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Full-Text Articles in Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Ddasaccident216, Hd-Aid Apr 1998

Ddasaccident216, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

This team was demining in an area of very difficult terrain. Dogs were the best solution to the problem at hand. Correct drills were being employed. Supervision and Quality Assurance measures were entirely sufficient. Evidence suggests that the dog sat on the mine, causing the mine to detonate. Three personnel were injured by one mine. Evacuation time was one hour and thirty-five minutes from the time of detonation to arrival at the hospital.


Ddasaccident217, Hd-Aid Apr 1998

Ddasaccident217, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A Team Leader partially detonated a PMA-2 mine whilst deploying his team to their tasks. [Demining group] state that this mine was a re-laid mine. There is an equal amount of evidence to show that it could have been a mine that was missed on the original clearance of the lane.


Ddasaccident019, Hd-Aid Apr 1998

Ddasaccident019, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred near a high voltage pylon to the south of Moamba town and approximately 22 km from the demining group’s camp. The pylon was mined during the armed conflict and a barbed wire fence was put up to prevent the entry of people and animals. Outside this fence were other mines of the PMN, PMN-2 and PMD-6 types.


Ddasaccident218, Hd-Aid Apr 1998

Ddasaccident218, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigator concluded that the accident occurred as a result of the victim's "total disregard of the inherent dangers of the area and [his] failure to conform to normal work procedures.


Ddasaccident021, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident021, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim was working as a deminer in a lane where “mechanical demining” had taken place. He detonated a PMN-2 mine with his “demining tool”.


Ddasaccident126, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident126, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident area had been cleared in the previous year and various UXO had been found, including half-buried mortars and M77 grenades. A seasonal wind had buried them. The victim was walking over the cleared area at 17:15 from his "base camp" when he initiated the device. He "lost" both legs and suffered superficial injuries on his abdomen and hands.


Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the deminer was "excavating" to investigate a detector reading when the accident occurred. He was using a shovel to do so. Investigators were unable to visit the accident site [due to deminer mobility and seasonal redeployment], so the report relied on interviews and written statements.


Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident127, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the deminer was "excavating" to investigate a detector reading when the accident occurred. He was using a shovel to do so. Investigators were unable to visit the accident site [due to deminer mobility and seasonal redeployment], so the report relied on interviews and written statements.


Ddasaccident128, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident128, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim said that the dogs checked a leash length (8m) and both dogs indicated a suspect point. The point was investigated and the fuse of a mortar was found. He was checking the second leash at a distance of 11 metres from the first when he stepped on a mine at 11:10.


Ddasaccident164, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident164, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The mined area was a road that linked Malay with National Route 5. The victim was working as a prodder man in one of the ditches that ran along both sides of the road. He was squatting at the bottom and working his way up the side. The ground had a very hard crust to a depth of 2cm and was soft underneath. The victim's partner marked a reading and then moved back to allow the victim to investigate. Because the ground was hard, the victim used a "trowel" to break up the surface, but initiated the mine.


Ddasaccident219, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident219, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators concluded that the mine had been missed during the earlier clearance tasks. Also that the training area was "extremely hostile" and easier sites could have been used. The investigators observed that the UN MAC Technical Guides "give no real guidance as to what alternative procedures should be undertaken" when detecting and prodding are inadequate in an area. In previous missed mine incidents in the area (involving two other commercial companies) the mines were also PMA-2s.


Ddasaccident007, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident007, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim used a "long handled shovel" while investigating a detector reading. He was digging by placing his foot on the shovel when the mine went off. The proximity to the power lines made the detectors signal continually in some places. The density of sub-surface roots made the demining group feel it was unsuitable for manual prodding.


Ddasaccident129, Hd-Aid Mar 1998

Ddasaccident129, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

This accident involved a “P2MK2” minimum metal blast mine. [P2MK1 and P2MK2 mines are frequently given the same last number.] A letter explaining why it was not identified at the time was found on file in September 1999 - stating that the same mine occurred in two accidents at the site and that survey had not thrown up the presence of minimum metal mines.


Ddasaccident240, Hd-Aid Feb 1998

Ddasaccident240, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was working in a "breaching lane" when he got a detector reading. He marked the point and started to prod. He found some old food tins and continued prodding. His right hand became tired so he moved his bayonet to his left hand just before the mine went off at 08:40. The victim lost his left eye, two fingers of his left hand and had minor injuries to his right hand and body.


Ddasaccident130, Hd-Aid Feb 1998

Ddasaccident130, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the deminer was resting while his partner worked when he saw a fuse in the uncleared area at the side of the lane. He picked it up and "started playing" with it and it exploded. The Section Leader was covering for another deminer who had gone to urinate [so was not observing].


Ddasaccident125, Hd-Aid Feb 1998

Ddasaccident125, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

This accident was listed in UN MAC records as a non-mine casualty and no accident inquiry had been instigated. [It was recognised that it was a mine accident when the MAC was asked to explain why it was not treated as such.]


Ddasaccident052, Hd-Aid Feb 1998

Ddasaccident052, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At 12:40 the victim was kneeling behind his base stick and demining in a heavily overgrown area. While cutting grass in front of his base stick he noticed some smoke ahead of him. He stood up to run and was only a metre away when something detonated behind him.


Ddasaccident252, Hd-Aid Jan 1998

Ddasaccident252, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was clearing a lane when he found a detector reading, marked it, and started to excavate with a pick. He hit the mine with the pick at 09:35 and sustained injuries to his hands and right shoulder.


Ddasaccident131, Hd-Aid Jan 1998

Ddasaccident131, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was working on the ridge of a stony hill [photographs showed it was very steep and rocky]. He was given permission to leave the area to urinate and went into an area declared clear by a dog survey team. The investigators expressed the view that the area was unsuitable for dogs to clear because it was too steep for them to "sit" when indicating a signal.


Ddasaccident132, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident132, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was investigating a reading in a pile of soil deposited by the back-hoe when the mine went off. The investigators reported that the victim claimed to have been using a bayonet but that his lack of injury made them think this unlikely.


Ddasaccident134, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident134, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that Victim No.1 was investigating a pile of spoil deposited by the back-hoe when he got a continuous detector reading and started excavating with a long handled shovel. He detonated a mine. The mine was identified as a PMN (by "found fragments").


Ddasaccident133, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident133, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators decided that the victim got a detector reading and investigated it but found nothing. He checked with the detector and still got a reading, so squatted to prod thinking it was a fragment. The device which exploded was assumed to be an MUV fuze because of the presence of POMZ fragments in that minefield.


Ddasaccident020, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident020, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

When the deminer came alongside the first mine, he located another, and called the victim again. The victim decided to prepare the mines for destruction, took the deminer's "spade" and sent him away. When the deminer reached the safe area the detonation occurred at 09:55.


Ddasaccident135, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident135, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators decided that the victim found a detector reading, marked it, and started to excavate with a pick – contravening a UN MAC directive to stop using a pick for excavation. The mine was identified as a PMN (from "found fragments").


Ddasaccident136, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident136, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

No investigation on behalf of the UN MAC was made available. An initial letter informing the UN MAC of the accident was found. The following summarises its content.


Ddasaccident359, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident359, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The operator had returned to Pit 1 and was in the process of checking the pit fully when the EOD specialist arrived. As he left the pit to meet him, one of the fuzes functioned. 2 fragments had entered through the side and rear of his boot.


Ddasaccident220, Hd-Aid Dec 1997

Ddasaccident220, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators concluded that the accident was "preventable". The mine should have been found during excavation but the appropriate SOPs were not being used. Supervision was inadequate and the control of movement in cleared areas was not in accordance with SOPs.


Ddasaccident137, Hd-Aid Nov 1997

Ddasaccident137, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victims were in a vehicle that detonated an AT mine with a front wheel. The ground was a dirt road in grazing land. A photograph showed a flat earth area with water in puddles. "The front wheel of the truck and the cabin were destroyed". [A photograph showed the cab separated from the truck and severely damaged.]


Ddasaccident166, Hd-Aid Nov 1997

Ddasaccident166, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim's partner placed a start stick about 25cm away from the marked edge of the safe lane from which they were advancing, and a second stick half a meter in front of that (so marking the working area). The victim checked his detector, then started to sweep the first 50cm in front of the start stick. This took about one minute. On finding the area clear he bent down to pick up the start stick and moved it forward, taking a step forward as he did so. He stepped on a mine that had been in front of or …


Ddasaccident009, Hd-Aid Nov 1997

Ddasaccident009, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim had been a deminer for seven years. It was ten days since he had last attended a revision course, and two days since he was last on leave. The ground being cleared was described as the medium-hard bed of a dry lake. The victim's bayonet was destroyed and the visor damaged. The investigators claimed to have found fragments to confirm that the mine involved was a PMN.