What is the cardinal principle of AFMAN 91-201?

• A. Maintain a constant level of supervision at all times.
• B. Expose the minimum number of people for the minimum amount of time to the minimum amount of explosives or chemical agents.
• C. Ensure all personnel complete training within 12 hours.
• D. Limit the use of protective equipment to essential tasks.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to minimize risk by reducing exposure to hazards. The cardinal principle here is to expose the minimum number of people for the minimum amount of time to the minimum amount of explosives or chemical agents. This directly lowers the chance and severity of injuries if something goes wrong, because fewer people are involved, the amount of hazardous material is kept as small as reasonably possible, and the exposure duration is kept as short as necessary. The other options describe safety concepts that aren’t the overarching rule: constant supervision is a general safety practice but not the core exposure-limiting principle; finishing training in a short time isn’t about exposure to hazards; and limiting protective equipment would actually increase risk, not reduce it.