Depleted Uranium

Proposal for a Research Programme on Depleted Uranium: Operational Factors

6.1 Pre-deployment And Operational Use Procedures

6.1.1. Depleted uranium ammunition is delivered to the MOD in the form of assembled projectiles. RO Defence UK undertakes their manufacture and assembly. RO Defence UK is subject to national health and safety and environmental regulations and inspections.

6.1.2. When not in use, DU munitions are stored in ammunition containers at Ammunition Depots (AD). ADs holding DU munitions and sites conducting research and development of DU projectiles operate in accordance with health and safety regulations and the instructions and advice described in Appendix B. Special hazard assessment and local rules have been produced for ADs and open DU firing ranges. Dstl Radiological Protection Services (known by its previous names as the DERA Radiation Protection Services and the Defence Radiological Protection Service) Radiation Protection Advisers (RPAs) undertake regular visits to units to assess their regulatory compliance.

6.1.3. Many measurements have been carried out on the external radiation dose rates from packaged DU munitions (125-131). It is generally accepted that there is a small external radiation hazard from such packages. DU ammunition is transported, so far as is reasonably practicable, given that UN Class 1 (explosives) and Class 7 (radioactive materials) are both contained in the munition and hence are transported together, in accordance with national (132) and international transport regulations (133-135) and other relevant instructions and guidance (See Appendix B).

6.1.4. Radiation doses to crew inside tanks fully laden with DU ammunition have been assessed (136) and radiation safety instructions have been promulgated. Measurement of doses to tank crews in such circumstances is achieved by the crew wearing HSE approved radiation measuring dosimeters.

6.1.5. In theatre where DU munitions may be used, or have been used, advice is given in medical directives (137-139) to the operational commander about the hazards of DU and precautions to be taken. The Surgeon General’s (SG’s) Department has a draft overarching policy for risk management of environmental and industrial hazards on operations on circulation. The hazards of DU are incorporated into relevant Trade training programmes. The health, safety and environmental procedures by troops on operations are also the subject of an audit by Director, Safety, Environment and Fire Policy (D SEF Pol.)

6.2.1 Procedures for the entry of personnel into vehicles that have been struck by DU ammunition have been laid down (140).

6.2.2 Dstl Radiological Protection Services undertook monitoring (141) of Iraqi vehicles and equipment recovered by British Armed Forces in the Gulf war and returned to the UK and undertakes radiation and contamination monitoring during RPA site visits. The Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) have drawn up instructions (142) for the assessment of potentially contaminated equipment being returned from theatre and where practicable its decontamination.

6.2.3. Some environmental monitoring (83,84) has been carried out in countries where DU munitions have been used in combat in the Persian Gulf. Following recent media speculation over the health of Balkans peacekeepers, MOD Ministers have given a commitment (143) to enhance the environmental monitoring programme in the region to ensure that no health threats to our forces and the local civilian population are overlooked. This involves the monitoring of living and working areas of the UK service and civilian staff serving in Kosovo and carrying out in depth examination of some accessible DU strike zones in the British sector. The ability of instrumentation to locate DU penetrators and contamination at different depths in soil and water is key to this and has to be assessed.

6.3.1 During and on completion of campaigns involving the firing of DU key information relating to DU usage and health and environmental monitoring should be consolidated in a central repository, under the control of a custodian, in a readily accessible and searchable form. Research undertaken, or commissioned by MOD into DU topics, and DU information uniquely held (e.g. reports), or collated by MOD, should be reviewed and, subject to security constraints, published in peer reviewed journals and, where appropriate, on the MOD website, to demonstrate openness and transparency. Veteran and opposition group literature should also be kept under review.

Last Updated: 14 Mar 02