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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Ddasaccident717, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident717, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Two police officers, [Victim No. 1] (33) and [Victim No.2] (34), and one member of the Novo Goražde Civil Protection, [Victim No. 3] (44), were killed in a landmine blast that happened in an unmarked minefield located 10 km away from Goražde towards Ustiprača.
Ddasaccident460, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident460, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
In a non-marked lane, deminer [Victim No.1] tried to identify the source of a metal-detector signal by using a prodder and an excavation tool. He possibly used the prodder and the excavation tool simultaneously to achieve higher productivity. The star of the PROM-1 was above the ground surface. Therefore it is not likely that the mine was activated with a prodder. It is most likely that it was activated with inappropriate excavation tool. The examination of the area cleared in the days before the accident leads to the conclusion that vertical excavation had been performed, which is characteristic for non-demining …
Ddasaccident457, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident457, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
[The Victim] started the work in lane 1. He worked near a metal barrel half buried in the ground, 1.6 metres from the fence. Before the accident he cleared 2 m2. He wore his PPE and had the necessary tools. He had been removing the undergrowth and surface metal pieces ahead of the base stick. He had been searching with his metal detector and had used the prodder and a trowel. When he worked only with a prodder, he investigated the whole area ahead of the base stick where the vegetation had been removed. Just before the explosion he had …
Ddasaccident459, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident459, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The investigators found that the main cause of the accident was “wanton violation of technical and safety procedures proscribed in the SOPs of the organisation and in the National Standards of B&H”. For this reason the primary cause of the accident is listed as a “Management control inadequacy”. So many basic safety rules were being breached at a site where there was known to be a fragmentation mine threat that the conditions must have been known to senior management. The secondary cause is listed as a “Field control inadequacy” because the field managers allowed safety distances and PPE rules to …
Ddasaccident458, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident458, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
[The Victim] was going away from the lane. At about 10 m distance from [Name removed], who approached the base line, he slipped with his left foot below the tape into a non-examined part of the minefield and activated a PMA-3. The working path was narrower there because of a larger rock. After the explosion, [the Victim] fell into the working path, but with his legs lying in the non-examined part. Deminer [Name removed] pulled him out into the cleared part. The tip of the left shoe was damaged. It was taken off.
Ddasaccident432, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident432, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
From the accompanying photographs, some details of the accident are inferred. From the report, some information is gleaned, such as the fact that PROM-1 and PMA-3 mines were anticipated.
Ddasaccident403, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident403, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Deminer had searched the working lane with his metal detector, having clearly marked the reached right border of his working lane. However it is obvious that he did not mark the left border of his working lane, i.e. he did not follow the metal detector search progress. He most probably had in mind to additionally mark the reached or ‘searched’ area. After searching the mentioned area with the metal detector without any signal that would indicate the presence of metal, he went back to the beginning of his lane, left the detector there, took two pickets, hammer and the base …
Ddasaccident340, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident340, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Demining accident occurred on November 11th 2000 at 10.15 hrs, in the area of village Zavala, Ravno municipality. The victim was on the shift in the working lane when the accident happened. The medic tried to provide emergency first aid but stated instant death.
Ddasaccident341, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident341, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
[The Victim] was the first one to work in the critical working lane, while supported by deminer No 2. At 08.30 explosion was heard and all the works stopped within all three teams.
Ddasaccident342, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident342, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Deminer in the working lane was searching the area using his prodder. When he finalised his search and finished the working lane, he started to collect the mine tape from the left side of the lane, walking the ”cleared” working lane. That is where he activated with his left foot PMA-3 mine by stepping on it. PMA-3 mine was buried.
Ddasaccident343, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident343, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Their movements were such that one walked the middle of the tunnel in front of the other who lightened the way, while one was moving closer to the left side wall into the direction of movement – leaving out. At about 22.5 metre from the entrance [a fisherman] activated a mine (most probably a PROM-1) whose explosive blast threw him badly so that his head was found 2 metres from the crater from where the mine detonated, with his legs in the direction of the exit.
Ddasaccident344, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident344, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
[Victim No.2] and [Victim No.1] marked the place with a red-top picket 1.2m high (to be found later in the vicinity of the accident spot) and asked [the Local witness] to help them identify the mine. [The Local witness] refused and went to [RS MAC Ops Officer No.2], who handled VALLON, trying to locate where other mines are. 2-3 minutes after he left the site of located mine, there was an explosion at the crossing of trenches.
Ddasaccident345, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident345, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Both of the handlers were going over the area they were supposed to check with their EDDs, since it was one of the rare 'soil covered' areas within the cleared part of the site. The Victim] was following the first dog handler and activated the mine by pressure.
Ddasaccident346, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident346, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
13:00 Start of work in the minefield. Team leader issued a task for marking the borders between the cleared and suspect areas with a mine tape. A minute before the explosion did happen he spoke to the injured deminer, tasking him with a particular piece of border to mark. The moment he went up to the top of the riverbank explosion happened.
Ddasaccident404, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident404, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
A roof of the devastated house is burnt so there were pieces of metal parapets left on sides. Incident was due to a piece of parapet that fell to the ground and activated KB1 cluster bomb. The fallen piece of parapet and the wall of the house took almost all the bomblets [fragments] from KB1. One of them injured an SFOR supervisor in the upper part of his thigh while a deminer was injured under a rib. These were all minor injuries and the bomblets [fragments] were taken out in the hospital. The medic was close to the incident site …
Ddasaccident347, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident347, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
Deminer worked in a minefield with a metal detector on a metal contaminated ground. While lifting the detector’s head from the surface towards the turf, the detector must have been slanted so it could have easily activated the PROM’s detonator if it was to be at the edge of the turf.
Ddasaccident352, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident352, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
This accident occurred because the deminer activated a PROM mine, it is not possible to prove how the fuse was activated. In view of the fact that the deminers on the site were consistently exceeding established productivity rates by an excessively large amount, it is the view of the Board that the excessive operating speed was the major contributing factor.
Ddasaccident351, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident351, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
A failure to find the PROM-1 mine before the break proved fatal for both deminers, as the new No 1, who had been No 2 prior to the break, more than likely stepped on the mine unknowingly, in the presumed ‘cleared’ area, while both deminers were probably about to don their PPE before start of work.
Ddasaccident350, Hd-Aid
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.
Ddasaccident349, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident349, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident occurred at a distance of 18.2m from the road – datum line, in the “cleared” area where the vegetation was very thoroughly removed by vertical cutting – using an axe. Accident happened when the sign for the break was given, while the deminers were leaving the minefield towards the Control point. The cause of the accident is the PROM –1 mine activated with pressure.
Ddasaccident206, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident206, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim "was preparing a mine for demolition in the middle of the second working lane" when then the accident occurred at 11:30. He had a trowel and shears with him at the time of the accident. The handle of the trowel "was separated horizontally and was burned." A prodder was found to the right of the crater. He "received many injuries to the head, to both legs and arms". He showed no sign of life when reached by other deminers.
Ddasaccident207, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident207, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The primary cause of this accident is listed as a "Management/control inadequacy" because the system of sending out Level 1 survey teams without protection is inherently and obviously dangerous. To expect the surveyors to always be able to correctly assess an area prior to entering it implies a lack of knowledge and/or thought on the part of those who devised the system. The parameters of survey seem to have been confused, with inadequate SOPs and the surveyors having no clear idea of the limitations of their work. With the work ill defined, the training cannot have been appropriate, so the …
Ddasaccident208, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident208, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
At 16:10 the victim changed roles with his partner and began work. His partner withdrew 30 metres. His partner saw him work with the Schiebel An 19/2 detector, put it down and kneel to prod. Then he put the prodder aside. About 30 seconds later, at 16:20 [ten minutes before work was to stop at 16:30], the victim initiated a PROM-1 mine which "appears to have exploded directly next to his head and chest". He had not told his partner that he had found a mine.
Ddasaccident209, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident209, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The team arrived in the area at 10:45. The man supposed to guide them did not arrive, but another person substituted. They drove along an unsurfaced track, then parked and walked on until they could see the remaining minefield marking of a previously cleared area on the other side of the track. They had walked about 15m off the track towards the suspect area before the victim (who was the Team Leader and third in line) stepped on a mine.
Ddasaccident210, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident210, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The demining group were ready to start work at 08:40 but bad weather prevented work until 11:30 when the teams deployed. The two victims left the rest area but "no witness was able to provide a clear indication of the[ir] intentions". It was thought likely that they had gone to carry out a reconnaissance of the area where new grids would be made for the dog runs. They appear to have walked directly to the accident site, stepped deliberately over the edge of lane markings and initiated the mine. Neither victim was wearing protective clothing.
Ddasaccident211, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident211, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The accident report did not give details of what happened in the incident, but from other documents (including the statement of the victim's partner who was not available to be interviewed by the investigators during their site visit) it seems that the deminers started work at 06:10 and at 06:40 the victim took over clearance. The exchange of duty took place close to the accident site, possibly because the marking system was inadequate and the victim's partner had to explain where he had finished work. The metal contamination along the verge caused by litter was such that the deminers found …
Ddasaccident212, Hd-Aid
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 …
Ddasaccident213, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident213, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
From the site examination, the investigators decided that the victim knelt on his base stick and initiated a mine while clearing undergrowth. The victim was found on his back with his feet towards a crater "about one meter away). The victim later made a brief statement that he was kneeling to prod when the accident occurred.
Ddasaccident214, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident214, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The team started work at 06:00 the victim's partner located a PMA-3 and the Team Leader "dealt with this". At 07:00 the victim began his shift. After five minutes he located a PMA-3 and the Team Leader "dealt with this". At approximately 07:15 the victim stepped on a PMA-3 and it exploded. The victim's statement says that he was "in a position half on a knee of ground" with his prod when the mine exploded.
Ddasaccident215, Hd-Aid
Ddasaccident215, Hd-Aid
Global CWD Repository
The victim's partner found two PMA-3 mines and the Team Leader disarmed them and put them in a "mine storage area". The victim took over demining and after 4 minutes detonated a mine. He was squatting or kneeling and prodding at the time. He remained conscious but he had suffered damage to his eyes "due mostly to dirt coming up under his visor". He was evacuated to hospital "immediately", arriving after 18 minutes.