The Importance of Obtaining Relevant Sensitivity Data in Conducting Hazards Analysis of Explosives Processes

Abstract

The OSHA administered rule 29 CFR 1910.119, "Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals," requires manufacturers of hazardous chemicals, including explosives, to conduct process hazards analyses of potentially hazardous operations. The process hazards analysis must address the hazards of the process and provide a qualitative evaluation of the range of the possible safety and health effects. The principle hazard when processing ammunition or explosives is initiation of the material with subsequent potential for fire or explosion. To address the hazards of processing ammunition or explosive materials adequately, an understanding is needed of the sensitivity and response of the material to initiating energies associated with failure modes in the process. Relevant sensitivity testing should be conducted on the ammunition or explosive materials to determine its threshold initiation levels to the applicable initiating energies. The sensitivity testing should be conducted on test apparatuses and using test methodologies with which the analyst is well versed and knowledgeable. This knowledge is essential if the analyst is to correlate the data to the process being analyzed. The sensitivity data should be presented in engineering units to allow direct comparison of the sensitivity data with in-process potential energies associated with identified process failure modes. Once all the relevant data is obtained, comparison of the sensitivity data to the in-process potential energies will yield a likelihood of explosives initiation for a given failure mode. Once a likelihood of initiation is determined, and knowing the ammunition or explosive quantity and response, the consequence of an accidental initiation can be inferred.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA526788

Entities

People

  • Robert M. Bachman

Organizations

  • Olin Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Department Of Defense
  • Energetic Materials
  • Energy
  • Energy Levels
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Explosions
  • Explosive Devices
  • Explosives
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Materials
  • Materials Testing
  • Occupational Safety And Health
  • Potential Energy
  • Safety
  • Test Methods

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Structural Health Monitoring of Composite Structures.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - Bayesian Inference