INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MINE CLEARANCE TECHNOLOGY 2-4 July 1996 Copenhagen, DENMARK STANDARDS FOR HUMANITARIAN MINE CLEARANCE OPERATIONS STANDARDS FOR HUMANITARIAN MINE CLEARANCE OPERATIONS Alistair Craib INTRODUCTION 1. When standards are applied to a process, there must be a means of verifying that the standards are being achieved. This paper should therefore be read in conjunction with that entitled Quality Assurance. These are two sides of the same coin; ignoring one devalues the other and the complete process. This paper sets out the concepts which should apply to the standards expected during mine clearance. It is not the final solution, but is intended to focus discussion leading to an agreed set of realistic standards. 2. There is a school of thought that humanitarian mine clearance is too deeply involved in emergency work to be worried about standards. Getting mines out of the ground is the major concern and each mine removed is one less potential casualty. How the mines are removed is of less concern and, at best, is a secondary issue. This is a foolish view, and a dangerous one. Any professional organization, whether a commercial company or a non-governmental organization, must be concerned about standards and donors are increasingly demanding proof that adequate standards are being applied. Poorly organized work has sometimes ended in legal action, either because of unnecessary casualties or because the beneficiary is not content with the work. Donors quite frequently refuse to provide funding for new work until they are reassured that the work already completed is of an acceptable standard. 3. The mine clearance industry does not enjoy a universally high reputation and it is known to be without any regulation. It should be a matter or professional pride and self-interest to redress this situation. Accepting and then working to a clear, realistic set of standards is an essential component of this. Many organizations already work to their own high standards, but to maximize their value, they should be seen as universally agreed. 4. For the purposes of this paper, mine clearance is taken to mean the destruction of mines, and small calibre unexploded ordnance (UXO), which can be safely destroyed in situ. It does not include the larger, most complex munitions or situations which require that greater level of training and skill normally associated with explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). FUNDAMENTALS 5. There are three fundamental issues which should always provide the basis for clearing mines. Although each is important, and should always be maximized, they are discussed below in a loose order of priority. SAFETY 6. Clearing any explosive item which is designed to kill or destroy is potentially dangerous. It is essential that it is done as safely as is possible. It is not acceptable to say that mine clearance personnel are paid to accept the risk of death or injury and therefore fewer precautions are needed. Death or injury may be a consequence of the work but it must be minimized through safe procedures and good medical support. Similarly, once the work is completed, the ground that has been cleared must be as safe as realistically possible for those who will later use it. 7. Safety of those clearing mines. This is a key consideration for all employers and, by implication, the donor. In a litigious world, accidents may well lead to the employer being sued citing, in the case of the United Kingdom, Employer's Liability legislation. The employer, whether he be a commercial contractor or a non-governmental organization, owes a duty of care to his employees. Donors are increasingly aware of this and, although they will probably avoid being sued themselves, they will not avoid the political embarrassment of having funded what might be seen as unsafe and unprofessional work. They are now, much more often, taking steps to ensure that their funds are put to professional use. It is therefore in everyone's interest to ensure that all work is done as safely as possible and this can be achieved through adequate training, good procedures, proper protective equipment, good equipment and effective control. 8. None of this guarantees that accidents will not occur, which is why sensible medical support is required with realistic casualty evacuation procedures to get the casualty to appropriate hospital care. 9. Safety of those using the land later. Instinctively it is assumed that, once land has been cleared of mines, it will be 100 per cent safe. This is the ideal to which all professional organizations will aspire, but it may rarely be realistic. In those areas where minefields have been fenced, the question is whether the population is safer once the ground has been cleared, and the fence taken down, than it was before. For the Falkland Islands, the Government of the United Kingdom demanded a 99.995 per cent guarantee (1 mine could be missed in 20,000). Since there are possibly only 14,000 mines there, this was effectively a 100 per cent guarantee. That was not achievable and, as a consequence, the fenced minefields remain. Where ground is being cleared it must be a fundamental expectation that professional organizations will undertake the work to the best of their ability and minimize the residual risk to the population to what is considered an acceptable level. 10. Quality of the work completed. There are many reasons why no 100 per cent guarantee is possible and, perhaps in recognition of this, the United Nations has devised the figure of 99.6 per cent as the target. The difficulty is whether even the most professional organization can guarantee such a figure. Achieving 100 per cent is probably unrealistic and 99.6 per cent is meaningless. Unless it is known exactly how many mines are in an area (this may have been possible in Kuwait, and may be possible for some Falkland Island minefields and even some in Bosnia), it is impossible to know what percentage has been cleared. It is unwise to set a standard which cannot be verified. Other than very rare occasions, mine clearance is a question of risk reduction, not risk elimination. One's emotion may say this is wrong, but the technical realities make it unavoidable. Few of the Western European countries claim to have cleared the explosive residue of the Second World War. Even 50 years after that war ended, bombs, mines and many other items are still being found. Is it realistic to believe that we can clear other countries to a higher level than we do our own? All donors expect their funds to be spent as productively as possible and most want some form of quality assurance. The question of quality assurance is a subject in its own right and is discussed in a separate paper. VALUE FOR MONEY 11. The donor is providing large sums of money and he has the right to expect that it is being used to the best possible advantage. This includes the safety and quality assurance aspects already mentioned, but also should include the cost-effectiveness of the procedures. Can the work be done better and more cheaply another way? Although it is generally accepted that manual techniques give a higher guarantee that all mines have been removed, is the cost justified in all cases? Using a variation of Parieto's Law, a 20 per cent improvement in this guarantee may cost 80 per cent of the total budget. If this 20 per cent improvement is unlikely to lead to more mines being cleared, why spend the money. Again, there is no absolute answer to this but it is a matter which should not be avoided. SETTING STANDARDS 12. There are three parts to setting standards: (a) The mine clearance community as a whole must agree to support a common set of realistic standards; (b) The donor must issue a clear and definitive contract in which his requirements, his expectation of what it is to be achieved, are set out; (c) The contractor must rigorously apply high standards, whether or not it is a clear requirement in his contract. THE STANDARDS The individual 13. The underlying factor is that anyone employed must be trained for, and experienced in, the job for which he is being used. This and other matters are mentioned in annex A. The contractor 14. The contractor must be competent and experienced but must also implement the standards set out in this paper. These matters are raised in annex B. The task 15. It is the manner in which the task is conducted and completed which will determine its success when measured against the fundamental issues of safety, quality and value for money discussed earlier. The standards to be applied are set out in annex C. Conclusion 16. Standards are an essential component of successful mine clearance. Although most contractors already apply their own standards, a common agreed set is required to ensure that all work will meet a minimum standard. Contractors are free to apply more rigorous standards if they wish, but are expected, as a minimum, to follow those set out here. Annex A STANDARDS APPLYING TO THE INDIVIDUAL Preamble 17. The underlying factor is that anyone employed must be trained for, and experienced in, the job for which he is being used. This does not mean that everyone involved in mine clearance must be qualified in that subject. Clearly it is not essential (and may even be wasteful) to employ someone trained in mine clearance as, for example, a logistician. He must be a competent logistician and any other qualification is a bonus. Similarly, the Project Manager running a task need not always be mine clearance trained, although this is not always so clear cut. He must certainly be a competent manager, because the project might fail if he is not irrespective of the quality of the clearance work. There have been instances of a project being managed by a well qualified mine clearance person, but, because he has not been a competent manager, the project has suffered. Some key positions are defined briefly below. 18. These standards apply only to mine clearance operations and are not intended to cover explosive ordnance disposal operations where other standards will apply. Qualifications 19. For all mine clearance personnel, the following minimum qualifications should be expected; (a) Trained at a recognized institution which teaches mine clearance to an acceptable standard1; (b) Having at least one years' practical experience undertaking mine clearance for an acceptable2 contractor3. 20. The donor has the right not to accept the credentials of any individual and can require the contractor to replace him with someone clearly better qualified. 21. The contractor must satisfy himself that a prospective employee is suitable in other regards and, in particular, that he will be able to live in difficult conditions in a developing world environment, and is temperamentally stable. KEY POSTS 22. In addition to the basic qualification for mine clearnce personnel, there are some key posts which are normally required. The standards expected of these is set out below. This list will be increased from time to time. 23. Project Manager. He will be in full charge of the management of the project and need not necessarily be mine clearance and/or EOD trained. His professional background and training will allow him to fully understand the mine clearance/EOD mission, to improve organisation and planning and direct the operations with emphasis on their safety, quality and value for money. He will have authority delegated to him by the contractor to make decisions on his behalf on the planning and management of the task. 24. Supervisor. He will be an internationally trained mine clearance specialist who received his training at a recognised school of high standing. He will have had at least two years operational humanitarian mine clearance experience. He will have experience in planning and running mine clearance tasks. 25. Instructor. He will be an internationally trained mine clearance specialist who received his training at a recognised school of high standing. he will have had at least two years operational humanitarian mine clearance experience. he will have instructional experience. Annex B STANDARDS APPLYING TO THE CONTRACTOR Preamble 26. It is the contractor who will be the driving force during the life of the task; he will select the workforce and will plan and implement the task. The selection of a good contractor is a paramount consideration for the donor. The following points are the basic standards that are expected of the contractor. Pre-proof 27. The competent contractor will be able to provide proof to the donor of the matters set out below. This will be done normally during the invitation to tender (response for proposals) process, but will be tested during the life of the task to ensure the standards are being maintained. 28. The contractor will demonstrate: (a) The competence of the manpower he is using; (b) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) specifying the technical procedures he will be using; (c) His written quality policy; (d) His written safety policy; (e) The insurance cover he is providing for; (i) Personal accident; (ii) Medical expenses; (iii) Third Party liability; (iv) Employer's Liability. Preparation for the task 29. The contractor will provide the following facilities: (a) Sufficient resources to ensure that the contract is properly managed and that the task itself is adequately supervised with a designated Project Manager and any other support staff considered necessary; (b) The best equipment available to meet the requirements of the task; (c) The essential medical cover required to enable a casualty to be stabilized within 5 minutes and to get him to hospital care within 90 minutes; (d) Ballistically proven protective equipment for each individual who is at risk during the task. The equipment must allow the wearing to work as normally as possible with minimum exposure to heat stress. As a minimum this will include: (i) Front face protection; (ii) Front upper body protection of sufficient size to cover all vital organs. During the task 30. The contractor will implement all the standards set out in annex C for the conduct of the task. Annex C STANDARDS APPLYING TO THE TASK Preamble 31. These standards specify the specifics of how a task should be conducted. They are considered to be minimum standards and the contractor should expand them when appropriate. Some relate to safety measures, which are the subject of a separate paper. 32. The mine clearance contractor will comply with the internationally accepted mine clearance and UXO standards, which are set out below and which will be contained, in written form, in his standard operating procedures (SOPs). STANDARDS Planning 33. Selection of priorities. Following a reconnaissance, a decision will be taken on what needs to be done. There is always a range of options which will be heavily influenced by cost, time, security and other factors. The options selected must be within the aims set out by the donor in the contract. 34. General techniques. There are two general ways of clearing an area and the contractor will select the most appropriate. (a) The "box" method. An area is designated by a marked square (often 50 m x 50 m) or a rectangle and is then divided into "lanes". Each lane is then systematically searched until the total designated area is completed. This is the preferred method. (b) The "linear" method. A breach lane is cleared across the likely line of the minefield units all the mine rows are located. Clearance then follows the direction of the rows until the minefield is cleared. This is not the preferred method and should only be used when the box method is inappropriate.4 35. Command and control. Each task site must have a commander who is responsible for all aspects of the work at that location. He must be capable of fulfilling this role and must be clearly identified. LAYOUT OF CLEARANCE TASK 36. Marking. The task site is to be marked to show the outside limits of the mined or suspect area. As the area is progressively cleared, the physical marking is to be moved so that it always shows the suspect area. The manner of marking may vary and should use material which will not degrade or be stolen. Whatever system is used, it must be clear, unambiguous and consistent. 37. Datum Point and Start Line. A datum point must be chosen which will act as the single reference point (grid reference or latitude and longitude) of the task site. It will be clearly shown on all plans. The start line is the base line form which all clearance work starts and should always be in safe ground. 38. Medical Point. There is to be a clearly designated medical point (or points) at which medical assistance is available. The number and distribution of these is a matter of judgement, but they must be sufficiently close to task sites for assistance to be quickly available when required. 39. Evacuation Point. There is to be a clearly designated evacuation point (or points) to which people go in the event of an emergency. Ideally, this should be outside the minefield perimeter, but, in any event, the safe routes to them must be clearly marked. It is at the evacuation point that the emergency vehicle/ambulance should be located. 40. Safe routes. All minefield tasks must have clearly marked safe routes to allow people to get to their working location and to allow evacuation in the case of an emergency. These are to be maintained and extended as work progresses. 41. Scrap Metal Points. It is a basic concept that when areas are searched (with metal-seeking mine detectors) that all metal contamination will be removed. This metal is then to be taken to a clearly designated scrap metal point, where it is to be deposited for subsequent disposal. 42. Vehicle Park. A vehicle park is to be situated just outside the minefield area. The safety vehicle will always be located here. CONDUCT OF CLEARANCE TASK 43. Plan of work. The contractor will always have a plan of work for the task site. This will anticipate the time the task is likely to take and the allocation of resources. It will show the justification for starting the task and the method of clearance to be used. 44. Safety Plan. Before any contracted personnel approach to a suspect mined area, the contractor is to have a realistic safety plan which is known and understood by all personnel. Before full-scale work commences, the plan is to be practised to confirm its viability and to familiarize all staff with the procedures. 45. Evacuation Plan. The contractor must have an evacuation plan to cover two key eventualities: (a) The removal of casualties out of the minefield; (b) The removal to safety of all personnel in the event of a break-down of law-and-order or general insecurity. 46. Quality Assurance. There are a number of parts to quality assurance, all of which are important and which together provide the best result: (a) The contractor must use his best endeavours at all times and employ proper techniques and properly qualified personnel; (b) The contractor is to have a written quality assurance policy available to the donor or his agent. In particular, he is to undertake those quality assurance checks set down in this policy or otherwise agreed with the donor or his agent; (c) Many tasks will be independently monitored but, while this will enhance quality assurance, it does not lessen the primary onus on the contractor; (d) In minefield tasks, all metal should be removed from the searched areas to allow effective quality assurance; (e) The contractor will be required to certify the effectiveness of all clearance undertaken. Where there are technical reasons why 99.6 per cent is not feasible, these are to be explained in detail. On completion of each task, a certificate is to be provided to the donor or his agent showing exactly the area cleared and the level of clearance completed. 47. Techniques to be used. The contractor will only use internationally accepted techniques such as those set forth below. If he wishes to try other techniques, or to modify existing ones, he must first obtain the approval of the donor. 48. Depth of clearance. Unless otherwise specified, all clearance is to be down to a minimum depth of 200 mm below the surface of the ground at any point. This depth may have to be increased if there is a known threat which makes this necessary. 49. Speed of clearance. It is almost impossible to define clearly here the speeds of clearance which should apply in all possible situations. There are too many variables for this to be realistic. This is a matter, however, which should be agreed between the contractor and the donor or his agent and should be incorporated into the contract in the form of performance milestones which the contractor is to meet. These milestones can be designed against the knowledge of the task, its location, and the other factors which will have a bearing on the speed at which it can be undertaken. 50. Site security and use of sentries. The site is to be made secure at all times while work is in progress. It may not always be possible to guarantee the exclusion of people from the site, but, where this is not possible, the perimeter of the site must be well marked with warning signs written in the local language. If possible there should only be one entrance to the site and that should be supervised. There are situations where it is impossible to stop people from entering the site - a safe track essential to local people may pass through it - and in this case the safe route through is to be clearly marked. In all cases where a demolition is to take place on site, everyone must be kept out of the danger area until the demolition is confirmed as completed and the location safe. Sentries will be needed to block access down roads/tracks and should ideally have inter-visibility between adjacent sentries. The sentries must be in radio contact with the task commander, who will authorize them to let people through once it is safe to do so. MANUAL MINE CLEARANCE TECHNIQUES 51. Probing. Mine clearers engaged in probing for mines are to be encouraged to do this in the prone or squatting position, according to local conditions. The width of each lane being cleared by a single person is to be no greater than one metre. The limits of the lane are to be clearly marked to ensure that no ground is missed between adjacent lanes. The angle of the probe should be no greater than 40 degrees to the horizontal. 52. Detectors. Mine detectors may be used in the prone, squatting or standing position. The width of each lane being cleared by a single person is to be no more than one metre. The limits of the lane are to be clearly marked to ensure that no ground is missed between adjacent lanes. The detector is to be tested at the beginning of each day and at least every hour thereafter. Rechargeable batteries are to be recharged at the end of each day. Where disposable batteries are used, the site commander must have sufficient spares to re-equip each detector at his site immediately when the low-battery warning is heard. 53. Excavation. This is usually undertaken in the squatting position and requires the earth to be completely removed down to a depth of 200 mm. Since the area being checked is very obvious, a much wider area can be assigned to an individual than is the case for probing and detector use. The tool used for excavation must be sensitively applied and should not cut into the earth vertically downwards. It should be used at an angle approximating that for the probe (at the working face of the excavation) has been created, the tool should be applied below the level of the ground surface and therefore below the likely level of most mine pressure plates. 54. Trip-wires. The risk of trip-wires is to be evaluated at the start of all tasks. Where a risk exists, then appropriate measures must be used to protect personnel. The risk is greatest in tall grass and the grass should be cut carefully before probing, excavating or the use of detectors is allowed. Burning the vegetation can make this task less difficult, but this may not always be possible. 55. Removing scrap metal. At sites where mine detectors are being used, it is a mandatory requirement that all scrap metal located is removed to a designated point where it is collected for later disposal. Subsequent quality assurance procedures on this site may fail the task if metal is located. 56. Separation of personnel. It is essential that people looking for mines are a minimum safety distance apart. This distance can vary according to the threat and common sense should be used. The following distances, however, are considered appropriate. Threat Distance Remarks Anti-personnel mines 10 m Anti-group mines Stake mine 25 m Directional 100 m Some may require 200 m Bounding 50 m Anti-tank mines 25 m Trip-wires various As for anti-group mines UXO various This can vary considerably and advice should be sought for each item 57. Weather. To maintain effectiveness people should not be required to work in extreme weather conditions. The precise definition of what is extreme must remain a matter for the Project Manager. The final judgement should be made by striking a balance between safety, the quality of the work which will be achieved, and the need to get on with the work. Great care must be taken before allowing work to continue in the following circumstances: (a) When the ground to be cleared is under water, under snow or frozen; (b) In monsoon rain; (c) In a dust storm; (d) When the temperature at the task site is exceptionally high or low for the country in question. MECHANICAL MINE CLEARANCE TECHNIQUES 58. For clearing mines. There is much debate on the value of using mechanical mine clearance equipment. Where this is to be used, it must be agreed by the donor. He is to be made aware of the benefits and the disadvantages. In particular he is to be advised of the realistic probability of clearing all the mines in the area in question relative to what would be likely using other methods. Where mechanical equipment is used, they must be supported by personnel using manual techniques to clear those areas which the machine cannot reach - for example, near trees, sharp depressions in the ground, and so on. 59. For clearing vegetation. Equipment used in the removal of undergrowth prior to mine/UXO clearance, and equipment used for the detection of mines and UXO is to be of an internationally recognized high technical specification. DISPOSAL OF RECOVERED MINES 60. Mines and UXO will be destroyed in situ and will not be neutralized or disarmed except in the circumstances shown below. In such cases, neutralizing and disarming procedures, or the supervision of such procedures will only be performed by appropriately qualified personnel (normally this will be Explosive Ordnance Disposal). Those mines and UXO which have been neutralized or disarmed are to be destroyed as soon as is practicable. (a) Where such procedures may be necessary to remove an immediate and life threatening danger to other human beings who cannot be removed from the danger area: for example, during the rescue of a casualty from a mined area, but only if absolutely necessary. (b) Where there is a risk of serious damage to a vital asset or national resource which cannot be reduced by the use of appropriate and reasonable protective and damage limitation measures. 61. Mines may be pulled if necessary if such a procedure is included in the contractor's Standard operating procedures. 62. The practice of removing mines and explosives from the field for use as souvenirs or trophies is expressly forbidden. All mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) are to be destroyed. 63. It is essential that no mines are left in a location or circumstances which allows them to be taken by anyone not authorised to do so. From the moment they are located to the moment they are destroyed, mines must remain in the direct control of the contractor. HANDLING UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE (UXO) 64. UXO will only be handled by those qualified to do so. Small, or common5 items of UXO may be demolished in situ by competent6 personnel without specialist explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training. 65. All UXO which was aircraft delivered or which constitute missiles, whether launched or not, are to be handled only by EOD qualified personnel. 66. If UXO has to be moved, or if it is not a common nature, it must be handled only by properly qualified EOD personnel. 67. Under no circumstances is any item of UXO to be removed as a trophy or souvenir. EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL (EOD) SUPPORT 68. It is recognized that not all mine clearance tasks require EOD qualified personnel permanently available. The contractor, however, is to have a plan, set out in his SOPs, which make clear the circumstances when EOD support is to be requested and how it will be provided. EXPLOSIVES 69. Procurement. It is essential that the procurement of explosives will not add to the existing net availability of explosives in the country of work. Ideally, agreement will be sought from appropriate national authorities for the use of explosives from their existing resources. Explosives donated (other than by national authorities), or imported, will be kept under the direct control of the contractor and either returned to the donor, destroyed, or passed formally to another contractor (with the approval of the donor) once the original contractor has no further need for it. 70. Storage. All explosives must be stored under the direct control of the contractor. In cases where explosives are donated by a national authority, the explosives should, if possible, be moved to the contractor's own store. If this is not possible, then the contractor should request sole access to the store provided by the national authority. Although it may not always be possible for storage conditions to match internationally accepted standards, the highest possible standards are to be employed. In cases where compromises are necessary, common sense should be applied. 71. Use. All explosive demolition or pyrotechnic disposal of mines and UXO will be undertaken or supervised only by suitably trained personnel. All explosives are to be used in accordance with the following principles; (a) It must be used safely; (b) It must only be available to, and used by, those properly authorized to set up demolitions; (c) All excess explosives taken to a demolition site must either be destroyed at the end of the day or, if safe to do so, returned to the proper store. DEMOLITION TECHNIQUES 72. Techniques. Only internationally accepted techniques are to be used. Shortcuts must never be used. 73. Safety. This is the overriding consideration and must never be compromised. No demolition is to be conducted unless all possible safety procedures have been put in place. See also separate paper on this subject. 74. Danger areas. Before a demolition is undertaken, the appropriate safety distance is to be determined and sentries placed to maintain the integrity of the area. For these safety distances, see paper on the subject of safety. 75. Electric initiation. This will always be the preferred choice and is to be used whenever possible. 76. Non-Electric initiation. This is to be used only when electric initiation is not possible. 77. Exploders. A special-to-purpose exploder will always be used. Improvised equipment such as a battery is never to be used. 78. Protective works. Before demolishing a mine or UXO in situ, the possible need for protective works is to be considered. The use of a sandbag enclosure may increase safety and may reduce the size of the danger area with a corresponding reduction in disruption. MAPPING 79. The map is one of the most important records of the task and it is important that it be properly constructed. It must allow someone to understand what it represents even many years after it was drawn and even if the original minefield markings on the ground have disappeared. Where maps are not available, or are of an inappropriate scale, the contractor will produce a scaled sketch map or plan, of trace thereof showing: (a) Magnetic north; (b) Known boundaries of hazardous areas; (c) Alignment of roads and tracks; (d) The datum point and how it is marked; (e) The datum line; (f) The start line; (g) Date of commencement; (h) Date of completion, or suspension of work, or date on which the map was drawn (if work is still on-going); (i) Suspension line or final completion line; (j) Number of mines and dealt with, by type; (k) Area searched in square metres, measured on the ground; (l) Searched areas defined by compass bearings and taped distances; (m)Scale of the map or plan. 80. Alternatively, where maps of an appropriate scale are available, the same details can be provided on a trace of the relevant map. 81. Irrespective of whether commercially produced maps are available, the following maps are to be created and maintained. Working Map Task Site Map Task Site Final Map 82. As a minimum, the following details are to be observed. (a) Working map. Each task must have a map, or sketch, which shows: (i) The known extent of the minefield; (ii) All safe lanes; (iii) Areas so far cleared; (iv) A legend which indicates how the minefield is marked in the ground. 83. This map will be held by the task site manager and adjustments to the detail will be inserted by him no less frequently than the end of each day. 84. The scale should be no less than 1:5,000 and ideally 1:1,000. (b) Task site map. This is the formal map which is held by the Project Manager and is a copy of the working map. It is an essential backup in case the working map is lost or destroyed. It will be brought up to date no less frequently than once each week. (c) Task site final map. At the completion of the task, a map will be drawn to represent the situation when work stopped whether or not all mines have been cleared. These maps will become part of the final project report. In addition to the details already stated as necessary, this map will also show: areas where mines are known still to be located; and, areas where mines are suspected to be located. (d) Reference to international positioning. The maps must fit within a recognized international grid system. It must show: (i) Magnetic north; (ii) At least one fixed (and permanent) feature with its latitude and longitude. If there is no fixed feature on the ground within the scope of the map, then a permanent market post is to be set into the ground and used as the reference point; (iii) Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment may be used to measure latitude and longitude and this must be stated on the map with a note of the likely error. (e) Detailed minefield positioning. All measuring systems incur an error and, if unchecked, can lead to maps which are worthless. The greatest care must be taken to keep errors to a minimum and to ensure that they do not become accumulative. If there is any doubt, then the advice of a cartographer should be sought. The principles of resection should be employed (using back bearings from known, visible and permanent features). 85. The contractor is to maintain adequate records of all the work undertaken. Normally this will be specified in the contract, but if not, then the following are to be maintained. (a) A diary outlining the events of the day; (b) A file for each task showing all relevant details of the task and, in particular: (i) the initial request or rationale for the task; (ii) the reconnaissance report; (iii) all progress reports; (iv) any accident reports; (v) a record of all mines and UXO found (listed by type) and showing their disposal; (vi) the completion certificate. (c) A casualty report explaining the events leading to the incident and the results of the inquiry; (d) A weekly report to be submitted by the commander of each task site to the Project Manager; (e) A quarterly report which should be submitted by the contractor to the donor; (f) A completion report at the end of the contract and containing a summary of all the detail above and to contain completion certificates and quality certificates. COMPLETION CERTIFICATE 86. An example of a completion certificate is attached to this annex. VISITORS 87. The greatest care must be taken when allowing visitors onto a mine clearance site. In most cases, they will have no experience of the dangers or understanding of the essential safety precautions. In general, visitors should be discouraged from entering a mined area; most things that they wish to see will be visible from outside the minefield perimeter. Any visitor allowed into a minefield, however, must be given the same protection as that given to an employee. Although it must remain the visitor's responsibility to ensure that he is properly insured, there may be a moral obligation on the contractor if an accident occurs and the visitor is not properly insured. The contractor may consider it wise to request proof of the insurance cover held by the visitor to ensure that it is adequate for medical, personal injury and Casevac costs. 88. All visitors to task sites will be given a full safety briefing prior to entry into the site and will be escorted at a ratio of 1:4 (each group of 4 visitors will have an escort). Each group of visitors will maintain a safety distance of at least 20 metres from other groups. COMPLETION CERTIFICATE CONTRACT DEFINITION Contract Title: Contract no.: Donor: Contractor: MINEFIELD DEFINITION Location: GR: Lat: Long: Nearest town: Country: Completion report Date: Reference: TASK DEFINITION Dates: Started: Suspended: Ended: Area cleared: ha Located (quantity) Mines: UXO: Other: Destroyed (quality) Mines: UXO: Other: Clearance methods used Excavation Depth: mm % of total: Probing Depth: mm % of total: Detectors Type: % of total: Dogs Nos: % of total: Mechanical System: % of total: Other Specify: % of total: Verification Method of verifying that area was safe Date: To be signed by the contractors authorized representative. It is certified that the above details are correct and that work has been undertaken to the standard specified in the contract document. Where this has not been possible, the locations and circumstances are explained in the statement attached to this certificate. Signed Name Date LEVEL 2 QUALITY ASSURANCE VERIFICATION (To be completed by the monitor) Name: Reg. no.: Organization: Visits to this task No.: Dates: Total time: Monitoring reports Reference: Date: Relevant pages: Were all recommendations implemented by the contractor? If no, attach response Yes/No to this certificate. Are you satisfied, as far as your were able to determine, that the work has been professionally undertaken? Yes/No It is certified that the statements in this Level 2 report are accurate. Signed Name Date LEVEL 3 QUALITY ASSURANCE VERIFICATION (To be completed by the monitor) Name: Reg no.: Organization: Was this task sample tested? Method: Yes/No Area sampled Area % of total Duration ha days Was anything found? If yes (state quantity) Yes/No Mines UXO Scrap kg Recommendation Is remedial action required? Yes/No Is the work acceptable? Yes/No It is certified that the statements in this Level 3 report are accurate. Signed Name Date DONORS CERTIFICATE Financial retention % US$ Release date: Subject to the condition applying to the financial retention, it is accepted that the work has been satisfactorily completed. Signed Name Date Notes 1 This might be a military establishment or a training course run by a contractor. In both cases, the onus is on the individual to demonstrate the quality of his training. 2 This will be a matter for the donor to determine, with specialist advice if required. 3 To avoid a "chicken-and-egg" situation, this may be waived, subject to the donors approval, if: (i) Only a small proportion of the manpower falls into this category; (ii) The individuals are subject to some supervision until they have completed the year. 4 Such a case might be a protective minefield around the perimeter of a former military camp which, to clear by the box method is quantifiably inefficient in the use of manpower resources. In this example, less than 2 per cent of a box is likely to contain mines. 5 Such items would be those which, in the military context, could be destroyed by non-EOD personnel. 6 Competence in this sense implies extensive mine clearance experience and appropriate demolitions training sufficient to destroy mines.