Applications of Light Explosion Resistant Containers

Explosives laboratories and industry

Activities of scientific or R&D laboratories in the area of explosive materials often involve dangerous operations with unstable or highly sensitive samples presenting elevated risks of accidental explosions during storage or transport. The portable gas-tight explosion-resistant containers with capacity of 25 – 500 g TNT are designed for safe storage of explosive samples in laboratories as well as for their safe transport outside the labs. Typical uses of these small portable containers follow:

Laboratory storage of highly sensitive or unstable samples (primary explosives, improvised explosives);
Laboratory storage of a large variety of analytical standards of explosives;
Laboratory storage of destabilized propellant samples subjected to tests based on long-term heating and thus being susceptible to self-ignition;
Laboratory storage of thermally/mechanically/chemically exposed explosive samples;
Laboratory storage of newly synthetized and insufficiently characterized explosive materials having potentially high sensitivity and/or low chemical stability;
Laboratory storage of explosive wastes awaiting disposal;
Laboratory storage of dismantled or mechanically/thermally exposed ammunition elements (initiators) after examination;
Laboratory storage of reactive chemicals with risks of self-ignition;
Transport of unstable/sensitive explosive samples within a testing laboratory;
Intra-operational transport of sensitive primary explosives or pyrotechnics in industry;
Transport of explosive samples for testing in external laboratories;
Transport of explosive samples to customers or authorities;
Transport of explosive wastes to disposal in external facilities;
Transport of explosive samples failing ADR/RID/IATA safety criteria.

In case of explosion of the stored samples, these containers remain completely gas-tight so all dangerous explosion effects (overpressure shock wave, accelerated fragments, flame, toxic gases) are contained inside the containers, fully protecting personnel and property. Gas-tight containers eliminate hazards typically presented in use of cheaper vented storage containers, which release gases and flame and can move (fly) after explosion. This release of gases and flame can cause secondary risks in laboratories (source of fire, poisoning, injuries or material damage) and it is especially dangerous when the samples are transported in a passenger car (risk of car crash) or in closed spaces (poisoning in elevator).

Police/Military EOD/IEDD and forensic teams

Gas-tight explosion-resistant containers find their wide use also in police or military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), improvised explosive devices disposal (IEDD) and explosives forensic teams, mainly for:

Safe storage of standards of highly sensitive explosives (TATP, HMTD) for training of explosives-sniffing dogs and testing of explosives detectors;
Safe storage of improvised explosives and explosive devices in forensic laboratories during examination process;
Safe transport of unexploded ammunition (UXO) from and through inhabited areas to disposal, including chemical munitions;
Safe isolation and transport of improvised explosive devices (IED), incl. those containing chemical/biological/radioactive materials (“dirty bombs”) for disposal;
Safe isolation and removal of improvised explosives (esp. highly sensitive and unstable organic peroxides TATP, HMTD) from illegal laboratories in inhabited areas;
Safe storage and transport of reactive and highly toxic chemicals found in illegal laboratories;
Safe isolation and storage of suspected parcels and letter bombs, incl. “dirty bombs”.

Isolation of these dangerous devices in gas-tight explosion-resistant containers ensures immediate and full protection of personnel and property in surrounding areas when such device is discovered. Furthermore it ensures safe removal of the devices from inhabited areas and their safe transport to place of examination or disposal. Only gas-tight containers ensure full protection in cases involving chemical munitions or dirty bombs. Cheaper open or vented containers would only spray the toxic agents outside in case of explosion without any real protection. Gas-tight design of these containers also allows to sample vapour phase of suspected IED through the container valve and analyze the vapour phase for presence of explosive substances. This approach allows to identify explosive composition of IED even before dismantling it. Gas-tight valves of the containers furthermore allow to sample post-explosion gases in case of explosion inside the container. Analysis of the post-explosion gases can lead to identification of the explosive material detonated inside. More importantly, the analysis can confirm or exclude possibility of presence of toxic chemical, biological or radioactive materials. If such analysis is positive, the post-explosion gases and full interior of the containers can be decontaminated using a mobile decontamination unit.

Mail sorting rooms of post and government offices

Letter bombs and suspected parcels are continuing threat, furthermore increased by risk of presence of chemical (arsenic, thallium), biological (anthrax) or radioactive (cobalt ⁶⁰Co) agents in combination with the explosive charge (“dirty bombs”).

Suspected parcels are found time to time in central mail-sorting rooms of post offices as well as of government departments and other public institutions (universities, airports) or private companies. Quick and safe isolation of suspected parcels is crucial in these cases before arrival of bomb squads and following removal of the parcels from the buildings. Application of explosion-resistant containers not only quickly saves the personnel and surrounding properties from damaging explosion effects but also prevents typical evacuation of a whole building happening in these cases often connected with extensive direct and indirect financial loses.

Only gas-tight containers ensure full protection of the personnel and buildings against dirty bombs, fully trapping their damaging effects inside. Cheaper open or vented containers would only spray these toxic agents to the building and thus not achieving any effective protection at all.