IED Clearance Good Practice Guide

4.4. FACTORS THAT AFFECT SIGNS

There are three main factors supplemented by other considerations which can affect the appearance of IED signs: Environment, climatic conditions, age

4.4.1. ENVIRONMENT The environment in which an IED has been emplaced will have an impact on the sign that is produced. MA staff should have knowledge of what type of a sign is likely to be present for different IED threats, in the different environmental conditions of the programme in which they are working.

The following can be used as a guide:

GRASSLAND

In grassland there may be a colour change between the location where IEDs are located and areas where they are not. Some explosives are highly toxic and are likely to kill or prevent the growth of vegetation, while others may encourage growth. The regularity of the command wire in Image 62 can be easily seen in medium height grassland. The height of the grass however will conceal the wire from other perspectives, and light levels will significantly alter how easily it can be identified.

Image 62. The regularity of a command wire

IED signs

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