Unexploded ordnance (UXO) presents a threat to personnel, materials, and facilities due to explosive hazard risks. There are hundreds of millions of unaccounted‐for mines worldwide, typically along disputed borders or areas of historical hostility. These mines continue to present serious risks to the local populace as well as to companies operating abroad. Threat areas are rarely, if at all, properly marked. Clearance of movement corridors and work sites is often a challenge to projects seeking to operate safely within a region. Ordnance is also subject to drift, often being moved seasonally by rivers, or shifting with landslides. The scattering of explosive ordnance can make locating materials difficult to impossible, and shifting sand and dirt can mask or uncover minefields. In some instances, buildings and other structures may also be booby‐trapped, with explosives inadvertently detonated by unintended victims.
Companies should advise their staff on UXO awareness, including how to recognize explosive ordnance and minefields, whether marked with Western symbols, or with tin cans or sticks by the local communities. Companies should also invest time and resources in training staff in how to avoid risks presented by UXOs, as well as what to do if inadvertently caught in a minefield. The following guidelines should be provided to staff to avoid explosive hazard threats:
§ Avoid areas that have in the past been mined, or have been the scene of fighting—they are typically mined.
§ Conduct a threat assessment for areas of doubt in order to evaluate the risks of UXO or mines within a work site or mobility corridor.
§ Do not pick up attractive items or attempt to retrieve souvenirs from battlefields—they may be booby‐trapped.
§ Do not attempt to remove obstacles that are blocking your vehicle's route, as they may be booby‐trapped.
§ Avoid isolated and uninhabited buildings, as they may be booby‐trapped.
§ Avoid buildings that might have been bombed, as they may have unexploded ordnance and are also likely to be structurally unsound.
§ Avoid areas that have not been cultivated by locals, or that have discarded packaging materials in the area.
As part of a hostile environment training package for those companies with staff operating in countries with mine threats, security awareness will assist in mitigating many of the threats personnel will face. Staff should be instructed to always check with local authorities or local leaders as to any known mine threats, especially if leaving well‐used roads or tracks. Where possible, personnel should keep to well‐used pathways, tracks, and roads, although they should still be observant for unusual indentations or bumps in the ground. If a mine detonates in close proximity to personnel, they should be advised that there will likely be more mines in the vicinity, and that they might be within a minefield. Personnel who suspect or know they are in a minefield should be advised to:
§ Do nothing, stay still, remain calm, and wait for assistance.
§ Retrace your steps if you can clearly identify them, or use vehicle tracks if visible.
§ Only if you are under immediate attack or dealing with a casualty with life‐threatening injuries, you may use a knife or a stick and prod gently at a 45‐degree angle over a three‐foot‐wide path in front of you in order to identify the edge of any possible mines, creating a safe path out of the risk area.
The IMP should be used as a secondary component to any advisory instructions or training provided to deployed staff. Company policies on safe movement and restricted areas should also be a key component to operating within areas known to contain mines or other explosive hazards. The IMP provides guidance to managers if staff find themselves within a suspected or known minefield, enabling the safe and controlled extraction of personnel from a threat area. Separate instructions should be provided to staff operating in areas with unexploded hazards as part of a separate safety awareness package.
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