4.10.HUMAN REMAINS CLEARANCE
4.10.1. INTRODUCTION
ׁ WARNING. MA staff that are called on to help manage human remains should always seek and secure all necessary permissions from government officials, the acceptance of families, the agreement of community leaders and religious authorities. Failure to do so can result in criminal liability, and unnecessary security risks for those involved and the organisation they represent. There is always the potential of finding human remains during MA operations and dealing with them is an extremely sensitive subject. TNMA 10.10/01 Guidelines on the management of human remains located during mine action operations provides further guidance and should be read in conjunction with this sub- section. The management of human remains is the responsibility of the relevant authorities who should be notified immediately when they are discovered. MA staff may be asked to assist if:
• Human remains lie within a suspected or confirmed hazardous area;
• Conventional explosive ordnance (EO) is present (or suspected) on or within the remains;
• An IED(s) is present (or suspected) on or within close proximity to the remains;
• All or a combination of the above.
ׁ WARNING. Unauthorised tampering or handling of human remains is a serious offence in most countries (regardless of any good intentions behind the actions). Human remains may be treated as a CRIME SCENE and corresponding criminal liability may last a long time (i.e. individuals or organisations may be held accountable long after the offence).
This sub-section focuses on the possible EO hazards that may be present on human remains, with a particular emphasis on IEDs. Conventional EO is mentioned for completeness. Other hazards associated with human remains, such as biological hazards and psychological considerations are not covered, and the reader should refer to TNMA 10.10/01. 4.10.2. STAGES FOR THE CLEARANCE OF HUMAN REMAINS Upon the discovery of human remains, cease work immediately in order to preserve the crime scene and inform the relevant authorities (civilian, military, religious or municipal) without delay. The following 6-stage plan provides guidance on clearing human remains.
STAGE 1 – REQUESTS AND PERMISSIONS
Only when a request from an appropriate authority is received and the relevant permissions granted should any actions be taken. It is likely that representatives from the relevant authorities will need to be present at the worksite when any actions associated with human remains are undertaken.
IEDD techniques and procedures
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