PRINCIPLE 6 Assessment of structural integrity of the building should be carried out prior to entry.
MA organisations should have mechanisms in place to assess buildings prior to staff entering them. These should be specified in NMAS and SOPs that are guided by IMAS 07.14 Risk Management in Mine Action having assessed the nature of the damage and the construction type of the building. The question of whether the building is salvageable and requires manual search, or is too unstable and will be demolished, should be established prior to survey or clearance by MA organisations.
Damage to upper floor
Damaged supporting structure
Image 7. This image shows indicators such as the damage to the upper floor and supporting structure – questionable structural integrity?
PRINCIPLE 7 If there is a suspicion that non-explosive hazards are present, personnel should be appropriately trained and equipped for these hazards.
Different environments will present different non-explosive hazards that can pose a risk to MA staff. These should be identified and mitigated, even if the only action taken is that they are avoided completely until suitable resources and trained staff become available; this may require the assistance of a subject matter specialist in the planning stages, such as an electrical engineer for large electrical infrastructures. Examples include toxic industrial chemicals, biological hazards, confined spaces, unstable structures (see Image 7) and working at height (see Image 8).
Introduction
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