Unexploded Ordnance or Suspect Package Incident Management

Incident Management Guidelines

The mishandling of a suspect package or unexploded ordnance (UXO) can result in injury or death, in addition to the loss of forensic evidence. Such materials may be left in small bags, might be disguised as rubbish bags or placed in Coke cans, might be portions of partially detonated munitions, or might be booby‐trapped materials. At all times, incident managers should consider the safety of the persons involved in the operation, the integrity of the evidence, the requirement not to touch the suspect package or item, the need to quickly and safely clear the area, and the need to pass on information so that specialist responders can deal with the situation.

In the event that a suspect package or UXO situation occurs, the following immediate steps should be taken:

Action Points

1. Stand up the Incident Management and Crisis Response Teams using the SAD CHALETS system.
2. Initiate a site evacuation plan if required. Consider threats posed by moving personnel—ensure that escape routes are not exposed to UXO or suspect package risks. Determine whether it is safer to have personnel remain where they are or move.
3. Do not use radios or mobile phones near the device.
4. Confirm:: Confirm it is an explosive package. Do not touch it, and remember the five Ws:
   • What have you found? Get a description—size, shape, color, wires visible; take photos if possible and do not approach or touch.
   • Where was it found? Provide a 10‐figure grid reference or other reference point.
   • When was it found? Get time and date.
   • Why are you there?
   • Whether it has been moved or touched.
5. Clear:: Clear the area to ensure the safety of personnel; no one should be in line of sight of the package. The following elements should be considered:
   • Radio transmissions only at a safe distance: handheld, vehicle fitted.
   • Mark the route to the UXO or suspect package.
   • Establish an Incident Control Point to notify external agencies of location and safe route in.
   • Wedge open doors (allow clear access and exit for personnel).
   • Evacuate personnel to safe locations; conduct musters to identify missing persons.
   • If using a bomb shelter area, ensure that the building has previously been surveyed by a structural engineer as being capable of providing protection from a nearby explosion.
6. Cordon:: Cordon off the area until emergency services arrive to assume control:
   • Establish correct cordon distances (see Exhibit 5.2).
   • Ensure that all personnel, including security, are out of line of sight of the package or material.
   • Ensure that personnel are not at risk from secondary hazards.
   • Ensure that personnel are behind hard cover if possible (concrete walls).
   • Ensure that personnel are not observing the incident from behind windows (blast effects).
   • Ensure that personnel are upwind if chemical or other such hazards are present.
7. Control:: Control the situation until relieved or the emergency services arrive:
   • Control the scene and area.
   • Establish safe routes and control points.
   • Ensure that all persons are not in line of sight of the materials (900 to 1,500 feet away).
   • Ensure that the control room is aware of any action you take; be accurate with your information.
8. Check:: Check the area for other threats as well as evidence:
   • Check for secondary hazards.
   • Ensure that the location is protected for police investigations.
   • Save evidence, if any, on the site.
   • Secure the area.
   • Consider other potential and present hazards.
9. Coordinate:: Commercial companies will rarely manage an explosive hazard in isolation from external government or military support. Effective coordination between company and external management and response teams is critical for the safe resolution of the situation.
10. Assess any damage to the site following an explosion. Also implement the casualty response procedures.
11. Forward all information through the correct communication channels, and update where necessary.
12. Provide an IMP Risk Assessment Report as soon as possible.

Unexploded Ordnance and Mines | Scope of Risk

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) presents a threat to personnel, materials, and facilities due to explosive hazard risks. There are hundreds of millions of unaccounted‐for mines worldwide, typically along disputed borders or areas of historical hostility. These mines continue to present serious risks to the local populace as well as to companies operating abroad. Threat areas are rarely, if at all, properly marked. Clearance of movement corridors and work sites is often a challenge to projects seeking to operate safely within a region. Ordnance is also subject to drift, often being moved seasonally by rivers, or shifting with landslides. The scattering of explosive ordnance can make locating materials difficult to impossible, and shifting sand and dirt can mask or uncover minefields. In some instances, buildings and other structures may also be booby‐trapped, with explosives inadvertently detonated by unintended victims.

Companies should advise their staff on UXO awareness, including how to recognize explosive ordnance and minefields, whether marked with Western symbols, or with tin cans or sticks by the local communities. Companies should also invest time and resources in training staff in how to avoid risks presented by UXOs, as well as what to do if inadvertently caught in a minefield. The following guidelines should be provided to staff to avoid explosive hazard threats:

§  Avoid areas that have in the past been mined, or have been the scene of fighting—they are typically mined.

§  Conduct a threat assessment for areas of doubt in order to evaluate the risks of UXO or mines within a work site or mobility corridor.

§  Do not pick up attractive items or attempt to retrieve souvenirs from battlefields—they may be booby‐trapped.

§  Do not attempt to remove obstacles that are blocking your vehicle's route, as they may be booby‐trapped.

§  Avoid isolated and uninhabited buildings, as they may be booby‐trapped.

§  Avoid buildings that might have been bombed, as they may have unexploded ordnance and are also likely to be structurally unsound.

§  Avoid areas that have not been cultivated by locals, or that have discarded packaging materials in the area.

As part of a hostile environment training package for those companies with staff operating in countries with mine threats, security awareness will assist in mitigating many of the threats personnel will face. Staff should be instructed to always check with local authorities or local leaders as to any known mine threats, especially if leaving well‐used roads or tracks. Where possible, personnel should keep to well‐used pathways, tracks, and roads, although they should still be observant for unusual indentations or bumps in the ground. If a mine detonates in close proximity to personnel, they should be advised that there will likely be more mines in the vicinity, and that they might be within a minefield. Personnel who suspect or know they are in a minefield should be advised to:

§  Do nothing, stay still, remain calm, and wait for assistance.

§  Retrace your steps if you can clearly identify them, or use vehicle tracks if visible.

§  Only if you are under immediate attack or dealing with a casualty with life‐threatening injuries, you may use a knife or a stick and prod gently at a 45‐degree angle over a three‐foot‐wide path in front of you in order to identify the edge of any possible mines, creating a safe path out of the risk area.

The IMP should be used as a secondary component to any advisory instructions or training provided to deployed staff. Company policies on safe movement and restricted areas should also be a key component to operating within areas known to contain mines or other explosive hazards. The IMP provides guidance to managers if staff find themselves within a suspected or known minefield, enabling the safe and controlled extraction of personnel from a threat area. Separate instructions should be provided to staff operating in areas with unexploded hazards as part of a separate safety awareness package.