Explosives Safety 101: Remote Operations

Courtesy DefenseNews

Would you rather ignite the grand finale of a fireworks show by hand with a lighter, standing just a few feet away, or from a safe distance with the push of a button? Most of us would choose the latter, not because we fear fireworks, but because we understand that distance and control matter when dealing with energetic materials. The same logic applies to remote operations with explosives work and that’s why remote operations are important. The remote system allows us to perform the same task (cutting, demil, or component testing) while keeping people out of harm’s way. It’s not about changing what we do, but about how safely we do it. That’s why remote operations are critical to explosives safety and risk management. 

Courtesy Wikimedia

What are Remote Operations? 

What are remote operations? Remote operations are procedures used to allow energetic material to be produced, tested, or disassembled from a safe distance so people are not physically present where ignition could take place. They are especially important during activities where energy is being added to the energetic material (cutting, grinding or pressing) because those operations increase the risk of accidental initiation. While such events are not expected, the likelihood is higher when energy is introduced. By having distance and control measures in place, a hazardous task becomes manageable. Remote operations fall into two categories: normal attended operations and remote operations (unattended). The Defense Explosives Safety Regulation (DESR) 6055.09, Edition 1, V1.E9.3.1.2-4, highlights remote operations requirements. 

During normal operations (attended), personnel are present during operations and can have hands-on processes which usually do not include adding any energy to the energetic material. There is a lower likelihood of an initiation, but higher potential impact to personnel survivability or injury because the personnel are closer to items. During remote operations (unattended), no personnel are present in the hazard area. Operations are controlled remotely from a control point that meets K24 Intraline Distance (ILD) requirements (To learn more about K-factors, read this post). The purpose is to reduce personnel exposure during operations with a higher likelihood of an accident, such as cutting, grinding, or pressing energetic material which the potential for accidental initiation is elevated.  

Courtesy New York Times

Which type of operation is safer? 

Of the two operations, remote operations rely on machines to perform hazardous work while personnel remain at a safe distance. Normal operations, by contrast, require some level of human interaction, such as pushing buttons or monitoring a process but without adding energy to the material. Mitigation measures such as shields meeting MIL-STD-398A, protective construction (blast walls, shelters) and limited exposure times help maintain safety. Together, these controls uphold a core principle of explosives safety: expose the minimum number of people for the minimum time to the minimum amount of explosives.  

Remote operations whether attended or unattended, matter because they transform hazardous work into a controlled process. By placing barriers between people and the hazard, the potential for an unexpected event is reduced exponentially. Whether it’s testing, production, or disposal, the purpose remains the same…complete the task safely without exposing personnel to unnecessary risk. Remote operations don’t eliminate danger, but it ensures that if something goes wrong, no one is standing in harm’s way

Contact The Schreifer Group 

You can find more articles about explosives safety on our website (Explosives Safety Articles). If you are looking for assistance with explosives safety site planning, please visit our website to learn more about how The Schreifer Group can help. Our growing team of five explosives safety SMEs are ready to support you.