P-385-63 Range Safety Pamphlet Download

Chapter 10 Field Artillery 10–1. Procedures and precautions This chapter contains procedures and precautions required to fire cannon, rocket field artillery, and the EFSS M327 mortar (spin-stabilized). 10–2. Safety certification program a. Commanders of field artillery units, battalion and above, will establish and maintain an artillery safety training and annual certification program. b. Field artillery commanders will determine, select, train, and safety certify personnel necessary to assist them in discharging this responsibility. These personnel will include, but are not limited to, the firing battery commander, executive officer or platoon leader, fire direction officer, chief of firing battery or platoon sergeant, gunnery sergeant, chief fire direction center computer, and howitzer or launcher chief of the section. These positions will be filled by command safety certified individuals. Their duties shall be as described in the appropriate FMs. c. A separate battery safety officer is not required during the firing of field artillery, but commanders may appoint one. 10–3. Field artillery cannons a. Firing conditions. (1) Procedures will be established for weapon systems producing blast overpressure hazards to reduce the risk to artillery crews from auditory and internal injury caused by blast overpressure from specific charges. Individuals who experience shortness of breath, chest discomfort, bleeding from mouth, nose or ears, or excessive shakiness (tremors) when exposed to weapon system firings may be suffering from a blast overpressure injury. Individuals with any of these symptoms shall be instructed to lie down and remain quiet and immobile. Injured personnel will be transported to the nearest medical facility for immediate evaluation and treatment. Firing procedures for specific weapon systems can be found in appropriate TMs. (2) Lanyards will not be attached to the firing mechanism of field artillery cannons that use separate loading ammunition until directed by the section chief. (3) Unused powder increments must be safeguarded and handled in accordance with appropriate TMs and installa- tion range regulations. (4) All personnel immediately engaged in artillery operations will wear a minimum of PPE Level 1, as referenced in table 2–2. b. Fuzes. (1) Alteration of fuzes is not authorized unless authorized by the CG, AMC and supervised by a qualified AMC commissioned officer, WO, or civilian. For the Marine Corps, alteration of fuzes is not authorized unless authorized by Marine Corps System Command. (2) Protect points of fuzes from blows or damage when handling ammunition because the closing cap may be sufficiently deformed and may activate the percussion primer in the fuze. Personnel inserting rounds of ammunition into cannons will be cautioned to keep each projectile away from the path of cannon recoil until recoil from the previous projectile is complete. (3) Screw the fuze down by hand and firmly seat with the fuze wrench. (4) Projectiles removed from cannons with ramming staffs will not be reused. (5) All projectiles fired during training will be fuzed with bore safe fuzes. (6) Fuzed projectiles fired during training exercises will be of the type that precludes close-in premature bursts that would present a fragment and debris hazard to the firing crew. Other type fuzes require all personnel within Area A distance from the firing position to be provided positive protection against premature bursts. When only white phosphorous (WP) ammunition is involved, this distance may be reduced to 200 m for positive protection from premature bursts. Positive protection at the weapon system position will meet the minimum requirements of four thicknesses of sandbags filled with dry, sifted sand stacked high enough for protection against all calibers of ammunition, or trenches deep enough to provide complete protection, or concrete walls 0.30 m thick, or tanks with hatches closed. (7) Firing projectiles without fuzes is unauthorized. c. Malfunctions. (1) Malfunctions that occur during firing of ammunition will be investigated in accordance with AR 75–1 or MCO 8025.1E. 110 DA PAM 385–63 • 16 April 2014