UXO Safety Awareness Briefing
Give Your Site Team the Knowledge to Recognise and Respond to UXO
A UXO Safety Awareness Briefing provides site personnel with the essential knowledge they need when working in areas where a potential risk from Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) has been identified.
What is UXO Safety Awareness Briefing
Construction, demolition, site investigation and groundworks can disturb buried objects that have remained underground for decades. While most excavated objects will not be UXO, knowing how to recognise a potential item and what to do if one is encountered is an important part of managing the risk.
RMS UXO provides bespoke UXO Safety Awareness Briefings designed around the requirements of your project and the activities being undertaken on site.
The briefing gives personnel a clear understanding of the potential UXO risk and, importantly, what they should do if they encounter a suspected item.
Why It Matters
People working on a construction or investigation site may be the first to encounter an unusual object during excavation or other intrusive works. Without appropriate awareness, a suspected item could potentially be handled, moved or disturbed unnecessarily.
The aim is to give site personnel the confidence to stop, make the area safe and report a potential UXO item appropriately. The briefing helps ensure they understand:
The potential UXO risk
The potential UXO risk on their site and why UXO may be present.
How to recognise UXO
What potential UXO may look like and how to recognise a suspicious object.
What to do – and not do
What to do, and what not to do, if a suspected item is discovered.
Who to notify
Who to notify and how the site's UXO procedures should be followed.
Our Approach
UXO Safety Awareness is one part of a wider approach to managing UXO risk. It can be incorporated into a project's overall UXO risk management process alongside:
1
Risk Assessment
Understanding the potential UXO risk.
2
Risk Mitigation Strategy
Determining the appropriate measures required.
3
UXO Survey / Investigation
Investigating areas where further information is required.
4
Safety Awareness
Ensuring relevant personnel understand the potential risk and the correct response.
5
On-Site UXO Support
Providing specialist personnel where required.
What You'll Receive
The content of each briefing can be tailored to the project and the level of UXO risk identified. Briefings can be delivered on site or remotely, to individual teams or larger groups, as part of site induction or as a project-specific safety briefing. Typical subjects can include:
- Understanding UXO
- Historical UXO risk
- Recognising potential UXO
- Site-specific risks
- Safe working practices
- What to do if UXO is found
- Reporting procedures
RMS UXO Expertise
Why Choose RMS UXO?
RMS UXO provides UXO Safety Awareness Briefings using the knowledge and experience of UXO and EOD specialists. Our briefings are designed to be practical and relevant to the project rather than simply providing generic information.
We can explain the potential UXO risk in straightforward terms and ensure that site personnel understand what to look for, what to do and who to contact if something suspicious is encountered.
When is a UXO Safety Awareness Briefing needed?
UXO Safety Awareness Briefings can be provided to personnel involved in activities where they could potentially encounter buried UXO. The appropriate attendees will depend on the project and the assessed risk.
This may include:
- Site investigation teams
- Groundworkers
- Excavator operators
- Drilling teams
- Piling contractors
- Demolition teams
- Construction workers
- Site managers
- Supervisors
- Engineers
- Project managers
- Other personnel working within areas of potential UXO risk
Do not touch it. Do not move it. Stop work and report it.
RMS UXO
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Site-Specific UXO Awareness
We believe UXO awareness is most effective when it relates directly to the site and works being undertaken. Where appropriate, RMS UXO can incorporate information from the project's UXO risk assessment and mitigation strategy into the briefing.
The briefing can consider factors such as site history, previous land use, areas of identified UXO risk, proposed excavation depths, ground investigation and construction activities, existing mitigation measures and site-specific emergency procedures – making it relevant to the people actually working on the project.
UXO Safety Awareness Briefing FAQs
What is a UXO Safety Awareness Briefing?
A UXO Safety Awareness Briefing provides site personnel with information about potential unexploded ordnance risks and the procedures they should follow if a suspected item is encountered.
Who needs UXO awareness training?
Anyone working in an area where there is an identified potential UXO risk may benefit from appropriate awareness. This can include groundworkers, excavator operators, drilling teams, site managers, supervisors, engineers and contractors.
What should I do if I find a suspected UXO item?
Do not touch or move the item. Stop work and report it in accordance with the project's UXO procedures. Specialist advice should be obtained where required.
Can the briefing be specific to our site?
Yes. Where appropriate, RMS UXO can tailor the briefing to the site's history, assessed UXO risk, proposed works and existing mitigation measures.
Can you provide the briefing online?
Yes. Depending on the requirements of the project, UXO Safety Awareness Briefings can be delivered remotely or on site.
Is UXO awareness a replacement for UXO mitigation?
No. A safety awareness briefing is one component of a wider UXO risk management strategy. Where additional mitigation is required, appropriate measures should be implemented based on the assessed risk.
Start Your UXO Risk Assessment
Understanding potential UXO risk early can help you protect your workforce, plan your project and avoid unnecessary mitigation costs. If you are planning construction, site investigation, excavation, piling, drilling or other intrusive works, speak to RMS UXO about your site.