The legacy of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) in the UK has caused many problems for the construction industry over the last few years. Recently we have seen disruption to projects in Central London and Eastbourne, East Sussex. On 16th March 2015 at a building site in Eastbourne, 80 bombs were discovered after a digger excavating material came into contact with an ‘AW Bomb 1940’ and caused an unexpected explosion. It is thought the bombs were made by chemical company Albright & Wilson in the form of bottles filled with phosphorus, to be used as improvised anti-tank weapons when Britain was facing invasion following the army’s evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940.
Even more recently (24th March 2015), construction workers discovered a 5ft, 1,000lb WW2 bomb buried 2-3m below ground at a building site in Central London after a construction vehicle hit the huge explosive. More than 1,200 homes were evacuated and Tower Bridge was closed to the public.1
According to the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), approximately 15,000 items of ordnance were removed from construction sites between 2006 and 2009.2
In addition to this figure, around 150,000 50kg bombs were dropped in London alone during WW2, of which 10% exploded, 7% are in known locations, however a staggeringly high percentage of that ordnance (83%) are in unknown locations.
As has been experienced in these two examples, unexpected discovery leads to delays with project timescales and additional costs to manage the situation. It is therefore paramount that construction professionals take the necessary precautions and also understand that help is available.
CIRIA established a set of guidelines to assist industry professionals and recommends a four stage risk management process:
- Preliminary risk assessment
- Detailed risk assessment
- Risk mitigation
- Implementation
Although the risk of encountering UXO at most sites is low, the preliminary risk assessment is an important initial step to help construction professionals assess sites with potential UXO risks and will allow UXO hazards to be excluded from further consideration or provide recommendations for further action where appropriate.
The UXO searches are available from Groundsure, in conjunction with BACTEC – explosive ordnance, UXO, mine action and bomb disposal specialists.
Further information on the Groundsure UXO report can be found here: http://www.groundsure.com/products/data-insight/groundsure-uxo
BACTEC: http://www.bactec.com/
References
2 CIRIA (2009) Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) A guide for the construction industry. CIRIA C681
