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1997

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Full-Text Articles in Public Policy

Ddasaccident228, Hd-Aid Jul 1997

Ddasaccident228, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

Prior to the accident the Team Leader had "used a machete to clear foliage and to inspect uncleared ground" in the accident lane. He did not use a detector or prodder. He advanced ten metres in this way, then handed over to the victim. The ten metres were counted as "cleared". The Team Leader was reported to have "used this system on other occasions to encourage deminers to clear areas faster". He was not wearing any protective equipment. During this time he missed what the report states was a "PMA" [I infer a PMA-3]. The deminers returned to work and …


Ddasaccident227, Hd-Aid Jul 1997

Ddasaccident227, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim [who was wearing protective equipment including leggings] took over clearance at the new end-of-lane and had cleared about five metres when he stepped on a mine that may have been "concealed below a small rock". The Team Leader was close to the victim. Three other deminers hurried along the lane to his assistance and they carried the victim to the Control Point where the medic attended him. The victim suffered "bruising and flesh injuries to his lower leg and fractures to his left foot". He was not expected to require amputation. It took "approximately 15 minutes" to reach …


Ddasaccident084, Hd-Aid Jul 1997

Ddasaccident084, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was clearing the side of a small stream when he got a detector signal and marked it, then prodded but could not find anything. He checked the reading but did not "remark" it and started to prod again. The mine detonated. The victim's visor shattered into many shards in the blast (as shown in a photograph). His bayonet had a bent blade and the handle had broken up.


Ddasaccident057, Hd-Aid Jul 1997

Ddasaccident057, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators visited the site on 9/10th July. They found that the accident occurred in a minefield laid by government troops in 1991/2. The mines were irregularly spaced in 3km long lanes. PPM-2 and POMZ-2 mines were found (largely) in different parts of the field. There was "scrub" about a metre high where the accident occurred and the ground was "hard clay with some organic mix" which allowed the use of detectors. Two parallel lines of PPM-2 mines had been found with an "exploratory base line". Further lanes were being cut to confirm the direction of the mine-lines. The accident …


Ddasaccident083, Hd-Aid Jul 1997

Ddasaccident083, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The victim had been a deminer for three years. It was two months since he had last attended a revision course and seven days since his last leave. The area being cleared was described as "hard and bushy". The investigators decided that the mine involved was a PMN and that either the victim was cutting bushes without sweeping/detecting the area in front of him, or the deminer lost his balance while squatting to cut bush and stepped sideways onto a mine. His helmet was reported to have been damaged in the blast.


Ddasaccident085, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident085, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim's detector was reading constantly so he was excavating with a shovel without having marked any suspicious points. He was prodding with a bayonet to loosen the soil, then removing it with the shovel. His shovel was "destroyed/lost" in the accident.


Ddasaccident231, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident231, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The document stated that the team was active demining in an area with a "mixture" of AP mines including improvised MRUD directional fragmentation mines. A deminer was defusing a MRUD and working directly in front of it. A second deminer was walking towards him to help and a third was observing "from about 10 metres away, also in direct line-of-sight". "The mine detonated killing the two…closest to it and severely wounding the third."


Ddasaccident086, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident086, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim had investigated a reading in the squatting position with a prod. He was not "wearing his helmet properly". They identified the mine as a PMN (from "found fragments") and recorded that the victim's helmet and bayonet were "destroyed".


Ddasaccident079, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident079, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The guide then mentioned another V-69 nearby and the two men inspected it. This mine had been tampered with or damaged but Victim No.1 decided that it was safe to move it to the new demolition site. Victim No.2 carried the fuze and detonators from the old site to the new one. Victim No.1 then asked Victim No.2 to lay the demolition cable. He was laying the cable and about 3m behind Victim No.1 when there was an explosion. He stated, "I can confidently say that the mines exploded while [Victim No.1] was busy laying the demolition charges".


Ddasaccident087, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident087, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was in a known POMZ minefield but neglected to use a tripwire feeler before advancing beneath a big bush with the detector, so pulled a tripwire with the detector head. It was recorded that there was "No damage to equipment", but photographs of a damaged Schiebel detector were included in the report.


Ddasaccident027, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident027, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

An investigation was made by the Deputy Director of the National MA authority and a UN QA officer. They found that the victim had stepped on a PMN on a disused track and suffered traumatic amputation to his left leg below the knee, injuries to his eyes and "small wounds" on his right leg.


Ddasaccident088, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident088, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that, after a dog had signalled at a spot, the deminer located a signal with a detector and marked it, then started digging with a pick. His partner warning him to change to a bayonet at the second marker but he ignored the warning. He dug up to the third marker with the pick, so struck the mine. His pick was "destroyed".


Ddasaccident101, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident101, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim thought a detector reading was a fragment and was careless when prodding. The mine was identified as a PMN (from "found fragments/pieces"). The victim's bayonet was "lost" and his helmet damaged.


Ddasaccident089, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident089, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was prodding with a bayonet in the squatting position, but was not wearing a frag-vest. He was wearing his helmet when he prodded onto a PMN mine. The victim's bayonet was "lost" and the helmet damaged.


Ddasaccident230, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident230, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The document stated that two teams were due to begin demining in adjacent mined areas at Grid reference CQ 088 850. The team commanders held records of the mined area and had a discussion about the accuracy of those records. One of them said the records were inaccurate but that he knew where the mines were. He led two of his men to show them where the mines were. At 10:45 one of the three men surveying the area activated a PROM-1.


Ddasaccident090, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident090, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was working in a bushy clearance lane with continuous detector readings. Because of the continuous reading, he was digging all of the area and prodded with excessive force and let off a PMN. They identified the device by "found fragments". The victim believing that he had touched a tripwire with his bayonet.


Ddasaccident091, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident091, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was clearing an area containing numerous fuzes. Instead of destroying the fuze where it was, he carried the fuze to another place where he "might have" dropped it and caused the accident. The device was identified as a mortar fuze, one among many UXO spread around the area and blast damaged.


Ddasaccident092, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident092, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators decided that the accident occurred because the victim ignored technical safety procedures and used a shovel for investigation and prodding purposes. He applied too much pressure on the device and "caused the explosion".


Ddasaccident058, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident058, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

No accident report was made available. The demining group's country office had no copy. The accident was listed on a simple spreadsheet held by the country MAC.The injury was given as "upper jaw".


Ddasaccident093, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident093, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Investigators determined that the accident occurred when the Assistant Team Leader and the Section Leader went to inspect the site of another accident that had occurred the day before [believed to be 1st June]. They did this without the permission of the Team Leader, and without his being aware of it.


Ddasaccident094, Hd-Aid Jun 1997

Ddasaccident094, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was working in an area with barbed wire obstacles (that should have been cut and removed). After going around the wire and detecting again he got a reading. He did not mark the reading but squatted and started to prod with his bayonet, and detonated the mine (which was identified as a PMN from "found fragments".


Ddasaccident095, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident095, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim did not centralise the reading point from his detector and "did not follow the marking procedures properly". He prodded while in a squatting position. They noted that the device was identified as a PMN (from "found fragments") and that the victim's helmet and bayonet were "destroyed".


Ddasaccident097, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident097, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim got a detector reading and started prodding in a prone position. As he removed loose soil he pulled a tripwire with his hand. A POMZ six metres away was initiated. The device was identified as a POMZ from "found fragments".


Ddasaccident096, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident096, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was checking the boundary land and got a reading with his detector and investigated it with his prodder. He prodded in the squatting position but found nothing. As he stood up to recheck the position with his detector the device went off in front of him.


Ddasaccident098, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident098, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the two victims found a "UXO" fuze while working in a bushy area.


Ddasaccident099, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident099, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was marking the cleared area up to a mine he had uncovered and which was awaiting detonation. It was near the end of the day so he wanted to go off duty after the found mine was destroyed. He dropped a stone close (25cm) to the found mine and the impact detonated another mine close by. His visor was up at the time, so his face was unprotected. The mine was identified as a PMN [presumably by inference].


Ddasaccident232, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident232, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The document states that the demining team were working in a gulley in a wooded area. "They had used prodders to prove the ground from which they were lifting mines. They also used detectors to sweep the area to 15m beyond the area which had been prodded". A member of the demining team who had been involved in laying the mines during the war "walked into the area which had been swept by detectors and detonated a PMA-3".


Ddasaccident100, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident100, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the minefield was old and the mines had fallen and become buried. The victim did not mark the detector reading point before investigating with a pick, so triggered the mine which was identified as a POMZ from "fragments found". The victim's pick and helmet were damaged.


Ddasaccident102, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident102, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The investigators determined that the victim was clearing the dry bed of a lake [this appears to conflict with "hillside"] and prodded to investigate an area that the dog had indicated. He used his detector then investigated the reading with a pick. The mine was identified as a PMN (from "found fragments"). The victim's pick handle and his visor were damaged. The victim walked out of mined area unaided.


Ddasaccident028, Hd-Aid May 1997

Ddasaccident028, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred at 12:30 in a minefield laid by the Portuguese in the early 1970s. The mines were Italian AUPS mines, with and without fragmentation jackets. The demining group had been working in the area since 1996 and 234 AUPS mines had been destroyed. "The minefield crosses the road many times as it is linked as an obstacle with the river which is running along the valley. At the accident site, the minefield following the road alignment at a distance of about six metres on a rocky slope of approximately 35 degrees." Clearance of ten metres had occurred at …