The purpose of the Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program is to ensure that each person is qualified and certified before performing any task involving explosives. An explosives handler must be certified by the command or organizational unit to which he or she is assigned. To be certified, the handler must demonstrate the ability to perform safely all required functions, tasks, or evolutions associated with specified explosives.

Security and aircrew personnel, ammunition working parties, and personnel on watch (who may not handle the explosives directly) may be exempt from personal or team qualification. However, each person must be carefully instructed in the safety precautions and regulations governing the function, task, or evolution to be performed.

CERTIFICATION BOARDS

The commanding officer or officer in charge of each unit or naval activity involved with handling, shipping, and stowing explosives or explosive devices must appoint a certification board for his or her organization. The board must include, as a minimum:

The cognizant department head (or comparable supervisory representative if the organization does not have defined departments), and

Not less than one POI or senior (or equivalent civilian supervisor) who is certified to perform the specified function, task, or evolution.

In large units or activities, such as aircraft carriers or weapons stations or ammunition depots, the cognizant department head may delegate the responsibility for certification to an appropriate officer or supervisor, with the concurrence of the commanding officer. A commanding officer or officer in charge may augment the certification board with additional personnel from within or outside the command. In small units or activities where a certified POI (or senior) is not assigned to the command, and where board augmentation from outside the command is not feasible, the type commander may authorize a waiver of the POI requirement.

Initial certification of personnel to perform particular explosive-related jobs may be necessary in instances where no certification board is currently established (e.g., a newly installed weapons system, the addition of a handling and/or storage capability, or a newly commissioned ship). In most cases, experienced supervisory-level personnel will be qualified for certification. After careful review by the department head (or equivalent supervisor) of all available information relating to the individual's qualifications for the job to be performed, and a personal interview, a recommendation for certification will be made to the commanding officer or officer in charge. Final certification will then be at the discretion of the commanding officer or officer in charge. When a full qualification and certification board is formed later, certification procedures will be conducted for the remaining junior personnel.

PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION

Personnel working with explosives must be qualified as team members, as individual or team leaders, as instructors, as safety observers, or as a quality assurance inspector. Because of numerous weapons, launching devices, and weapon fuzing and loading configurations, explosive devices are segregated into representative family types. You must qualify and be certified only for applicable family types and operational situations. Table 5-1 shows the qualification levels and standards for certification.

Generally, only inert ordnance is used for drill or training purposes. If a training device is not available or if an explosive device for which training is required has no inert model, a closely related family-type inert device must be used for training. Training aids such as mockups, pictures, manuals, exploded views, and films may also be used effectively. When the use of either a family-type device or training aids is not considered to be an effective alternative for hands-on training with a non-inert device, and all safety factors have been carefully weighed, the type commander may authorize hands-on training with explosive devices, but only under qualified supervision.

To become qualified, you must demonstrate proficiency before a certified member of the certification board for each evolution you will perform. You will be required to demonstrate a competent use of applicable documentation and a knowledge of ordnance safety precautions and procedures to the extent required for ensuring that you will comply with sound handling practices and safety instructions.

You must have a working knowledge of all the types of explosive devices with which you may be required to work. Accordingly, you must become qualified and certified for each separate operation and each explosive device not in the same family type.

Another important requirement you must meet before becoming certified is to complete any appropriate Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS). For example, before you are allowed to handle projectiles aboard a frigate, you must complete the PQS for Non-Nuclear Explosive Handling. In addition to these, your command may have locally prepared qualification sheets that you must complete.