scope:

INTRODUCTION

There is often a conflict between the requirements for effectiveness and for safety of a munition. Designers, manufacturers and those involved in the assessment of safety should act in concert to resolve this conflict as early in the design and development phase as possible.

New weapon systems tend to be more complex and expensive than their predecessors and usually need to give an improved performance. By their very nature, explosive, propellant and pyrotechnic substances are potentially dangerous and in new systems often more powerful than in previous designs. In this period of relative peace (on a global scale) the risk to our troops from their own weapons is greater than that posed to any intended enemy. It is therefore essential that this potential for harming our forces, and the general public, receives the closest attention