To minimise the heat stress to deminers, most protective aprons and ensembles account for this by having an open back. The greatest proportion of landmines are in hot countries. There will be some rapid loading applied to the hand and lower arm but this manageable and preferable to the alternatives. The integrated prodder and conical shield shown is a viable approach as it diverts the blast away from the hand and the materials used provide protection from the fragmentation. Chris Moon MBE lost his hands when the prodder he was carrying was projected upwards through his hand. A lot of manual clearance uses prodding and such prodders can become secondary projectiles. It is critical however that such protection must not reduce dexterity and ‘feel’. This can be mitigated by well fitted gloves using a high strength fibre such as an aramid. The hands are are closest to the threat and are at risk of ‘de-gloving’ which involves the skin and tissue being stripped away by the blast.
The majority of equipment designed for protection against buried AP mines is focused on the needs of those involved in their clearance.
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