By monitoring the engagement of deminer capacities on a daily i.e. weekly basis, there has been a great difference observed between the number of engaged deminers and the total number of accredited deminers. The average number of deminers engaged on a weekly basis comes to 288,24 deminers and the analysis revealed the reasons for engagement of 40% less deminers than the total number of accredited ones.
From January 1 to November 1, 2009, the total number of deminers performing demining operations increased due to several courses for deminers held. On November 15, 2009, there were 638 accredited deminers in the Republic of Croatia.
The actual number of deminers that perform demining operations depends on different factors such as temporary incapacity (illness), force majeure (weather conditions), organizational problems (beginning and completion of operations at the woksite and other problems at the site), conduct of worksite leader's or deputy worksite leader's work and other forms of obstruction of deminers' work.
Taking into account the facts that there are 247 working days in 2009, that each deminer has a right on 30 days of yearly periodical, that the operations are conducted in the outdoor and therefore depend on weather conditions and that the continuity of operations cannot always be guaranteed due to other reasons as well, in the long run, the total number of deminers working days is reduced for ca. 10%. According to that, each deminer can realize the maximum of 195 working days per year.
Until November 15, 2009, the total number of realised deminers working days, along with all the above-mentioned circumstances, comes to 170. Comparison of the total number of working days and the number of deminers working days until November 15 resulted in the coefficient of utilisation of working days. In this particular case, the coefficient comes to 1,87 and it enabled the statistic calculation of the actual number of engaged deminers.
As per product of coefficient of utilisation of working days and weekly average of engaged deminers until November 15, 2009, there were 538,70 deminers engaged in the Republic of Croatia each working day. According to the analysis carried out, we believe the capacities of deminers in the Republic of Croatia to be completely and optimally used.
Demining operations are operations of interest for the safety of the Republic of Croatia and protection of environment and people's health. Demining capacities have constantly been growing since 1998 what is greatly the result of legislator's decision to establish the body that would coordinate and manage the demining process in Croatia, to implement the market principle of awarding the operations and continuous growth of financial means allocated for demining.
With regard to adopted National Mine Action Strategy of the Republic of Croatia 2009-2019 according to which the biggest demining capacity growth is expected in the period 2012-2013 and continuous growth of the number of deminers, we can expect the increase of the total number of deminers and their engagement and utilisation in demining operations to be maximum, as it has been so far.