Explosive Safety Quantity-Distance Requirements

Explosive Safety Quantity Distance (ESQD) requirements apply to the concentration of ammunition, explosives, and other hazardous materials at Naval Shore Establishments for development; manufacturing; test and maintenance; storage, loading and off-loading of vehicles, railcars and aircraft; disposal; and all related handling incidents. Explosive Safety Quantity Distance (ESQD) requirements are based on records of actual fires and explosions involving ammunition and explosives. ESQD requirements safeguard personnel against possible serious injury or equipment destruction from possible fires or explosions. These requirements also protect the inhabitants of nearby communities, private and public property, and the Naval Shore Establishment personnel. These requirements keep the loss of valuable ammunition stores (including inert ordnance items) to a minimum if there were a fire or explosion. The Department of Defense (DOD) ESQD hazard classification system is based on a system recommended for international use by the United Nations Organization (UNO). The UNO system has nine classes of hazardous material; but, DOD only uses  three of the nine classes—Class 1, explosives; Class 2, Division 3, poison A; and Class 6, poisonous (toxic) and infectious substances. The table identifies each of the nine classes. In reviewing the table, you can see that some items are placed in classes other than Class 1. Since DOD uses only Class 1 items for explosives, Class 1 assignments have been made. However, to maintain identity, DOD places these items in Class 1 for storage only until DOD implements other classes. As an AO, you are involved with the storage of Class 1 material; therefore, the information contained in this section only deal with Class 1 classifications. DOD Hazard Class 1 is subdivided into divisions 1 through 5, based on the character and predominance of the associated hazards and the potential for causing personnel casualties or property damage. These subdivision are not based upon compatibility groups or intended use. The division within Class 1 and the expected hazard for each division is listed in the table.

MASS-DETONATING HAZARD MATERIALS

(CLASS 1, DIVISION 1).—Damage from mass-detonating hazard materials is caused by concussion or blast or by sympathetic detonation. Prescribed distances between piles of these materials and between magazines containing these materials must be maintained to minimize the possibility of sympathetic detonation or propagation. Ammunition and explosives that are considered mass-detonating hazards are Hazard Class 1, Division 1.

NON-MASS-DETONATING HAZARD, FRAGMENT- PRODUCING MATERIALS

 (CLASS 1, DIVISION 2).—The principal hazards for items within this division are fragment and blast, either individually or in combination, depending on such factors as storage configuration, type of packing, and quantity. The designated minimum distances are based upon the limited range of fragments. These are the distances that must be used for protection of inhabited buildings and public traffic routes. Since fragmentproducing materials can be grouped according to the range of the fragments produced, four fragment distance categories have been established. This permits flexibility of storage. Most fragments produced by incidents in this division will fall within one of four specified minimum distances—400, 800, 1,200, and 1,800 feet.

MASS FIRE HAZARD MATERIALS

 (CLASS 1, DIVISION 3).—Items in this division burn vigorously. There is little or no possibility for extinguishing them in a storage situation. Normally, explosions will be confined to pressure ruptures of containers and will not produce propagating shock waves or damaging blast overpressure beyond specified distances. A severe fire may result from the tossing about of burning container materials, propellant, or other flaming debris. Toxic effects, such as burning pyrotechnic items, will not normally extend beyond the inhabited building distances specified for this division. 

MODERATE FIRE HAZARD, NO BLAST MATERIALS 

(CLASS 1, DIVISION 4).—Items in this division present a fire hazard with no blast hazard and virtually no fragmentation or toxic hazard beyond the fire hazard clearance specified for high-risk materials. However, separate facilities for storage and handling of this division should not be less than 100 feet from other facilities. However, if the facilities are of fire-resistive construction, they may be 50 feet from each other. If devices containing explosives are such that accidental ignition during storage or transport will not cause external damage to the devices, either by fire, smoke, heat, loud noise, or by visible damage to the outer packaging, they are not considered Class 1 items. These devices may be considered inert for storage purposes and marked AMMUNITION NONEXPLOSIVE for transport purposes. Certain articles within the division that contain one ounce or less of explosives have (based on test results) been classified as Class 1, Division 4S. These articles may be considered inert for storage purposes, and they are not subject to explosive transportation regulations. Articles containing larger quantities of explosives, also classified as Class 1, Division 4S, may be considered inert for storage purposes. However, they must be reviewed on an individual basis to determine whether explosive transportation regulations are applicable.

VERY INSENSITIVE EXPLOSIVE ITEM

MATERIALS (CLASS 1, DIVISION 5).—Items in this division are considered very insensitive when not stored or transported with other Class 1materials. DOD considers these items to be the same as Class 1, Division 1, Compatibility Group D. There is very little probability of accidental explosion or transition from deflagration to detonation. The materials within this division are shipped as ESQD Hazard Class 1, Division 5. They are stored as Class 1, Division 1, Compatibility Group D. Normally, technical manuals do not present the hazard class, division, and compatibility group as they  are written in previous paragraphs. For example, an item classified as Class 1, Division 5, Compatibility Group D, is written as Class 1.5D; or for an item in Class 1, Division 4, Compatibility Group S is written as Class 1.4S.

Ammunition and explosives are assigned to one of twelve storage compatibility groups (A through H, J, K, L, and S). 

GROUP A - Group A items are initiating explosives. These are bulk initiating explosives that have the necessary sensitivity to heat, friction, or percussion to make them suitable for use as initiating elements in an explosive train.Wet lead oxide, wet lead styphnate, wet mercury fulminate, wet tetracene, dry RDX, and dry PETN are examples of initiating explosives. 

GROUP B - Group B items are detonators and similar initiating devices. These are items containing explosives that are designed to initiate or continue the functioning of an explosive train. Detonators, blasting caps, small arms primers, and fuzes without two or more safing features are examples of Group B items.

GROUP C - Group C items are bulk solid propellants, propelling charges, devices containing propellant with or without a means of ignition, and items that will deflagrate, explode or detonate upon initiation. Examples of Group C items are single-, double-, and triple-base propellants, composite propellants, rocket motors (solid propellant), and ammunition with inert projectiles.

GROUP D - Group D items are secondary detonating explosive substances or black powder or articles containing a secondary detonating explosive substance, in each case without means of initiation and without a propelling charge, or articles containing a primary explosive substance and containing two or more effective protective features. Examples of these items are explosive switches or valves, and other ammunition items packaged to meet the criteria established for this group.

GROUP E - Group E items are ammunition that contains HE without its own means of initiation with a propulsive charge (other than one containing a flammable or hypergolic liquid). Examples of these items are artillery ammunition, rockets, and guided missiles. 

GROUP F - Group F items are articles containing a secondary detonating explosive substance with its means of initiation, with a propelling charge (other than one containing flammable liquid or hypergolic liquid) or without a propelling charge. Examples are items initiated by means of a bouchon-firing device, grenades, sounding devices, and similar items that have an in-line explosive train in the initiator.

GROUP G - Group G items is fireworks, and illuminating, incendiary, smoke (including HC) or tear-producing munitions other than those munitions that are water activated or contain white phosphorus,  flammable liquid or gel. This group includes ammunition that, upon functioning, results in an incendiary, illumination, lachrymatory, smoke, or sound effect. Examples of these items are flares, signals, incendiary or illuminating ammunition, and other smoke or tear-producing devices. 

GROUP H - Group H items contains explosives and white phosphorus or other pyrophoric material. Ammunition in this group contains filler, which is spontaneously flammable when exposed to the atmosphere. Examples of these items are white phosphorus (WP), white phosphorus plasticized (PWP), or other ammunition containing pyrophoric material.

GROUP J - Ammunition in this group contains both explosives and flammable liquids or gels. This ammunition contains flammable liquids or gels other than those that are spontaneously flammable when exposed to water or to the atmosphere. Examples of these items are liquid- or gel-filled incendiary ammunition, fuel air explosive (FAE) devices, flammable-fueled missiles and torpedoes. 

GROUPK- Ammunition in groupKcontains both explosives and toxic chemical agents. Ammunition in this group contains chemicals specifically designed for incapacitating effects that are more severe than lachrymation. Examples of these items are artillery or mortar ammunition (fuzed or unfuzed), grenades, and rockets or bombs filled with a lethal or incapacitating chemical agent.

GROUP L - Ammunition in-group L is not included in other compatibility groups. Ammunition in this group has characteristics that don't permit storage with other types of ammunition, explosives, or dissimilar ammunition within this group. Examples of these items are water-activated devices, prepackaged hypergolic liquid-fueled rocket engines, certain fuel-air-explosive (FAE) devices, TPA (thickened TEA), and damaged or suspect ammunition of any other group. Types of ammunition having similar hazards can be stored together but cannot be mixed with other groups. 

GROUP S - Ammunition in this group presents no significant hazard. It is designed or packed so all the accidental functioning hazards are confined within the package, unless the package has been degraded by fire.

In this case, all blast or projection effects are limited to the extent they will not significantly hinder fire-fighting operations. Examples of these items are thermal batteries, explosive switches or valves, and other ammunition items that are packaged to meet the criteria established for this group.

Ammunition and explosives are assigned to compatibility groups. When stored within  their assigned group, ammunition and explosives can be stored together without significantly increasing either the probability of an accident or, for a given quantity, the magnitude of the effects of such an accident. The mixing of storage compatibility groups is permitted by NAVSEASYSCOM, as shown below.

The mixing of storage compatibility groups other than those shown below must be approved by NAVSEASYSCOM.