RSK Ordnance Management

This week at RSK Ordnance Management, we have Andrew Lane MSc MIExpE, Richard Holmes MBA, Carter watson and Mitchell Watson visiting Gouda in Holland, to receive our new 20 tonne tracked CPT rig and to train up the team on its operation. RSK-OM’s rig is already booked in for a busy January for UXO CPT works! To see how we can help you with your UXO requirements, or to find out more about the services we provide, please get in touch with our team:    📧 enquiries@rskordnance.com  📧 janette.graham@rsk.co.uk  📞 +44 (0)7877 313048  💻 https://lnkd.in/eAAaM7PS RSK Group #EOD #UXO #RSK #CPT #Rig #SiteInvestigation

One key focus at RSK Ordnance Management is on innovation in UXO Research through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to more accurately and efficiently interpret historical data and provide additional services to RSK OM’s valued client base. The ability to host a wide range of data within a single GIS project, including in-house datasets, bomb maps and historical maps/photographs, enables a more streamlined and accurate risk assessment process. To this end, the Research team recently attended a course at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. The course, which focussed on the use of historical maps in GIS, was highly informative and helped build on the team’s existing GIS proficiency. As well as assisting with the georeferencing of historical maps, tips on blending different raster layers have already proved useful. For example, in the image below, we have georeferenced a bomb plot map for WWII-era Hendon and blended it with current satellite imagery to provide an instant view of bombing near any given site, allowing accurate analysis and measurements. Justin Colson, who led the course, had this to say: “It is wonderful to see the team from RSK OM engaging with the latest applications of GIS in historical research, and up-skilling themselves to make the most of the potential of new and emerging spatial technologies.” – Justin Colson, Institute of Historical Research In addition to improving processes internally, the increased use of GIS brings us in line with many of our clients in the environmental and construction services industries. Where applicable, and possible, the Research team will now be providing UXO risk of encounter and risk of harm maps as shapefiles, as well as within the full risk assessments themselves. This is key to our continued drive to provide the greatest value to our clients inside and outside of RSK Group, ensuring that our research translates to user-friendly data that can be directly added into their existing GIS projects, where their own proposed works and other details may be plotted. The UXO risk maps will provide a valuable overlay of the information contained within our reports (risk levels, type of hazard, recommended risk mitigation measures) and clearly display where planned works may require proactive UXO risk mitigation. Our evolving use of GIS, along with the added technical analysis that the Research team provide in RSK OM’s UXO desk studies, as detailed in previous posts, ensures our risk assessment services will continue to be at the forefront of the UXO industry. Who in your organisation handles UXO risk? For additional information regarding this new service, our Research and Sales teams are always on hand to answer any questions you may have and provide support. 📧 janette.graham@rsk.co.uk 📧 whunnisett@rsk.co.uk 💻 https://lnkd.in/eAAaM7PS 📞 +44 (0)7877 313048 #UXO #EOD #GIS #ArcGIS #QGIS #history #WWI #WWII RSK Group  

Our recent post highlighted the efforts of British Bomb Disposal teams and engineers in dealing with fuzes in German unexploded bombs. These teams were simultaneously developing methods for use in situations when it was deemed unsafe or unnecessary to remove the fuze, which involved safely removing the high explosive fill from the bombs. Thermite was initially used, routinely cutting 2-inch diameter holes through bombs of all thicknesses in a few minutes. However, the high explosive fill would always ignite during this process, and when the fire neared the fuze pocket and the gaine overheated, detonation would occur. As such, while this method remained in use when partial detonations were acceptable, and other unique circumstances, the practice largely ended in 1941. Machinery involving the use of steam was developed. When the steam was turned on, the machinery trepanned a 0.5-inch diameter hole and, simultaneously, drilled an adjacent 0.4-inch hole through the bomb casing. A nozzle and steam pipe were then mechanically fed through the trepanned hole into the explosive, which emulsified and was led out of the bomb to a point a few feet away where it was discharged on to the ground; as the level of the explosive fell within the bomb, the nozzle automatically followed up. The trepanning and cutting tools were powered by a rotary steam engine operating at 30lbs of steam per square inch. Steam on the cutting tools acted as a lubricant and also prevented overheating. This machinery was only capable of working with thinner-cased bombs. The combined trepanning and drilling operations took about 8 minutes; steaming-out times were 1, 2 and 4 hours for 50kg, 250kg and 500kg bombs respectively. One-hundred-and-fifty complete machines were made and were extensively used. The apparatus was first used operationally in early September 1940, on a 250kg bomb which fell in Regent Street. Who in your organisation is responsible for UXO risk and what challenges do they face? Our Research and Sales teams are always on hand to answer any questions you may have and provide support. 📧 janette.graham@rsk.co.uk 📧 whunnisett@rsk.co.uk 💻 https://lnkd.in/eAAaM7PS 📞 +44 (0)7877 313048 #UXO #EOD #history #WWI #WWII RSK Group

RSK OM's Research team have been very busy in the last few weeks, visiting archives in London, Nottingham and Cardiff. Our high-quality Preliminary and Detailed Risk Assessments are pragmatic and evidence-driven, ensuring the best results possible for your projects. Who in your organisation is responsible for UXO risk and what are their challenges? Our team are always on hand to answer any questions you may have and provide support. Please contact us through the below details. 📧 janette.graham@rsk.co.uk 📧 whunnisett@rsk.co.uk 💻 https://lnkd.in/eAAaM7PS 📞 +44 (0)7877 313048 #UXO #EOD #history #WWI #WWII RSK Group

Last month, we posted about the developments in German fuzing technology during WWII. Knowing that British bomb disposal teams had learned how to render safe their previous fuzes, the Type 50 (Y) was intended to kill British bomb disposal personnel. When a faulty example was recovered intact after its initial use, it was sent off for specialist examination. A rush to develop a procedure to render these safe was necessary owing to the number of bombs with this new type of fuze that had not detonated when dropped in a raid over London in 1943; they were left in-situ until a methodology was developed. Testing revealed that at a temperature of -30 degrees Celsius, the internal resistance of the batteries was insufficient to fire the igniter in the fuze. Freezing the fuze was initially achieved by pouring liquid nitrogen directly onto it from thermos flasks for two hours. Instruments were soon devised to achieve this, gripping the head of the fuze once the locking ring had been removed. Alternatively, carbon dioxide snow and methylated spirits were applied to the fuze casing and surrounding area, freezing a larger portion of the bomb. This method allowed the whole bomb to be carried away, with the freezing pot and fuze in place. Liquid oxygen was not always available, and this procedure was popular as gas cylinders could be stored indefinitely. Once the fuze had been immobilised, a hand trepanner (used to drill into the bomb) was used to render the fuze inoperable. The fuze would first be frozen by liquid oxygen, before the trepanner would cut into the fuze and destroy the batteries. While the cutting took place, the fuze would be kept frozen by liquid nitrogen; the scarcity of this was overcome by constructing liquid nitrogen plants around the country. At RSK OM, our Detailed Risk Assessments will, where possible, attempt to determine what type of HE bomb and fuze may be found on site. For support with your projects, please get in touch with us. 📧 janette.graham@rsk.co.uk 📧 whunnisett@rsk.co.uk 📞 +44 (0)7877 313048 #UXO #EOD #WWII #history RSK Group

Justine Doughty (CertIHR) is #hiring. Know anyone who might be interested?

Today marks the 84th anniversary of the Luftwaffe's deadliest raid on Coventry. From the summer of 1940 until May 1941, cities across the country were routinely raided by Luftwaffe bombers. Coventry was a prime target: by the late 1930s, much of the city’s automobile industry had been converted to war production. Firms such as Dunlop, Vickers Armstrong, Daimler and Rolls Royce produced materiel including aircraft, ground transport, engines, radio equipment and weapon parts. The auto and aero industries accounted for sixty percent of Coventry’s workforce during the war, with thousands of workers stationed there. Considering its importance to the British war effort, it is no surprise that Coventry had already been raided over a dozen times by the beginning of November 1940. However, the night raid on 14th November would prove to be most destructive of all. Approximately 500 bomber aircraft of Luftflotte 3, led by an advance flight of Heinkel He 111s, set out from their bases in northern France and Germany. Upon reaching Coventry – already lit by flares dropped by the Heinkels – the bombers began releasing their payloads indiscriminately. Hoping to strike terror into the civilian population, virtually no distinction was made between the war production factories and non-military targets such as hospitals, schools, housing and churches. St Michael’s Cathedral was famously gutted. John Piper, an official war artist, visited the city the day after the raid and produced the painting of the bombed-out cathedral, which was still on fire, below. The outer walls and spire survived, and remain standing to this day. The industrial areas were of course heavily targeted as well: 150 high explosive bombs were dropped on the Daimler works alone. The raid lasted several hours and would prove to be the single most concentrated attack on any British city during the Second World War. In all, 30,000 incendiary bombs, 500 tonnes of high explosive bombs and 50 landmines were dropped during the night, resulting in over 1,500 casualties and damage to approximately 40,000 properties, many of which were reduced to rubble. As half of the city’s population had been evacuated by the time of the raid, there were far fewer people available to deal with these fires. The significant level of bombing and damage exacted on Coventry highlights the importance of undertaking UXO risk assessments for urban sites. Though the city was rebuilt in the decades after WWII, unexploded bombs may remain beneath post-war foundations, with smaller incendiary bombs and anti-aircraft shells potentially displaced amid the debris that was subsequently used as post-war infill. RSK Ordnance Management can support your projects throughout the UK. If you are looking for support with UXO, please get in touch. #EOD #UXO #riskassessment #history #research #landcontamination RSK Group

🌍 Join RSK Environment – opportunities nationwide! 🌍 We're hiring across the UK for environmental management and EIA specialists at all levels, including new entrants, career changers, as well as people with experience. If you're interested in supporting the delivery of civil engineering, construction, and green infrastructure, and you have skills, knowledge, ambition, or experience that you think are relevant get in touch and tell us (**in your own words!!**) why you're interested in joining us! 📈 Why RSK? ·       Contribute to high-impact projects in your community ·       Grow within a team that values fairness and inclusion ·       Work with leaders dedicated to creating a greener future Ready to make a difference? Check out our openings and apply today! 🔗https://lnkd.in/ejP_dUNg Scotland: Environmental Consultant Senior EIA Consultant / Principal EIA Consultant Principal Environmental Manager Associate Director of Environmental Management Wales: Senior EIA Consultant / Principal EIA Consultant Environmental Consultant Associate Director of EIA North west: Environmental Consultant   South east, central, east Anglia: Principal Environmental Manager Environmental Consultant RSK Environment #Hiring #EnvironmentalJobs #RenewableEnergyJobs #Sustainability #RSK

Victoria Thompson – Finance Administrator We welcome our newest Team member, Victoria, who will be undertaking the role of Finance Administrator, within RSK Ordnance Management. In Victoria’s spare time, she enjoys Embroidery, Photography and Arts and Crafts with her 2 young children. We wish you all the best! To see how we can help you with your UXO requirements, or to find out more about the services we provide, please get in touch with our team:  📧 enquiries@rskordnance.com  📧 janette.graham@rskordnance.co.uk  📞 +44 (0)7877 313048  💻 https://lnkd.in/eAAaM7PS RSK Group RSK Environnement #EOD #UXO #RSK #siteinvestigation

Our recent posts have looked at contemporary UXB finds in the UK, as well as the developments in anti-handling/disturbance technology employed within these bombs and fuses. This technology continued to advance in the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russian forces have been utilising Soviet-era MON-50 anti-personnel directional fragmentation mines. Developed as an alternative to the American M18 Claymore, these can be initiated via a trip wire, or by an NM electrical initiator which can trigger a command charge in one fuse well. Reports suggest that these have been fitted with anti-tilt devices, as well as accompanied by ML-8 anti-lift initiators. A hook and line approach had been suggested as a methodology to safely deal with these devices if boobytraps are expected, whereby an EOD operative can conduct disposal activities using a line and attached ancillary from a safe distance. However, it is not only devices employed by Russian military personnel that pose a threat to EOD operatives in Ukraine. HPD-2A2 anti-vehicle mines donated by France have been utilised by Ukrainian forces. Containing 2.8kg of Composition B (a mixture of RDX and TNT), a shaped charge is incorporated in the mine. An anti-handling switch can be programmed, alongside the ability for the mine to self-destruct or self-neutralise after a selected period of time. Certain methodologies of detection, such as hand-held or vehicle-mounted sensors, increase the likelihood of detonation with this mine when its anti-handling device comes into contact with mine-detector signals. This function does not technically appear to be in breach of Article 3(5) of Amended Protocol II (General restrictions on the use, of mines, booby-traps and other devices) as they are not specifically designed to explode in this manner. Whilst discussions surrounding the legality of such devices may continue long after the conflict ends, it adds to the complexity of subsequent post-conflict activity in terms of risk, cost, and time to achieve clearance. #EOD #UXO #history #riskassessment #landcontamination RSK Group