NATO AASTP-1 PDF

Purpose and Scope of the Manual

a) The primary object of this Manual is to establish safety principles to be used as a guide between host countries and NATO forces in the development of mutually agreeable regulations for the layout of ammunition storage depots and for the storage of conventional ammunition and explosives therein. These principles are intended also to form the basis of national regulations as far as possible.

b) The Manual is intended to serve as a guide for authorities who are engaged in the planning and construction of ammunition storage depots of a capacity of not less than 500 kg of Net Explosives Quantity (NEQ) per storage site and for those who are responsible for the safe storage of ammunition. It also gives principles and criteria for other related matters such as design environment criteria, etc. The Manual does not authorize the use of the principles and criteria without consent of the host countries.

c) NEQ per storage site of less than 500 kg are given special treatment (see subparagraph 1.4.1.1.b)).

d) It is impracticable to prescribe distances which would be safe distances in the true sense, i.e. which would guarantee absolute immunity from propagation, damage or injury. An attempt has therefore been made in the recommendations in this Manual to allow for the probability of an accident and how serious the resulting damage or injury would be. The separation distances (quantity distances) between a potential explosion site and an exposed site recommended in this Manual therefore represent a compromise deemed tolerable by AC/258 between absolute safety and practical considerations including costs and operational requirements.

The risk deemed tolerable depends upon many factors, some of which are objective, such as the quantity of explosives involved, the nature of the explosives, the packaging of dangerous items, their distribution within premises or in the open air, distance, the nature of the terrain and its contours, etc. Other factors are subjective to what extent are damage and injuries resulting from an explosive accident tolerable? For example, how many deaths, how many serious injuries, how many buildings destroyed or damaged and other costs are tolerable? It is therefore clearly essential to have a good knowledge of the nature of the main hazard, namely blast or projections or fire, as well as the foreseeable development of the accident: instantaneous, progressive, sporadic etc.

Consideration of these factors will yield the concept of hazard divisions, the net explosives quantity and the mutual influence of potential explosion site and exposed site. Quantity-distances are proposed in each case in the form of tables. These quantity distances imply a degree of harm or damage which is difficult to quantify but which most NATO nations regard as tolerable.

There may be occasions when cogent economic or operational considerations, usually of a temporary nature, warrant the acceptance of a significantly greater risk to life and property. The granting of waivers or relaxations in such cases is outside the scope of this Manual. Nevertheless, it is stressed that a detailed assessment of the risks involved must be made by a competent agency before the appropriate authorities grant such dispensations. Conversely, authorities which might find unacceptable the risks deemed "tolerable" in this Manual can always reduce the risks by using suitable protective devices and or by increasing the recommended distances. However, this will be possible only with a higher operating cost.

e) Under certain circumstances operational requirements demand a degree of relaxation from the guidelines given in Parts I-III of the Manual. This applies mainly to basic load holding areas, field storage and missile installations. In the same way, problems connected with airfields used only by military aircraft and those relating to transfer of ammunition in naval ports call for specific measures. The principles to be followed in preparing flexible but consistent safety guidelines in those cases will be found in Part IV of the Manual.

f) A Manual of this type cannot provide the answers to all problems which arise. In circumstances where the answer is not provided the problem should be submitted to the Secretary of the "NATO Group of Experts on the Safety Aspects of Transportation and Storage of Military Ammunition and Explosives (AC/258)".

g) The users of this Manual are invited to communicate with the Secretary of the "NATO Group of Experts on the Safety Aspects of Transportation and Storage of Military Ammunition and Explosives (AC/258)", when an accidental explosion has been thoroughly analysed, or trials have been staged, so that the validity of the quantity-distance tables can be verified. For details of accident reports required: see Part I, Chapter 8.

h) Since this Manual is a guide rather than a set of mandatory regulations the words "must", "should" "may/can" and "is/are" are used in the following sense:

MUST - Indicates a technical requirement which is vital for the safety of a depot and the avoidance of a catastrophe.

SHOULD - Indicates a safety requirement which is important but not essential.

MAY/CAN - Indicates optional courses of action and possibilities.

IS/ARE - Indicates a fact or a valid technique.