In 2022, Brimstone cleared 49 tonnes of unexploded ordnance. Many of these devices could have caused injury, death or destruction, had our engineers not stepped in to prevent an incident.

So far, nobody has been killed in the UK by such an incident. Help us keep it that way, by taking the necessary steps before conducting your construction and development projects.

No Such Thing As Zero Risk

Large areas of the UK have been classified as having a low UXO risk, but that doesn’t mean your project is 100% safe. At least one tenth of Second World War bombs failed to detonate, leaving hidden dangers strewn across the country, in addition to unexploded allied devices and military ammunition. No matter where you are, there is always some risk of a UXO incident.

Just this year, a 250kg bomb was discovered in Great Yarmouth, close to two gas pipes. It could have caused catastrophic destruction, but it was discovered and army specialists were called in to dispose of it. Even so, the bomb detonated whilst undergoing a low order defusal technique, breaking car windows, damaging flood walls and affecting the scaffolding on a new bridge being built. Buildings shook a full 15 miles away.

Fortunately, there were no deaths or injuries. However, the community, infrastructure and various building projects were all threatened by the UXO, while evacuations caused upheaval and inconvenience.

Thankfully, there are quick, low-cost measures you can take to discount the possibility of UXO.

Incident

Responding To A UXO Incident

UXO can lie undisturbed for decades, before exploding in response to energy input, such as heat, shock or vibration. This makes many tasks inherently risky, including construction, archaeology, tunnelling and more.

You don’t have to wait until you discover a suspicious object to call in UXO specialists. Our assessments, surveys and investigations mitigate the possibility of a UXO incident, especially when conducted by our engineers, who were recruited from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force after years of practical experience.

UXO Risk Assessment

The first step is to have your site assessed for UXO risks, based on its historical and geographical context. We return the findings of our Preliminary UXO Risk Assessments within 24-48 hours, despite the fact we never use automated systems. For military sites or sites with a known UXO risk, we conduct a more in-depth analysis, called a Detailed UXO Risk Assessment, which looks at a wider range of factors and the different types of UXO you might expect to encounter.

After the assessment, we’ll send you a risk rating and recommend any further action, such as a survey or on-site support.

UXO incident

UXO Surveys

If a UXO risk is identified on your site, we might recommend that a UXO survey is undertaken to explore beneath the surface and detect buried ferrous objects. These UXO surveys come in two key forms.

An Intrusive UXO Survey is ideal for detecting deep buried bombs on brownfield land or areas with made ground. This survey method provides UXO detection and clearance ahead of individual pile locations, clusters, and borehole works. We conduct the survey using of our CPT Rigs, which use hydraulic pressure to push a magnetometer probe into the ground.

A Non-Intrusive UXO Survey on the other hand can detect UXO without having to disturb the ground. Using a push, towed or aerial methodology, this survey is ideal for detecting shallow buried unexploded ordnance on greenfield land.

Ground Investigation

Investigations are usually a follow-up to a survey, although they can be carried out as a standalone procedure.

A UXO Watching Brief is a supervised excavation with our explosives engineers on hand. It might take place at a reduced dig or a trial pit, where the top layers of soil have been removed.

Alternatively, we can conduct a UXO Search and Clear, where we systematically clear an open area using handheld equipment. We mark, log and excavate detected objects as and when they are discovered, eliminating any nasty surprises.

Finally, one of our most popular services is our UXO Borehole Support. Using a downhole probe, we can clear boreholes for UXO as they get progressively deeper.

Borehole support

Getting Started

Take the next step by getting in touch! We provide explosive hazard management to clients from all over the world, ensuring safe and secure environments.

Head to our website to explore our many services, including our training course. If you are unsure of how we can best help you, you can use our handy online tool to find the right service.

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