PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-600
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 600
NOVEMBER 2002
During deployment, you’ll encounter many different types of ammunition.
The
single most important fact to remember is:
Ammunition is intended to maim, kill
and destroy!
If you are not completely sure about an item,
do not go near it, do
not touch it,
and
do not pick it up!
There are plenty of examples of overly curious
soldiers who ended up either wounded or killed, so handle ammunition carefully.
PS 600
27
PS 600
NOV 02
26
Safe Operations
When you
do
have to work
with ammunition,
follow these
general safety
precautions…
Keep ammunition in its original
containers as long as possible to
prevent exposure to the elements.
Maintain accountability and pre-
serve lot integrity.
Make sure proper fire extinguishers are on-hand and properly maintained. In the
event of a fire, try to keep it from spreading to ammunition. If the fire does reach
ammunition,
evacuate immediately!
Make sure you are properly
grounded
when
handling
ammunition items containing
electric primers, exposed pro-
pellant or exposed explosive
material. Static electricity and
ammunition can be a lethal
combination!
Ammunition that does not arm or has failed
to explode after being armed is classified as a
dud.
Dud ordnance poses an immediate
threat!
It should not be handled or moved.
Mark the location and call your local EOD
support unit to remove or destroy it. You
should also contact your EOD support unit if
you locate unexploded ordnance.
Never
tamper with, disassemble or
alter any ammunition.
Do not
become careless because of
familiarity with munitions.
Open ammunition boxes carefully.
Return all inner packaging material to the
container and close it to keep out moisture,
sand or debris. Repack items that have
been opened and not used.
Protect ammunition from dirt and sand,
temperature extremes, moisture, grease,
rough handling or anything else that might
cause it to deteriorate.
Keep ammunition
clean
The greatest danger posed by depleted uranium (DU) munitions is the explosive
hazard. The depleted uranium is radioactive, but the levels are so low that the main
health risk is chemical toxicity. So follow these tips when dealing with DU
munitions:
— In the event of a fire involving DU munitions, evacuate
upwind
and
immediately notify your unit’s NBC NCO and Safety Officer for instructions and
assistance.
— If possible, place damaged DU munitions in plastic bags to contain any
potential contamination. Turn them in at your ammunition supply point (ASP).
watch
this!
Limit the number of soldiers
exposed to ammunition han-
dling to the minimum necessary
to get the job done.
600. 26-27 (C)
9/27/02
11:14 AM
Page 1
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