Risk Management For Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) In The Marine Environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5931/djim.v8i2.366Abstract
World Wars I and II resulted in the production of tremendous amounts of conventional and chemical ordnances. Unfortunately, many of these ordnances (UXO) still exist in an unexploded state on the sea floor, continuously presenting the risk of serious harm to people and the environment. Using existing marine UXO literature, a list of 21 plausible UXO risk events in the marine environment was generated and then categorized into risk levels of low, medium, high and very high. Subsequently the efficacy of a series of risk reduction strategies was examined within the context of these identified risks. This paper reviews the risks and risk management strategies involved with the presence of these unexploded ordnances in the marine environment. It provides suggestions for the introduction of effective risk management plans as well as offers clarification on exactly what the largest risks associated with underwater UXO in a global context.
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