personnel casualties or property damage. The
Type of Material
divisions and types of hazards expected are as follows:
The potential dangers, involved in the storage of
1. Division Designator 1--Mass detonating
ammunition and explosives, are not measured solely
2. Division Designator 2--Non-mass detonating,
by the quantity of explosives stored but also by the kind
fragment producing
of explosives. Ammunition and explosives, used by the
Navy, are classified into certain broad subdivisions, or
3. Division Designator 3--Mass fire
groups, for storage purposes. The materials within
4. Division Designator 4--Moderate fire, no blast
each group present the same general type of hazard and
5. Division Designator 5--Very insensitive
are, therefore, stored in the same general manner.
6. Division Designator 6--Extremely insensitive
Segregation of Material
STORAGE COMPATIBILITY
Some explosives are more hazardous than others,
and some are potentially more hazardous when stored
The assignment of class-1 ammunition and
with others. Therefore, the segregation of certain types
explosives into six divisions does not necessarily mean
o f a m m u n i t i o n a n d ex p l o s ive s i s i m p e r a t ive .
that the different items in a division may be stored or
Magazines of different sizes and designs are used,
transported together. Compatibility groups determine
depending on the characteristic of the material to be
storage and transportation compatibility for rail and
stored.
motor modes, while the class and division designators
determine segregation requirements for carriage by
Separation Distance
vessels. Explosive articles that differ in minor respects
may be assigned to different divisions if their
The distance, separating the location of one
predominate hazards differ.
location of explosives from another location of
explosives, and from inhabited buildings or facilities,
Storage Compatibility Groups
determines the permissible amount of explosives at
A compatibility group accompanies the hazard
any location. Separation distances are measured along
class to complete the hazard classification designation.
a straight line from the outside of the nearest wall of the
A m m u n i t i o n a n d ex p l o s ive s a r e a s s i g n e d t o a
structure containing explosives, or the nearest wall of
compatibility group when they can be stored and
the controlling subdivision when the structure is
transported together without significantly increasing
subdivided. Subdivisions are used within a structure to
either the probability of an accident or, for a given
prevent mass detonation of material within the
quantity, the magnitude of the effects of such an
structure.
accident. Ammunition and explosives are assigned to 1
of 13 compatibility groups; mines and their
Hazard Classification
explosive-loaded components fall into 6 of these
groups.
The hazard classification system is based on a
system established for international use by the United
Storage Compatibility Tables
Nations Organization (UNO). The UNO system
consists of nine classes of dangerous material. The
All ammunition, explosives, and related hazardous
nine classes and the types of hazardous materials
materials must be stored by compatibility group.
involved are shown in table 7-1 of NAVSEA OP 5,
Different types of ammunition and explosives, by item
volume 1.
and division, may be mixed in storage if they are
You will deal primarily with hazard class-1
compatible and, as required, are authorized for mixed
material (ammunition and explosives, Department of
storage by the NAVSEASYSCOM. Criteria for
Transportation [DOT] classes A, B, and C blasting
permissible storage of different kinds of explosives is
agents). The ammunition and explosives hazard class 1
given in NAVSEA OP 5, volume 1. Mixing of
is further subdivided into six divisions. These divisions
compatibility groups in storage is permitted according
are based on the characteristics and predominance of
to Transportation and Storage Data for Ammunition,
E x p l o s i v e s a n d R e l a t e d H a z a rd o u s M a t e r i a l s ,
the associated hazards and on the potential for causing
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