What does an explosion shockwave do to your body?
High explosive blasts can cause skull fractures, fractured bones, head injuries, or any traumatic injury (open or closed injuries, chest, abdominal, pelvic injuries, amputations, spinal injuries, and any others). Structural collapse and entrapment can cause crush injuries and compartment syndrome.
What are the main effects of explosions?
The main direct, primary effect to humans from an explosion is the sudden increase in pressure that occurs as a blast wave passes. It can cause injury to pressure- sensitive human organs, such as ears and lungs.
Is overpressure a hazard?
11.1. Overpressure can lead directly to all three hazards. It can lead directly and immediately to injury; it can lead to fire/explosion if there is an ignition source; and it can lead to pollution if there is insufficient containment.
What is the effect of 3 psi of overpressure?
Overpressure
| Overpressure | Physical Effects |
|---|---|
| 10 psi | Reinforced concrete buildings are severely damaged or demolished. Most people are killed. |
| 5 psi | Most buildings collapse. Injuries are universal, fatalities are widespread. |
| 3 psi | Residential structures collapse. Serious injuries are common, fatalities may occur. |
Why do you open your mouth during an explosion?
Explosions create waves of increased pressure, followed by negative pressure, which can be extremely damaging to ears and internal organs. Keeping ones mouth open is said to equalize pressure, therefore reducing internal damage.
What organ is most susceptible to pressure changes during an explosion?
Solid organs such as the middle ear, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract are the most susceptible to pressure changes.
What are the effects of explosion to environment?
Explosive weapons can devastate a landscape. They can reduce buildings to toxic rubble and destroy long-cherished trees. They can contaminate the soil for decades and cause poisons to leach into once healthy rivers. They can decimate ecosystems and disturb the harmony of nature.
What is blast effect?
A fraction of a second after a nuclear explosion, the heat from the fireball causes a high-pressure wave to develop and move outward producing the blast effect. The front of the blast wave, i.e., the shock front, travels rapidly away from the fireball, a moving wall of highly compressed air.
What is overpressure damage?
Overpressure, also called a blast wave, refers to the sudden onset of a pressure wave after an explosion. This pressure wave is caused by the energy released in the initial explosion—the bigger the initial explosion, the more damaging the pressure wave.
What is an overpressure injury?
Primary blast injuries result from the high pressures, or blast overpressure, created by explosions. Blast overpressure can crush the body and cause internal injuries.
What is the expected damage from an overpressure of 1 psig?
Level of damage expected at specific overpressure values
| Overpressure* (psig) | Expected Damage |
|---|---|
| 14.5-29.0 | Range for 1-99% fatalities among exposed populations due to direct blast effects. |
| * These are peak pressures formed in excess of normal atmospheric pressure by blast and shock waves. |
How does blast overpressure work?
Overpressure (or blast overpressure) is the pressure caused by a shock wave over and above normal atmospheric pressure. The shock wave may be caused by sonic boom or by explosion, and the resulting overpressure receives particular attention when measuring the effects of nuclear weapons or thermobaric bombs.
What causes an explosion to cause an overpressure?
Overpressure, also called a blast wave, refers to the sudden onset of a pressure wave after an explosion. This pressure wave is caused by the energy released in the initial explosion—the bigger the initial explosion, the more damaging the pressure wave. Pressure waves are nearly instantaneous, traveling at the speed of sound.
How does an explosion affect the human body?
The main direct, primary effect to humans from an explosion is the sudden increase in pressure that occurs as a blast wave passes. It can cause injury to pressure- sensitive human organs, such as ears and lungs. Indirect Effects Primary fragments originate from the explosion source, for example, a pressure vessel.
How does blast overpressure affect the human body?
“Blast overpressure (BOP), also known as high energy impulse noise, is a damaging outcome of explosive detonations and firing of weapons. Exposure to BOP shock waves alone results in injury predominantly to the hollow organ systems such as auditory, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems.”.
What do you call a pressure wave after an explosion?
Overpressure, also called a blast wave, refers to the sudden onset of a pressure wave after an explosion.