Safety Advice
Weapons, ammunition and explosives are designed to kill. Therefore they are inherently dangerous to untrained people unless simple safety precautions are followed. This advice card contains simple safety precautions that if followed, will reduce the risk to human life during the Weapons Amnesty and Collection Programme.
Weapons
- Do not ever point a weapon at anyone whether it is loaded or not. You must always assume that it is loaded until proven otherwise.
- The Safety Catch or Lever is to be in the SAFE position.
- Ensure that magazines are not fitted to weapons when they are handed over for safe storage.
- Ensure that the weapons are UNLOADED with no ammunition in the breech of the weapon.
- Should ammunition be stuck fast in the weapon the technical staff are to be informed immediately. The weapon is to be clearly marked as containing ammunition.
- The weapon is to be shown as empty to the person responsible for accepting the weapon into safe storage.
- The storage area is to be locked at all times to protect the stocks. The location of the storage area should not be advertised by signs or any other visible markings.
Ammunition and Explosives
- All ammunition should be handled with care. It should not be dropped, opened or tampered with.
- Detonators are to be stored in separate containers from ANY other ammunition or explosive type. The wires of loose detonators should be twisted together.
- Where possible, there should be at least 10m separation between detonators and ANY other ammunition or explosive type.
- The ammunition and explosives should be stored in closed containers.
- Ammunition and explosives should NOT be stored in the same location as fuel or any other easily combustible material.
- Safety pins on hand-grenades should be securely taped into the SAFE position to prevent accidental removal.
- Ammunition that has been found lying in the open should not be handed in for collection. The technical staff should be informed of its location, and they will then arrange for an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to make sure that the ammunition is ‘Safe to Move’.