DIGGERWORKS 031/25/26 – Document.pdf

Written by Claude Haiku 4.5 from the extracted text on 10 Jul 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

This internal Defence brief from August 2017 discusses Diggerworks' research into blast overpressure exposure affecting Australian soldiers. The memo reports findings from Project Cerebro (2011) and Exercise Chon Ju (2016) using Black Box Biometrics Blast Gauges, revealing that friendly weapon systems may exceed established safety thresholds designed to prevent eardrum damage. Diggerworks identified concerns about repetitive low-level blast exposure and its potential link to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), noting fragmented research across multiple organisations including Australian trials by Dr Mark Jaffrey and New Zealand Defence Force studies. The author requested a trial program to collect exposure data from soldiers operating specific systems, but acknowledged Diggerworks lacks capability for medical analysis or cognitive testing, seeking external partners to conduct further investigation. The memo emphasizes the need for comprehensive literature review and development of safety guidelines comparable to military standards. Substantial redactions obscure recipient names, specific weapons systems, and certain program details.