Is your site at risk from historic Home Guard weapons?
Despite being up to 80 years old these SIP Grenades can still be extremely dangerous. Their makeup consists of a sealed half-pint glass bottle containing a combination of phosphorous and benzene. When thrown, the glass would shatter exposing the contents to air resulting in instant ignition.
Fellows follow the strictest safety protocol and provide their UXO Engineers with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This kit consists of flame resistant overalls, respiratory protection, fire resistant gloves and hood and protective boots.
Andy Ward, General Manager of Fellows said: "Although these items are old, they still pose a risk and need to be dealt with correctly. Fellows can supply an experienced, ex-military UXO Engineer to deal with these items if discovered on-site. It’s estimated that over 6 million of these items were produced during WWII, with a huge amount still remaining buried where they were cached during the war.”
December's discovery of 200 SIP Grenades on a new ice rink development in Cambridge highlights that, even after all this time, the threat of these often unknown risks needs to be taken seriously and dealt with by professionals.
In April 2017, A Fellows UXO Engineer was able to assist on a site in Trowbridge, Wiltshire when several SIP grenades were discovered. Fellows were able to minimise downtime on the site and dealt with the hazardous discovery in a safe and efficient manner.
The extent of the SIP Grenade problem is unclear as during the war the Home Guard are known to have hidden caches of them in case of German invasion. As a precaution not all locations were officially recorded and were forgotten after the war. They are all too frequently discovered by builders when digging foundations. Fellows can undertake a full risk assessment prior to any groundworks and can supply a UXO Engineer equipped with the necessary PPE to ensure the appropriate procedures are undertaken and the risk is reduced to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable).
To discuss any UXO Risk Management projects in the UK or abroad call 08000 424 424.