Manual demining tools

There is no evidence that any accident has occurred while using the paint-brushes commonly seen in demining tool sets. They are used to brush away the final soil sticking to the side of a mine or suspicious object. However, those paint brushes are not designed for the purpose, are far too short for safety, and the bristles are usually too soft to do the job well.

The AVS demining brush is low-cost, more effective and a safer alternative to a paint-brush. It is made using a 40cm section of malleable stainless steel pipe with bristles set into it at both ends. A simple reversible tool, one end has stiff “yard-broom” bristles and the other softer hand-brush bristles. The brush is light and easy to use from a far greater distance than its conventional alternatives.

In tests, the bristles of the brush were placed on top of a mine. The bristles were burnt off in the blast but the stainless steel handle remained in one piece.

The picture shows a soldier exposing an AP mine with the brush in Colombia.