• A temporary marker is placed back towards the cleared area at a distance to be confirmed through the operational threat assessment and specified in the clearance plan using the calculations in Table 1. This temporary marker is where the excavation will begin and therefore should be at a safe distance from the signal’s centre mass to prevent a worst-case scenario occurring if an IED component is disturbed. Having confidence in this distance enables the searcher to use hand tools to break the ground in order to achieve the required depth, prior to starting an excavation channel towards the suspect signal.
ׁ WARNING. The area where excavation will begin should be in the direction of search and should have already been searched visually and with a detector.
Images 2 to 6 show the delineation of a low metal content bare wire pressure plate. Due to its design only the centre mass of the plate provides a detector signal.
Low metal content bare wire pressure plate (subsurface)
Searcher with detector in lane
IED main charge (subsurface)
Image 2. The searcher receives a signal that a subsurface object is present
Detector head and direction of sweep
Image 3. The searcher uses detector delineation techniques to try to gain as much information as possible about the size and orientation of the suspect item
ׁ WARNING. In Image 3 the searcher does not extend their reach.
Search core skills and procedures
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