established (e.g., a newly installed weapons system,
the addition of a handling and/or storage capability, or
a newly commissioned ship). In most cases,
experienced supervisory-level personnel will be
qualified for certification. After careful review by the
department head (or equivalent supervisor) of all
available information relating to the individuals
qualifications for the job to be performed, and a
personal interview, a recommendation for certification
will be made to the commanding officer or officer in
charge. Final certification will then be at the discretion
of the commanding officer or officer in charge. When a
full qualification and certification board is formed
later, certification procedures will be conducted for the
remaining junior personnel.
PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION
Personnel working with explosives must be
qualified as team members, as individual or team
leaders, as instructors, as safety observers, or as a
quality assurance inspector. Because of numerous
weapons, launching devices, and weapon fuzing and
loading configurations, explosive devices are
segregated into representative family types. You must
qualify and be certified only for applicable family
types and operational situations. Table 5-1 shows the
qualification levels and standards for certification.
Generally, only inert ordnance is used for drill or
training purposes. If a training device is not available
or if an explosive device for which training is required
has no inert model, a closely related family-type inert
device must be used for training. Training aids such as
mockups, pictures, manuals, exploded views, and
films may also be used effectively. When the use of
either a family-type device or training aids is not
considered to be an effective alternative for hands-on
training with a non-inert device, and all safety factors
have been carefully weighed, the type commander may
authorize hands-on training with explosive devices,
but only under qualified supervision.
To become qualified, you must demonstrate
proficiency before a certified member of the
certification board for each evolution you will
perform. You will be required to demonstrate a
competent use of applicable documentation and a
knowledge of ordnance safety precautions and
procedures to the extent required for ensuring that you
will comply with sound handling practices and safety
instructions.
You must have a working knowledge of all the
types of explosive devices with which you may be
required to work. Accordingly, you must become
qualified and certified for each separate operation and
each explosive device not in the same family type.
Another important requirement you must meet
before becoming certified is to complete any
appropriate Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS).
For example, before you are allowed to handle
projectiles aboard a frigate, you must complete the
PQS for Non-Nuclear Explosive Handling. In addition
to these, your command may have locally prepared
qualification sheets that you must complete.
CERTIFICATION
When you are qualified and recommended for
certification, you will be issued final certification by
the commanding officer, the officer in charge, or the
designated head of the certification board. An
appropriate entry will be made in your training record
and service record. Next, lets find out who must
qualify and certify for what positions of responsibility.
The following personnel require individual
qualification and certification:
1. Personnel whose duties require that they
individually handle, inspect, package, unpack,
assemble, disassemble, test, fuze, load or download,
stow, arm or de-arm explosives or explosive devices
must be qualified and certified for such tasks. Personnel
assigned as safety observers for explosive operations,
and those who inspect explosive operations for quality
assurance purposes must also be qualified and certified.
Supervisors of explosive operations and members of the
command-appointed certification boards must also be
individually certified for the evolutions that they may
supervise or observe for qualification purposes. The
only exception to this provision is that supervisors of
explosives handling teams involved in handling
explosives/hazardous materials with power-operated
handling equipment need not themselves be qualified as
operators. They must, however, be certified as team
leaders for the explosive operations being conducted.
2. All operators of power-operated handling
equipment (hoists, winches, cranes, forklifts, and so
forth) used in transporting, loading, or handling
ammunition, explosives, and other hazardous materials
must be both certified and licensed as ground support
equipment and/or materials handling equipment
operators. Civilian personnel who operate these types of
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