How do mass explosion hazards (1.1) and minor explosion hazards (1.4) differ in terms of potential blast impact?

How do mass explosion hazards (1.1) and minor explosion hazards (1.4) differ in terms of potential blast impact?

• A. 1.1 hazards are less dangerous than 1.4 hazards.
• B. 1.4 hazards can produce a mass detonation affecting large areas.
• C. 1.1 hazards can cause a mass detonation affecting large areas; 1.4 hazards produce a small explosion with limited blast and fragmentation effects.
• D. There is no difference in blast impact between 1.1 and 1.4 hazards.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how blast impact scales with the hazard class. Mass explosion hazards can trigger a detonation that releases energy across a large mass, creating a mass detonation that can affect large areas. Minor explosion hazards, on the other hand, are limited in energy release and produce a small explosion with limited blast and fragmentation effects. So the statement that mass explosion hazards can cause a mass detonation affecting large areas while minor explosion hazards produce a small explosion with limited blast and fragmentation best captures the difference in potential blast impact. The other descriptions would either overstate or understate the danger and do not reflect how these two hazard classes behave in terms of blast and fragmentation spread.