INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN TESTING DEMINING MACHINES. THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING THEM INTO THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF MINE ACTION

Abstract

To ensure an independent assessment of the applicability, safety and effectiveness of mechanical equipment used during the survey and demining of a contaminated area, it is necessary to test and evaluate its conformity. This makes it possible to assess the capabilities and potential of new technologies and confirm the performance and operational characteristics of the equipment used. To implement the above, it is necessary to clearly define the requirements that mechanical equipment in the field of humanitarian demining must meet; regulatory documents for which testing and conformity assessment must be carried out, i.e., a methodological apparatus for testing and assessing mechanical equipment and tools for it must be developed. The results of the analysis of scientific publications indicate that the issue of determining the requirements for mechanical equipment for humanitarian demining has not been studied, and there is no methodological apparatus for assessing the conformity of equipment and conducting tests. The purpose of the article is to investigate the international and regional experience of humanitarian demining in the context of regulatory and methodological support for determining the requirements for mechanical equipment and methods for their confirmation, as well as the possibility of their adaptation to the national mine action system. It has been established that the following factors should be taken into consideration when developing and using mechanical demining equipment: the specific hazard of ERW, the minimum distance from the explosion site; simplicity of design and operation; maintainability and stability of equipment in the area of operations; ability to transport to the demining site independently; adaptability of mechanical means to different terrain conditions; ability to achieve the required demining depth (15 cm) for Ukraine. It is recommended to take into account the practical experience and regulatory framework of competent international organizations for humanitarian demining to develop a regulatory and methodological apparatus for testing and assessing the conformity of mechanical demining equipment.