LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

1. Describe the basic safety principles associated with ammunition handling, shipping and stowage.

2. Describe the explosive handling personnel qualification and certification program.

3. Describe the different types of ammunition stowage and their associated safety devices.

INTRODUCTION

The application of basic safety principles to life's activities is an old precept, practiced from the dawn of time. It was an intuitive, basic survival instinct. However, as society evolved, it became evident that instinct alone wasn't sufficient. The movement toward a technical world required that cohesive thought be applied to matters of safety where dangerous and involved activities were concerned. One such activity is the procuring, stowing, and use of ammunition by the military.

The U.S. Navy has many types of ammunition that must be maintained in a state of readiness at all times. Your life, the lives of your shipmates, and the accomplishment of your mission depend on the quality and condition of this ammunition. To ensure that ammunition will perform as expected, it is prepared, overhauled, and assembled according to exacting specifications. It must also be handled, shipped, and stowed carefully, to prevent mishaps that may result in loss of life and material.

Since you will be near some type of ammunition on almost a daily basis, you will share the responsibility for ensuring that mishaps don't occur. This chapter contains information that will help you understand how to handle, ship, and stow ammunition safely. But before we discuss handling, we must reinforce your awareness of safety.

SAFETY

Your major concern during weapons handling and stowage evolutions must be safety. Safe handling and stowage operations are a team effort. All personnel involved in handling weapons must be trained and qualified to perform their job expeditiously and safely, as prescribed by Ammunition and Explosives Ashore, Volume I, NAVSEA OP 5, Ammunition Afloat, NAVSEA OP 4, and NAVSEA OP 3347, Ordnance Safety Precautions.