29/07/2026
The growing availability of historical UXO datasets and interactive mapping is a positive development for our Clients. And making information more accessible can improve awareness of the UK's wartime legacy; however, data availability and risk assessment are not the same thing.
The Health and Safety Executive-endorsed CIRIA C681 guidance provides a clear framework for suitably qualified and experienced consultants to assess all available evidence concerning potential UXO hazards and their potential burial depths, as well as considering the proposed works and ground conditions. That data needs to be quickly and accurately synthesised into a proportionate UXO risk assessment. As the lead technical author of the CIRIA C681 guide and as an acknowledged industry leader on UXO risk management, 6 Alpha is uniquely placed to ensure our Clients receive professional advice they can rely so that UXO risks can be managed in accordance with their legal responsibilities.
A single dataset, whether it is a bombing density map, a “live” UXO encounter database or digital historical incident mapping, cannot determine the level of risk at any site. Taken in isolation, single-source datasets and mapping can overstate risk just as easily as they can understate it. Accurate decision-making starts with professional interpretation within a recognised assessment framework, however useful the underlying data may appear. CIRIA C681 guidance requires project decisions to begin with a Preliminary UXO Threat Assessment, where site-specific historical records and conditions are considered to determine whether any further UXO assessment is justified.
Information informs UXO risk assessment; but, the former does not replace the requirement for the latter.
For professional, rapid assistance in assessing and managing your UXO risks, please contact us www.6alpha.com
