Family groups. Family groups are explosive devices with similar characteristics. Handling. Applies to those individuals who engage in the break out, lifting, or repositioning of explosive devices in order to facilitate storage/stowage, assembly/ disassembly, load/download, or transporting. Individual signature.    Signature of person being certified. Signing acknowledges certification level and work task code for the explosive device/family; therefore, a signature is required for each line entry. Load/download. Applies to procedures contained in the load/download section of the loading manual/ checklist for that particular explosive device. Magazine inspections. Applies to the close viewing and critical appraisal of existing conditions within ship/station magazines or ready service magazines/ lockers, using standards established by NAVSEA OP 4 and OP 5. Recertification. Recertification may be accom- plished using the space provided. One the individual being recertified and the board chairman signs and dates the form, certification is valid for 1 year. Storage/stowage. Applies to those individuals whose responsibilities involve storage/stowage of explosive devices. (See OP 2165, volume 1.) Validation date. Date certification is effective. EXPLOSIVES HANDLING PERSONNEL QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM The Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program sets guidelines for weapons certification. This program is independent from all other maintenance programs. The Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program is applicable to all personnel (both military and civilian, including contractors) in the Naval Establishment whose duties require evolutions or tasks involving explosive devices. NOTE: All explosives, ammunition, weapons, and devices using conventional explosives, pyrotechnics, or incendiary material for their operation are included in the general term explosive devices. All operators of power-operated handling equip- ment, such as hoists, winching cranes, or forklifts, that are used in handling explosive devices must be certified and licensed to handle the particular piece of equipment. Personnel Who Require Individual Certification If a person’s duties (including explosive ordnance disposal [EOD] personnel involved in non-EOD duties) require him/her to individually inspect (including the duty of safety observer), prepare, adjust, arm, or dearm explosive devices, he/she must be qualified and certified for such tasks. Personnel who conduct magazine inspections, maintenance on aircraft safety and survival equipment, or perform any other function that involves explosive devices must be included in this program. The supervisor of explosive operations and members of the command-appointed certification board (except the chairman) must be individually certified for the evolution that they may supervise or observe. Personnel Who Require Team Qualification and Certification A person must be team certified and qualified or individually qualified to perform any of the following duties as a team member: packing, unpacking, assembling/disassembling, testing, fuzing, loading/ downloading, or arming/dearming. When team operations are involved, the team leader must be designated and must be certified and qualified. Any change in team personnel must be kept to a minimum. Shipboard gun, missile crews, and air wing integrated arm/dearm crews are considered teams for the purpose of qualification and certification. Requalification or recertification of a team after any personnel change is at the discretion of the commanding officer. At times, contractor personnel perform functions within the scope of the Explosives Handling Personnel Qualification and Certification Program at naval activities. The contractor must provide the commanding officer or officer in charge with the documentation to prove that personnel are qualified and certified before performing any duties that come under the program. All contracts that deal with explosives and explosive operations come under the purview of OPNAVINST 8023.2. Initial Board Member Certification One major problem of the initial certification of personnel is to ensure that persons who perform qualification evaluations are themselves qualified. Occasionally, it is necessary to initially certify personnel to perform a particular explosive-related job if no certification board is currently established. Com- manders should ensure the intent of this program when they select certification board qualifying observers. The department head (or equivalent supervisor) reviews personnel for initial certification by screening 11-3