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Oxidising agent

2nd May 1996, Page 53
2nd May 1996
Page 53
Page 53, 2nd May 1996 — Oxidising agent
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Mr McGoff, newly-elected president of the Institute of Explosives Engineers, is quite correct in stating that the institute has not re-classified ammonium nitrate as an explosive (CM 25 April-1 May)—at least in any legal sense—for the simple reason that ills not an organisation with such power. What it did do was to agree to the statement "the Institute of Explosives Engineers believes ammonium nitrate to be an explosive substance..." How long it maintains this outburst of frankness in the face of undoubted pressure from interest groups to recant remains to be seen.

The institute was recognising what any informed person in the explosives industry has known for years: that ammonium nitrate, as sold as a fertiliser, and without mixing, is an explosive.

Indeed, it i amtnonium nitrate thus )1d that constitutes tl4e main component o large terrorist bombs, inclu ing those used to devastate uch of Belfast, the City of I4nclon, Canary Wharf and tlie government building in Oklahoma, and which is cu ntly being imported in arming quantity th gh the Channel Tunnel. The et that it is classified, co redly but misleadingly as a mere oxidising ag it is attributable to the olitically and economically convenient definition as n oxidizing agent by a "United Nations Committee of Experts".

In this country HM Chief Inspector of t xplosives can exercise his st.atutory powers to classify at explosive as such but the fresent chief inspector is parently seeking to p,s the buck by his recent as,lurance that "national varations dictated by security considerations are in Great Britain the responsibility of the Home Secretary", while a former Home Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, said that ammonium nitrate's "widespread use in agriculture makes further controls impracticable".! believe that the present Home Secretary is too busy locking up anything that moves to have become acquainted with fertilisers—with the possible exception of bullshit. Dr Sidney Alford, Corsham, Wiltshire.

Relief work

Iwas interested to read (CM 11-17 April) that Manpower is going to help its staff with mortgages. This is undoubtedly an improvement on the way that the majority of agencies treat their staff. But when will we accept that if you want real drivers in the relief WV driver trade, you must employ them. They then have status and can apply for mortgages. My company has employed full-time drivers relief work since early 1971 can strongly recommend ii any agency that has a real interest in serving custom properly. They will find th staff more committed—th customers know they are getting professional driver and have the satisfaction c seeing the job done right f a fair price.

Of course, operators haA share of the blame for the state of the agency market they are trying to screw down the price of relief drivers. Pay peanuts and get monkeys!

J Coates, Coates (HGV Services), Le


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