Hazard

Stowage

Handling

Bulk initiating and priming explosives constitute a distinct class of explosives. They are extremely sensi tive to shock. The only permitted packing

for transportation in bulk consists of a sift proof cotton duck, rubber or rub. berized cloth bag in a metal barrel or drum or wooden barrel or keg and wet with 20 to 40% of water or water alcohol mixture. Mercury fulminate and lead

azide also have 3" of saw dust saturated with water between the bag and the outer container.

MAGAZINE STOWAGE "A", SPFCIAL STOWAGE OR PORTABLE MAGAZINE STOW.

AGE

Shall not be stowed in the

same magazine with other ammunition or explosives. When tiering containers of explosives of this class in a magazine, have each tier floored off with a type "A" dunnage floor.

The location of a magazine is restricted to a hold or com. partment in which no other military ammunition (except Class I) is stowed. Shall not be stowed within 8 feet of vessel's side.

This class of ammunition shall not be overstowed with any other cargo.

For stowage adjacent to other dangerous articles see § 146.29-59.

1. Handle by hand or mechanical means.

2. Do not drop, drag, tumble, walk or otherwise subject packages to shock.

3. Do not use chute in loading or unloading. 4. Do not roll barrels on their bilges.

5. Gravity roller conveyer not authorized.

6. Barrels or drums contain 20 to 40% water or water alcohol mixture.

7. Observe barrels, drums or containers for evidence of leakage or inability to retain contents and reject any showing such signs.

3. In event a container is damaged immediately stop operations and carefully remove damaged container to a safe location.

9. Drums and kegs shall be stowed on end with bungs up. Containers shall be stowed in the position indicated by their markings.

10. Trays with sideboards shall be used when handling by mechanical means.

11. Containers shall not be stacked on a tray to a height above its sideboards.

12. The maximum permitted weight per draft when handled by tray fitted with sideboards shall not exceed 1,000 lbs. plus 10%.

13. Trays shall be hoisted and lowered carefully and deposited without undue shock on a mattress or other shock absorbing material.

14. The limiting weights noted above are for a ton boom. See § 146.29-41.

875

Hazard

Stowage

Handling

Fire and shock are the primary hazards to this class of ammunition. They are particularly dangerous because of their tendency to detonate en masse if involved in a fire or subjected to shock. Detonation will result in severe structural damage, increasing in severity and range in relation to the amount of high explosives involved.

All high explosive loaded items in this class having thin container walls are relatively easily ruptured or dented.

Denting of the container walls by impacts, though not sufficiently severe to rupture them bas occasionally resulted in partial or complete detonation, and such kind of ammunition is said to possess "container-dent sensitiv

ity."

A certain degree of confinement combined with local heating of the contained explosive by a particular kind of impact apparently Causes instantaneous explosive action. But whatever may be the actual mechanics of this phenomenon, the kinds of impacts known to have caused explosion of these items include such impacts as dropping on or striking against a rounded corner, similar to a hatch coaming, impact of one bomb against another, or being struck by handling and transportation equipment.

In placing or removing dunnage, an accidental or misdirected blow from a sledge hammer, pinch bar or other hand tool may cause such explosions The impact need not be violent. A short drop of only 2 feet caused a low order detonation of a depth bomb. Warheads, depth bombs, depth charges, Naval mines, and like items are in the "Container-dent sensitivity" category. All of the foregoing also apply in substantial effect to containers of this class of ammunition that are not thin walled.

Items in this class having thin container walls and said to possess "container-dent sensitivity" shall not be tiered one layer on top of another unless they are boxed crated or dunnaged in such a manner that they are properly protected to withstand the superimposed weight. Items having thin walls and possessing "container-dent sensitivity" may be overstowed only with very light cargo such as bomb fin assembiles, empty water fillable practice bombs and empty auxillary gas tanks. Items of this class having

thick walled containers may be tiered one layer on top of another provided they are so stowed, dunnaged, blocked and/or braced as to prevent movement that is likely to damage the ammunition, the vessel or other cargo.

Shall not be overstowed with inert permitted cargo having lesser bearing surface or greater unit weight than any Item stowed below. Classes I, V (unfuzed and no fuzes packed in container), VII (unfuzed and no fuzes packed in container), and IX-B may be stowed with this class: Provided that the two classes are separated by a partition bulkhead or type "A" dunnage floor. Except for wooden barrels or boxes and fiberboard containers, no flammable or combustible material as cargo shall be stowed in a hold or compartment in which this class of ammunition is stowed. When photoflash bombs are stowed with any other milltary explosive, including items of this class the two stowages must be separated by a partition bulkhead or a type "A" dunnage floor. For stowage adjacent to other dangerous articles see § 146.29-59.

1. Handle by hand or mechanical means. 2. Do not drop, drag, slide, tumble, walk or otherwise subject these articles to shock.

3. Do not use chute in loading or unloading. 4. Cargo nets shall not be used except to enclose a pallet, skipboard, or tray, or as a preventer or save-all.

5. Bombs, not crated or boxed, without external fittings or with external fittings protected by lug guards, may be rolled only under continuous hand control on level surfaces or on non-powered roller conveyors, provided these surfaces or conveyors are relatively level and free from projections.

6. Unboxed or uncrated warheads, depth bombs, depth charges, or other thin walled items shall not be tiered in "making up" drafts (hoists). 7. No "cant" or barrel hooks shall be used on this class of ammunition.

8. Depth charges and rocket heads that are not boxed or crated shall be loaded by use of pallet, skipboard or tray fitted with cargo net or sideboards.

9. Bombs, except depth bombs, may be loaded by use of wire rope slings, or by pallet, skipboard or tray fitted with cargo net or sideboards. 10. Depth bombs shall be loaded only by using pallet, skipboard, or tray fitted with cargo net or sideboards. (See § 146.29-39.)

11. Slings for use in hoisting this class of ammuni tion must be approved for use by the Captain of the Port.

12. Single slings made up in multiple assembly with spreader may be used in handling bombs that do not exceed 1,101 pounds each. Twolegged slings shall be used in handling bombs of more than 1,101 pounds each.

TABLE OF LIMITING LOADS (Applicable when handling bombs by sling method)

A tolerance of 10% per unit is allowed. (For example, a bomb weighing 550 lbs. may be considered as coming within the 500 lb. group.) 13. Naval mines, uncrated and fitted with lifting eye shall be loaded by using wire rope and shackle. 14. Naval mines, uncrated and not fitted with lifting eye may be loaded by use of wire rope slings or trays fitted with sideboards.

15. The following items when boxed or crated shall be loaded by the use of pallet, skipboard or tray fitted with cargo net or sideboards, photoflash bombs, antitank mines, antipersonnel mines, naval mines, warheads, depth charges, torpedo bangalore, projector charges and rocket heads. 16. Warheads, crated in such a manner that the nose lifting ring is exposed may be loaded by means of said ring.

17. The maximum permitted weight per draft, when handled by pallet, skipboard, tray or pieplate fitted with cargo net or sideboards shall not exceed 2,400 lbs. plus 10%.

18. Drafts consisting of one or more palletized units shall not exceed 4,000 lbs. plus 10%.

19. Lifts of palletized units shall not be tiered except when using a sling so designed as to prevent, by means of sideboards or netting extended upward to the uppermost height of the draft, the upper tier or tiers from shifting or falling from the draft. 20. The limiting weights noted above are for a 5-ton boom. See § 146.29-41.