Munitions & Explosives of Concern
Understanding the past. Protecting the future.
Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC) are more than a legacy of past conflict, they represent uncertainty within today's engineering environment. These are considered by Dolomite in three key areas:
- Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA)
- Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)
- Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)
Whether constructing offshore wind farms, installing subsea cables, developing major infrastructure or regenerating former military land, historical military activity has the potential to influence engineering design, construction methodology, programme, commercial risk and operational safety.
Our role is not simply to identify explosive hazards, it is to understand how those hazards influence your project, enabling informed, proportionate decisions that protect people, investment and programme.
Every site tells a story.
Some sites have remained largely untouched for centuries, others have experienced military occupation, live firing, aerial bombardment, industrial activity, dredging, land reclamation or decades of changing land use. Offshore, natural seabed processes continually bury, expose munitions and change the presentation of the seabed surface. Understanding that history and the processes driving change is fundamental to effective risk management.
Although, the existence of historical military activity does not automatically create engineering risk, the challenge is determining whether that legacy presents a credible hazard to the activities being undertaken today. That distinction is where technical judgement becomes invaluable.
Our assessments integrate historical research, spatial analysis, engineering understanding and project specific evidence to distinguish genuine project risks from perceived ones, enabling proportionate mitigation rather than unnecessary intervention. This broader understanding of munitions and explosives reflects the source material, which recognises a wide range of military legacy hazards including unexploded ordnance, chemical weapons, military wrecks and munition dumps. Effective munition management extends far beyond technical assessment. A single recommendation may influence engineering design, procurement strategy, construction methodology, programme, insurance, environmental consenting and regulatory approvals. Consequently, every decision must consider the wider project environment.
Understanding projects, not just munitions.
We work closely with developers, designers, contractors, survey companies, marine specialists, insurers, regulators and statutory authorities, ensuring that technical recommendations are aligned with the objectives of the entire project team. By understanding the different priorities of every stakeholder, we help establish a common technical understanding that enables confident, informed decision-making throughout project delivery.
Navigating the regulatory environment.
Projects affected by munitions and explosives operate within a complex framework of legislation, standards and recognised industry guidance.
- Regulators require proportionate risk management.
- Developers require commercially viable solutions.
- Contractors require practical procedures.
- Insurers require demonstrable governance.
Our advice is developed with a detailed understanding of these differing requirements.
Rather than treating compliance as the objective, we integrate regulatory obligations into practical project delivery, ensuring technical recommendations are robust, proportionate and capable of withstanding independent scrutiny. This enables projects to progress confidently whilst demonstrating alignment with recognised best practice.
The Dolomite Framework Applied to Munitions & Explosives of Concern
Every successful project begins with understanding.
We integrate historical research, archive material, client information, ground datasets and engineering analysis to identify credible explosive hazards relevant to your project.
Rather than overwhelming clients with unnecessary detail, we provide clear, concise outputs that explain where risk exists, why it exists and how it may influence engineering activities.
Our objective is to replace uncertainty with understanding.
This reflects the first stage of your framework, combining historical research, GIS and client datasets to characterise sites and communicate risk effectively.
No two projects require identical solutions.
Working collaboratively with our clients, we develop governance arrangements, mitigation strategies, technical specifications, emergency procedures and project controls that integrate seamlessly with wider engineering activities.
Technical understanding becomes practical project management.
We provide independent technical leadership throughout procurement, survey design, contractor selection, field operations, target assessment, identification, avoidance, verification and, where necessary, clearance activities.
By acting as an independent technical authority, we ensure decisions remain evidence-based, proportionate and aligned with project objectives.
This reflects your framework's emphasis on survey strategy, contractor selection, operational support and quality assurance.
Confidence does not end when fieldwork finishes.
Throughout construction and project delivery, we provide technical assurance, ALARP documentation, quality management, stakeholder briefings, regulatory liaison and independent review.
As projects evolve and new information becomes available, we continue to provide the technical guidance necessary to support confident decision-making.