Blow-off panels are used in ammunition compartments of some tanks to protect the crew in case of ammunition explosion, turning a catastrophic kill into a lesser firepower kill. Blowout panels are installed in several modern main battle tanks, including the M1 Abrams.
In military ammunition storage, blowout panels are included in the design of the bunkers which house explosives. Such bunkers are designed, typically, with concrete walls on four sides, and a roof made of a lighter material covered with earth. In some cases this lighter material is wood, though metal sheeting is also employed.  The design is such that if an explosion or fire in the ammunition bunker (also called a locker) were to occur, the force of the blast would be directed vertically, and away from other structures and personnel.
Blowout panels had been in the past been considered as a possible solution to magazine explosions on battleships. However battleship designs since the 1920s instead used the all or nothing armor scheme, particularly with its armored citadel encompassing the battleships vitals including machinery and magazines, and in the case of magazine penetration the only recourse is to flood the magazine.  The lack of blowout panels has resulted in catastrophic damage during the magazine explosions of several battleships including Tirpitz and Yamato'.