Improperly manufactured, transported, handled and stored explosive materials, such as ammonium nitrate, are a safety risk to local communities and a security threat to states and societies. In this first issue of AMAT Insights, an analysis of major explosions involving ammonium nitrate that have occurred in the last 100 years suggests that mismanaged ammonium nitrate increases the probability that the substance will be exposed to heat and pressure which, in turn, increases the risk of explosion. Ammonium nitrate has the potential to cause catastrophic events involving significant loss of life and property. However, with the implementation of appropriate preventive and mitigative controls, the frequency of these events can be radically reduced and the effects when they do occur, significantly lessened.
Categories: Ammunition Management, Francophone Regional Cooperation Programme (FRCP)