UXO Watching Brief (Lower Risk / <50kg)

Service Description

UXO Watching Brief If your site carries a risk of unexploded ordnance (UXO) — from historic wartime activity or more recent military use — a watching brief is one of the key ways that risk is managed safely during construction or groundworks. Sites that may pose a lower risk are not defined by explosive yield alone. Factors such as UXO fuze type, explosive filling and UXO condition, and proximity to secondary hazards or infrastructure, risk to life and environmental factors are amongst the considerations that determine risk level, alongside the likely size of any controlled bulk demolition or single UXO item up to 50kg NEQ. Such assessments fall well within the scope of any IMAS Level 3 (or equivalently qualified) UXO engineer. However, low risk does not mean no risk — establishing a UXO Watching Brief provides mitigation to help manage that residual risk. What is a UXO Watching Brief? A watching brief means a qualified UXO/EOD specialist attends your site during intrusive groundworks — excavation, piling, drilling, or similar — to monitor works as they happen, advise your team in real time, and respond immediately if a suspected item of ordnance is encountered. Rather than a one-off inspection, it's an ongoing presence for as long as the risk profile of the works requires it. Why is it needed? Where a UXO risk assessment identifies a credible risk, industry guidance (CIRIA C681, C785, and — for marine and intertidal works — C754) recommends appropriate mitigation before and during intrusive works. A watching brief is one of the standard, recognised ways of meeting that duty of care, alongside options like non-intrusive survey or full clearance. What's covered: Site induction and toolbox talk on the site-specific UXO risk, based on historic research and the risk assessment What to look out for, and what not to do, if a suspect item is found Continuous monitoring and advice to plant operators and site staff Immediate on-site response if a suspected UXO item is found A clear emergency response procedure, understood by all site personnel Ongoing record-keeping, in line with CIRIA guidance Who it's for: Principal contractors, developers, or site managers whose UXO risk assessment has recommended on-site mitigation — commonly land redevelopment, brownfield sites, and marine or offshore construction with a known ordnance history.