UXO stands for Unexploded Ordnance, referring to explosive weapons such as bombs, shells, grenades, land mines and naval mines that were deployed during conflict or during military training activity, but failed to detonate as intended.  UXO poses a severe risk to property as well as to Health and Safety, as not only can they be in an ‘armed’ state, with inherent safety features deactivated upon deployment/release, but also they may be highly volatile due to the changes to explosive chemicals within them over time. UXO encounters must be treated very seriously and relevant authorities must be informed as soon as possible.

Most of the UXO contamination within the UK originates from the Second World War, either due to enemy bombing activity or from Allied military activity within the country. Modern-day military training, which includes live weapons firing is also a contributing factor; however, this activity is restricted to designated military firing ranges that are clearly delineated and marked. While UXO contamination in the UK is not as high as within continental Europe, it still poses a considerable risk when any intrusive ground works are carried out in several parts of the UK, especially where large scale wartime military training or bombing activity has occurred.

A site-specific Desktop UXO Survey / UXO Risk Assessment conducted by a UXO specialist will determine whether or not a risk of contamination exists on site and to what extent.

A UXO risk assessment evaluates the likelihood of encountering UXO during projects that largely require intrusive ground works or excavations, although other less intrusive projects can be affected. Conducted in progressive stages, the process is based on systematic historical research and considers four primary factors to assess the risk of potential UXO encounters at a site:

1. The extent and type of wartime bombing in the area.

2. The historical military use of the area, including training, defense, or other purposes, along with the likely types of ordnance used.

3. Post-war development in the area after exposure to potential UXO contamination.

4. The specifications of planned construction work and the exposure of other potential receptors to UXO contamination.

A relatively short Stage 1 or Preliminary Risk Assessment (PRA) can effectively rule out the need for further action at many sites, eliminating the need for further investigations or actions to mitigate potential risks from UXO contamination.

A higher-risk area identified by a PRA is then researched more comprehensively, leading to a Stage 2 or Detailed Risk Assessment (DRA), which describes the potential UXO risk in greater detail and also recommends Risk Mitigations (comprising Stage 3) to reduce the risk to a level that is assessed to be as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).

This assessment process is structured according to the Risk Management Strategy outlined in the industry-standard 'CIRIA C681 UXO - A Guide for the Construction Industry.' Artios closely follows this process and our reports are designed as per its specifications.

The CIRIA C681 process follows a cost-effective approach, recognising that, for the majority of UK sites, a quick and straightforward assessment can determine that no further actions are required. It is recommended that an inexpensive Stage 1 PRA is conducted for any site in the UK where intrusive ground excavations are to be carried out, so as to rule out UXO risk, even if marginal. It is certainly not true that all sites in the UK require a Stage 2 DRA.

Free UXO risk maps normally only consider WWII bombing density across the UK and do not consider other factors, such as wartime and modern-day military land use, and Artios Global Stage 1 UXO risk assessments critically consider intrusive works planned by the customer and post war development, which may be critical in determining the need for a Stage 2 UXO risk assessment.

Wartime bombing density is a crucial factor in assessing UXO risk and while such maps can certainly help identify areas where more detailed assessment (DRA)  is needed, they are not in themselves sufficient to gauge the appropriate mitigations required to effectively and efficiently manage UXO risk. Solely relying on such maps also bears the risk of misidentifying a site as ‘low risk’, as even areas subject to negligible wartime bombing may have been affected by other sources of UXO contamination.

Based on the likelihood of  UXO Encounter  at the site  and  the nature of intrusive groundworks being conducted,  there are a range of options available  to mitigate the risk to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).  These include simple UXO Awareness Training for staff, Watching Briefs, and Intrusive or Non-intrusive surveys conducted by UXO  specialists or engineers using a variety of technical instruments. Some of these are listed below:

• Pre-empting the UXO risk

• UXO Awareness Training / Tool-Box Talks 

• Watching Brief

• Non-Intrusive UXO Survey 

• Handheld Detector Search

• Ground Probing Radar (GPR) 

• Surface Magnetometry 

• Intrusive UXO Survey

• Cone Penetration Testing (CPT)

• Downhole Magentometry

• Target investigation

We offer a range of services, including:

UXO Risk Management: Conducting Preliminary Risk Assessments (PRA), Detailed Risk Assessments (DRA) and developing Risk Mitigation Plans in line with CIRIA C681 guidelines.

The development and delivery of training and publications and the provision of research, third party assurance and risk management services as part of our global reach in:

Mine Action: The clearance of  land of mines IEDs and ERW; managing stockpiles; and training police/military in EOD, IEDD and Advanced Search.

Stabilisation: Security Force Assistance (SFA) and Rule of Law (RoL) programs, including bomb disposal training, UN mentoring and weapons management.

Strategy and Research: Our R3 Labs methodology supports  evidence informed decision making and strategy through s research, focusing on areas such as the energy transition (critical minerals), localisation of trade and aid, and national security.

Our UXO Risk Management services cover all of the UK, including Northern Ireland.

We are certified in ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems), CHAS, Institute Munitions Clearance and Search Engineers, and Cyber Essentials Plus.