EXPLOSIVES HANDLING PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

The Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program sets guidelines for weapons certification. This program is independent from all other maintenance programs. The Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program is applicable to all personnel (both military and civilian, including contractors) in the Naval Establishment whose duties require evolutions or tasks involving explosive devices.

NOTE: All explosives, ammunition, weapons, and devices using conventional explosives, pyrotechnics, or incendiary material for their operation are included in the general term explosive devices.

All operators of power-operated handling equipment, such as hoists, winching cranes, or forklifts, that are used in handling explosive devices must be certified and licensed to handle the particular piece of equipment.

Personnel Who Require Individual Certification

If a person's duties (including explosive ordnance disposal [EOD] personnel involved in non-EOD duties) require him/her to individually inspect (including the duty of safety observer), prepare, adjust, arm, or dearm explosive devices, he/she must be qualified and certified for such tasks. Personnel who conduct magazine inspections, maintenance on aircraft safety and survival equipment, or perform any other function that involves explosive devices must be included in this program. The supervisor of explosive operations and members of the command-appointed certification board (except the chairman) must be individually certified for the evolution that they may supervise or observe.

Personnel Who Require Team Qualification and Certification

A person must be team certified and qualified or individually qualified to perform any of the following duties as a team member: packing, unpacking, assembling/disassembling, testing, fuzing, loading/ downloading, or arming/dearming. When team operations are involved, the team leader must be designated and must be certified and qualified. Any change in team personnel must be kept to a minimum. Shipboard gun, missile crews, and air wing integrated arm/dearm crews are considered teams for the purpose of qualification and certification. Requalification or recertification of a team after any personnel change is at the discretion of the commanding officer. At times, contractor personnel perform functions within the scope of the Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program at naval activities. The contractor must provide the commanding officer or officer in charge with the documentation to prove that personnel are qualified and certified before performing any duties that come under the program. All contracts that deal with explosives and explosive operations come under the purview of OPNAVINST 8023.2.

Initial Board Member Certification

One major problem of the initial certification of personnel is to ensure that persons who perform qualification evaluations are themselves qualified. Occasionally, it is necessary to initially certify personnel to perform a particular explosive-related job if no certification board is currently established. Commanders should ensure the intent of this program when they select certification board qualifying observers.

The department head (or equivalent supervisor) reviews personnel for initial certification by screening school records, previous certification, demonstrated ability, and a personal interview. Then he/she makes a recommendation to the commanding officer or officer in charge as to whether a person should or should not be certified. Certification is made at the discretion of the commanding officer or officer in charge. When sufficient personnel have been qualified, a minimum qualification an certification board is established

NOTE: The Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program,

OPNAVINST 8023.2, is not applicable to the following personnel:

Personnel, such as a security force, who are required to bear arms in the course of their duties.

Aircrew personnel whose only contact with explosive devices is during logistic transport by aircraft.

Lookouts, bridge watches, and man-overboard watches required to handle and launch manoverboard markers in emergency situations.

Document destruction personnel and aircraft wheel watches should handle explosives only during emergencies.

Personnel whose sole contact with explosive devices occurs when assigned to a working party for the purpose of replenishment, onloading, or offloading.

Personnel who conduct tests or inspections of magazine sprinkler systems, provided they have been qualified and certified by other means.

The personnel mentioned above must, however, be carefully instructed in the operation and in the safety precautions applicable to a particular device or explosive material.

Revocation of Certification

The commanding officer or officer in charge is responsible for revoking certification whenever such action is necessary in the interest of safety.

If culpability (responsibility) can be determined during a mishap investigation, a statement on the revocation of individual/team certification must be included in the mishap report.

If an explosive mishap is caused by a person's failure to follow authorized procedures, revocation of certification is mandatory, and a page 13 entry is required. If a person flagrantly (openly) disregards safety precautions, operates explosive device handling equipment recklessly, or shows incompetency or unreliability, revocation of certification for cause is mandatory, and requires a page 13 entry.

When the commanding officer or officer in charge considers retraining, recertification, and requalifying an appropriate action, the person may be retrained, recertified, and requalified. If, however, the person's behavior indicates that retraining will be ineffective, he/she is assigned to tasks that do not involve explosive devices.

For military personnel, revocation of certification for cause requires a service record entry stating the specific reason(s). For civilian personnel, a letter revoking certification for cause is prepared and filed in his/her civilian personnel record. Revocation of certification means complete removal of an individual from the qualification/certification program. Onetime recertification for the above infractions is not authorized. There are NO exceptions!