The US Army developed the 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Education Program to educate the public on what to do if they encounter explosives or munitions. The 3Rs message instructs people to recognize if they have found a munition, retreat without touching it, and report it to local authorities. The Army created standardized education materials explaining the 3Rs, which have proven effective in focus groups and presentations. The goal of the program is to spread a consistent and memorable safety message nationwide to prevent injuries from munitions.

1. The US Army 3Rs (Recognize, Retreat, Report) Explosives Safety Education Program
Introduction
In 2000, a munition taken by teenagers from a posted,
operational range detonated, killing one, injuring another
and destroying property. In an effort to prevent similar
incidents, the Army began development of its “3Rs”
Program.
Immediately following a 2004 incident where a chemical
munition was recovered by a fishing vessel, an outreach
brochure and poster for the maritime industries was
developed. Additional materials have been developed
for divers.
RRR
UXO, Dud, Training Round, War Trophy, Souvenir
ecognize
etreat
eport
Recognize when you may have
encountered a munition and
that munitions are dangerous.
Methods
The Army developed the “3Rs” Program as a
comprehensive, coordinated program intended for
use nationwide. The “3Rs” were selected to be easily
understood and remembered by children and adults,
much like the “Stop, Drop and Roll” fire safety message.
Benefits of the “3Rs” program include:
• Elimination of duplicative efforts,
• Elimination of mixed or differing
messages,
• ability to provide information rapidly
following an incident, and
• Preservation of resources and funds for
other purposes.
The Army refined its core “3Rs” message as well as
much of the “3Rs” safety education material using focus
groups that included, among others, risk communicators,
explosives safety professionals, parents, and educators.
RRR
ecognize
etreat
Do not touch, eport move or disturb it,
but carefully leave the area.
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ecognize
etreat
eport
Immediately notify local law
enforcement or the Coast Guard
and advise them of what you saw
and where you saw it.
Abstract
Members of the United States public are typically
unaware of the potential hazards associated with
munitions and need information about what they should
do if they encounter or suspect they have encountered
a munition. The Army developed the 3Rs message to
be:
• Consistent,
• Easily understood, and
• Memorable.
The “3Rs” Explosives Safety Education Program and
its “3Rs” message (Recognize, Retreat, Report) are the
basis for programs to inform the public of the hazards
associated with munitions that they may encounter.
The “3Rs” Program encourages everyone to learn,
follow and educate others about the “3Rs” of explosives
safety.
Follow
the 3Rs
Visit the 3Rs Explosives Safety Education website: https://www.denix.osd.mil/uxosafety
Geoffrey Carton
Senior Analyst
CALIBRE Systems, Inc
Alexandria, VA, USA
JC King
Office of the Deputy Assistant
Secretary of the Army for
Environment, Safety and
Occupation Health
Washington, DC, USA
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ecognize
etreat
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Discussion
The Army’s “3Rs” Explosives Safety Education Program
materials are downloadable (see below). The website
provides a variety of outreach materials including guides,
coloring books, posters, public service announcements,
videos, and posters. Although the material is designed
to allow users to make some modifications (e.g., add
points of contact), its script is not. The material some of
which is available in other then English, was designed
to be used anywhere and to be adaptable for specific or
general activities.
The effectiveness of the “3Rs” message has been
demonstrated after numerous presentations to children
and local communities.