See Developing safer demining tools.
Blast resistant excavation tools are recommended
PPE in the International Standards for Mine Action (IMAS).
Excavation tools are a part of any deminer's Personal Protective Equipment. Inadequate tools cause severe injury and their provision is an abrogation of the employers' Duty of Care. See Handtools as PPE.
My
tools are all made out of hard wearing but malleable materials
so that they should not shatter in a blast. They are designed so
that their parts do not separate. When possible, they also include
flexible hand-guards to protect the user more fully while not
getting in the way during use.
They
have been tested against a range of mines and in 2019, they are in widespread use around the world with military organisations, commercial demining companies and demining NGOs.
As usual with
my work, I take no income from the exploitation of the designs,
details of which are freely available.
If
you are interested in tool design or want to make your own, see Handtool
design critera.
My
early Manual Demining Tool Bag and Tools was on Page 56 of the US Army CECOM NVESD Catalogue but has now been removed, apparently along with almost all the work they sponsored almost twenty years ago.
