Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ddasaccident544, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

During the BAC operations while they were collecting the fragments and scraps [Victim No.1] found a flare that was not smoking and sound and were half buried in the ground. When he picked up the flare by his right hand it took fire and burnt his face and forearms. As the fire was strong it burnt face of [Victim No.2] too.

Ddasaccident410, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 16:30 Section Commander [the Victim] was moving to the rest area for a 10 minute break. On the way back he saw an unidentified object lying in the sand in the base lane. The object was a cylinder, approximately 12mm in length and 5mm in diameter. [The Victim] picked up the object and carried it back to the rest area. [The Victim] sat down in the rest area and took out a pin to remove some of the sand and dried mud that covered the object. He inserted the pin into one end of the cylinder in an attempt …

Ddasaccident464, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Details of this accident have been withheld by the demining NGO that employed the Victim. A spreadsheet including the Victim’s name and very brief details of the accident was made available in 2007. Some details can be inferred from the information released. For example, the limited injury implies that the victim’s PPE was being worn in the correct manner.

Ddasaccident543, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A BM-12 smoke shell was reported near the Safe UXO Store of [Demining group] teams working in Logar province. The acting TL briefed the SL to take the UXO away and demolish it. Mr. Paya-I-Din was climbing a hill while taking the UXO to the demolition pit, slipped and the accident happened. It is worth-mentioning that the UXO he was carrying did not explode and apparently a BD RPG7 fuse caused the injuries.

Ddasaccident517, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The primary cause of this accident is listed as a “Field control inadequacy” because it seems that the Victim was disarming a mine designated “no-touch” by the demining group, and may have been doing so without wearing appropriate PPE. The secondary cause is listed as a “Management control inadequacy” because the management of the demining group declined to make the accident details available. Although this is sometimes done to protect the Victims, in this case the Victim’s name was among the limited detail made available. It is possible that the managers have chosen to avoid transparency because they are afraid …

Ddasaccident397, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At approximately 1520 hrs QA MDD Officer [the Victim] was leaving the [Demining group] Office proceeding along the corridor; he reached into his pocket for his cigarettes as he intended to have a smoke. When he placed his hand in his pocket he “felt the other component i.e. the detonator”, he then proceeded to take out the detonator and because he had been told that it was safe “proceeded to fit it back together, then there was a loud explosion noise”.

Ddasaccident378, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Team Leader then adopted the kneeling position wearing his protective jacket and protective visor (down position). Prior to moving the rock he probed underneath it, checking for booby-traps, he then attempted to physically move the rock, whereupon an uncontrolled detonation occurred.

Ddasaccident394, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Once prepared to load the fuzes, Deminer [C] ordered Deminer [D, the victim] to pass him the fuzes from the ground sheet, to the vehicle where he was going to put them in the team detonator box. Deminer [the victim] picked up all 3 x fuzes and laid them on the palm of his left hand, he then handed the first fuze to Deminer [C] who in turn placed the fuze into the detonator box. There was an uncontrolled detonation of an Israeli No4 Anti Personnel mine fuze.

Ddasaccident794, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The 55-year-old Briton, surprisingly, smiles when asked to describe his immediate reactionThe 55-year-old Briton, surprisingly, smiles when asked to describe his immediate reaction when the Type 84 Chinese anti-tank mine he was trying to neutralise in Misurata, Libya last.

Ddasaccident348, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

One deminer in team two notified his Section Leader that he had found a fuse in his lane. The Section Leader removed the fuse by lifting it and left the lane. Once back to his control point he decided to disarm the fuse by using a needle. When he opened the booster the fuse detonated.

Ddasaccident387, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The mine accident happened at 10:00 hrs on the 3rd July 2001 while the [Demining group] were conducting manual clearance operations at minefield GY002. The deminer had a signal when using his mine detector which he investigated with a prodder and then excavated using a trowel. After exposing the item that had given the signal the deminer removed it from the ground using his right hand. The item exploded.

Ddasaccident278, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

During the work, an unnamed TCN decided to light a PMN booster apparently “to frighten his mates”. The resulting explosion slightly damaged soft tissue on his hand.

Ddasaccident278, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A commercial company was awarded an extensive contract that included the clearance of trenches along the coast in Kuwait city. The UXO that was safe to be collected was removed by “gangs” of ex-pat supervised Thai workers. Called “TCNs” (Third Country Nationals) the Thai workers were reported to have been given a one-day UXO handling course. They were not issued protective equipment.

During the work, an unnamed TCN decided to light a PMN booster apparently “to frighten his mates”. The resulting explosion slightly damaged soft tissue on his hand.

Ddasaccident355, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 0829 Hrs on Monday 29th January 200 1, a deminer from Mine Action Team Number 2 from Pursat Province, was injured by a small explosion, at Svay Donkeo minefield. He was conducting Electronic Clearance drills as part of a two man demining pair, when he found an as yet unidentified metallic item which exploded in his hand when he picked it up.

Ddasaccident330, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09h15, the team arrived to Koshare 1. At 11h15, the Team Leader moves [the Victim] to the new working clearance lane. At 11h40, uncontrolled detonation. The mine involved in the accident is the PMA-3 blast mine.

Ddasaccident573, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 9 November 2000, [The Victim] was accompanying a group of engineers during a routine visit to Dubinje airport in Sjenica. Their job was to assess the damage to airport facilities. Six new submunitions had been reported, having been seen lying on the ground. Not wanting to put off disposal of the duds, [The Victim] went to the marked location. The first one he approached exploded with terrible force after he ‘barely’ touched it. He suffered cardiac arrest upon arrival at hospital. Both his arms and legs had to be amputated; he has had more than 20 operations in total. …

Ddasaccident273, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Work began at the site at 08:00. At 09:50 a deminer reported having found a PMA-3 while prodding [no mention of detectors was made]. The victim ordered the deminers out of the field and went to "neutralise" the mine. He removed the UPMAH initiator from the mine and noticed that is was "slightly damaged". He carried the mine body in his right hand and the initiator in his left hand as he walked out of the mined area. At 10.05 the detonator in the initiator exploded in his hand.

Ddasaccident338, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

During supervision of demining activities in Shin Dand district of Farah Province, Victim No.1 found an unknown device (probably a warhead) on 10th April 2000. He wanted to investigate the device further, so took it to Herat. The next day, together with a “radio mechanic” he took it into the office and attempted to defuse and dismantle it. It exploded in the office. The two men died immediately.

Ddasaccident304, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred when an EOD worker was making a final check over the cleared area. He then discovered a partly buried mortar (PD M-6) fuze. The fuze was already taken apart. The booster was removed and no safety pins (two) were in place. When the EOD worker handled the fuse the striker “sledged and initiated the detonator”.

Ddasaccident350, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred due to the activation of a grenade fuze by indentation of the percussion cap. The fuze was disturbed or activated by the deminer. The fuze is comparatively new. The accident site had been interfered with and evidence that may removed or destroyed.

Ddasaccident120, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim was the one of a two-man team and was supposed to be "controlling" his partner who was in the clearance lane. The victim claimed that he had noticed an object "that he did not recognise" and prodded it with a piece of wire when it exploded. He sustained "lacerations and some light fragment damage to his hands… deep lacerations and damage to his left thumb and forefinger and lighter lacerations to his right middle finger".

Ddasaccident121, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim was a Team Leader whose duties included disarming R2M2 mines. At 06:27 the Victim was "neutralising" an R2M2 mine by removing its booster charge [unscrewed from below] when the mine detonated. Another Team Leader witnessed the event and reported that the Victim was wearing his protective equipment (visor and apron) properly.

Ddasaccident011, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The demining group were clearing the Zimbabwe/Mozambique border minefields. The detector used was a Vallon with a folding handle. Deminers reported being poorly paid at the time and morale was low. The site management was intensely unpopular and seen as having little relevant background in humanitarian demining.

Ddasaccident575, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Two army EOD specialists have been seriously injured, both suffering amputations. [This is the second of those victims. No details of how the accident occurred have been made available. It is inferred that he touched the submunition in order to move it because this was the common feature in other accidents with this munition at this time.]

Ddasaccident574, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The rest of us kept walking for another five minutes and then we heard a terrible detonation. Somehow, we knew what it was. The sound was different, much louder; sinister, if I can put it that way. We knew that it was [the Victim]. We ran back and the only thing we could see was one blood-stained boot hanging from a tree. And then we realised that he had been blown to pieces. We had to pick each of the pieces up by ourselves; there was nobody else who could do it. The only part of his body that kept …

Ddasaccident186, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The report stated that at the time of the accident there were three team leaders and the driver in the cab and an unspecified number of deminers in the back. On arriving at the site the driver inquired about the mines and subsequently pressed the top of one as it was being held by a Team Leader, making the detonator explode. The victim sustained an injury to the flesh of the mid-finger of his right hand. [However, the victim was the driver and as the blast emanated from the bottom of the mine it seems likely that he held it …

Ddasaccident320, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A Trainee Supervisor was trying to explain the operation of the Type-72a mine to some of his colleagues in a “self initiated” lecture. The Trainee Supervisor “tried to force open the mine whilst explaining the function mechanism” and “initiated the detonator”, suffering a minor injury to one finger.

Ddasaccident004, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 09.15 three deminers were injured when a mine detonated while being handled outside the mined area. Victim No.1 suffered severe hand and minor foot injuries. Victim No.2 suffered minor body and eye injures, and a hearing loss. Victim No.3 suffered a minor facial injury. The injured were taken by road (the report says that it would have taken too long to get official clearance for air evacuation) to Maputo Central hospital by 10:15. Victim No.1 was flown to Zimbabwe at an unspecified time for “follow-up treatment”.

Ddasaccident212, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 08:30 the team started work. The victim was clearing the central lane of three lanes 25 metres from each other. Vegetation was sparse where he was working and surface munitions or mines could have been easily seen. The victim had made three excavations prior to the accident but they were not of a size to indicate that anything had been found. At 09:00 an explosion occurred and the victim was seriously injured. He was found lying on his face with half of his end-of-lane marker stick under him and half behind him. The medic attended him "and removed his …

Ddasaccident243, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that at around 11:00 the Section Leader instructed the deminers to pack up and rest until the end of the day. While they were resting Victim No.1 went into the uncleared area for no known reason. When he was 15m into the mined area he noticed a tripwire and "started wrapping it into the stick of a POMZ". A POMZ detonated at 11:30.