When it comes to Aviation Ordnance, what you don’t know most certainly can hurt you—and it’s the job of the Aviation Ordnanceman (AO) Quality Assurance Safety Supervisor (QASS) to not only make Sailors aware of the dangers inherent in the handling, storage, and use of ordnance, but also the steps to take to prevent accidents and what to do should one take place.
Among the tasks handled by an Aviation Ordnanceman QASS are conducting safety briefings on elevator systems, weapons systems, and explosives, providing instruction to gun crews on emergency procedures, and directing Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team responses. While the number of ordnance-related injuries and fatalities is very low, the need to prepare for worst-case scenarios means the AO QASS has to develop drills to deal with casualties caused by crew-served weapons lightweight guns. Indeed, safety programs are in place for all aspects of aviation ordnance, but the regularly scheduled maintenance, inspection, and monitoring of weapons facilities, ordnance offloading and onloading, magazine safety devices, and a host of other systems and components works to ensure that safety mishaps are kept at a minimum.
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