and frequently inspected to make sure it is in safe working condition. Also, the handling equipment must be the right equipment for the purpose. Inspections are made before and during loading/unloading operations.