Personnel
Mike Ransom
Principal Operations Manager,
Milsearch Head Office, Canberra
Member Institute of Explosive Engineers
During 24 years’ service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), Mike’s career provided him with extensive experience in aircraft weapons engineering and explosive ordnance disposal. Significant posts held included the Senior Inspector of Explosives in charge of the RNZAF Explosive Inspection unit. This unit was responsible for all EOD training, explosive quality control and audits, explosive breakdown and defect investigation, explosive proof testing and trials, accident investigation of armament and explosive ordnance related incidents, UXO recovery, crashed aircraft UXO render safe procedures, modification and repair of explosive ordnance and licensing of explosive ordnance storage facilities and transportation.
As a warranted civilian Department of Labour Explosive Inspector (NZ), further duties included providing EOD support to civilian authorities for the disposal of obsolete Tri-Service Military Explosive Ordnance (EO) surrendered by members of the Public, and also disposal of all commercial time expired and defective explosives from civilian manufacturers. This would occasionally necessitate explosive chemical testing and the requisite chemical neutralisation of unstable explosives.
Following the conduct of several UXO clearance operations for Milsearch in Lao PDR during 2004-2005, Mike joined Milsearch’s Head Office on a full time basis in October 2005. Mike has brought his extensive skills to bear in overseeing a number of Australian based UXO assessment, remediation and active range rehabilitation projects utilising both analogue and digital search equipment.
Mike has also directed the complex Defence Marrangaroo former RAAF Disposal site remediations in 2008-2009, which was the first remediation project of a WW2 Australian Old Chemical Weapons site conducted in Australia since the immediate post war period. This project required the development of detailed and complex interfaces with the Defence Scientific and Technology Organization (DSTO), specialist Defence chemical warfare response elements, the NSW State Emergency Services Organization and Lithgow community elements. The project also required the development of safe work practices compliant with modern day OH & S requirements and environmental goals.
The Marrangaroo project provided a solid basis of know-how and experience which Mike has carried forward as project director on the technologically complex two year Defence Columboola Chemical Weapons Destruction Project in south west Queensland. The Columboola project commenced in July 2010 on a former WW2 US Army CW ammunition depot site.
Mike has also been the central driving force in Milsearch’s accreditation to AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems and OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health and Safety through Lloyds Register of QA. Mike performs the additional roles of Milsearch’s Quality Manager and Milsearch’s OH&S Manager.
