Simulation of body exposure to explosion

Abstract

An ordinance-disposal expert was called to a remote site to dispose of a buried cache of explosives which had been hidden by a felon. The cache was buried in a forest and consisted ofa large number ofold sticks ofdynamite and blasting caps. The explosives and caps had been collected from abandoned mines and were old, corroded and fragile. The ordnance expert declined to explode the cache in place (a common and safe way ofdisposing ofold explosives) because he feared starting a forest fire. Instead, the explosives were removed from the burial site and moved to a dry streambed. The dynamite was burned. A small hole was dug in the streambed and the blasting caps as well as a few other small explosive devices were placed inside. Witnesses state that they were sent away from the site in preparation for the disposal. Instead ofthe usual shouting of "fire in the hole" followed by an explosion, there was simply an explosion. The witnesses returned to the site and found the explosives expert lying by the small pit in extremis. He died shortly thereafter of massive blast and shrapnel wounds. An important question in accidents such as this is whether it is the result of singular circumstances, lack of adherence to standard procedures, or failure of standard procedures. While the particulars of the fitli investigation are beyond the scope of this paper, a number of procedural questions were raised; these included the possibility ofgeneration ofstatic electricity from clothing, the possible presence of transmitters in the immediate area, and other factors.