Helping mines meet safety regulations

South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources is now enforcing new regulations compelling opencast mines to enhance safety for all trackless mobile machinery (TMM), such as trucks. To meet the new requirements, a number of South African mines have chosen Hexagon Mining’s safety technology, SAFEmine.

Central to SAFEmine’s appeal is its Collision Avoidance System (CAS), which helps mines improve safety and efficiency, by protecting both human and mechanical assets. Via local distributor, Trysome, SAFEmine CAS is at work in more than 9000 mining vehicles across South Africa. In recent months, five additional mine sites have committed to installing the new, fully-compatible, third-generation SAFEmine CAS onto their fleets.

According to the company, SAFEmine CAS is proven to significantly reduce mining accidents and save millions of dollars by reducing the risk of business disruption and maintenance costs. The Maintenance Superintendent at Premier coal mine, Western Australia, states: “Premier had more than 53% reduction in metal-to-metal contacts within the year following SAFEmine full implementation.”

An online fleet monitoring tool enables managers to track all vehicles and equipment to increase efficiency and prevent abuse and theft. The entire fleet is viewable in real-time on any smart phone, computer, or tablet.

In response to the increasing number of fatigue-related incidents, SAFEmine has developed a three-pillar approach to fatigue monitoring for increased reliability. The appearances of operators, their body clock, and reaction to traffic when operating are analysed. The FatigueMonitor is the only provider to integrate fatigue monitoring and collision avoidance in one device.

More highlights of SAFEmine CAS include the following:

• 360 ° protection at any speed or visibility.
• New technology to detect all obstacles, including pedestrians.
• Technology available to slow down and stop equipment such as trucks.
• Third-generation available, with new nuisance alarm elimination technology.
• Many contractors are already equipped and familiar with SAFEmine CAS.
• Competitive price with special financing options.

Edited from various sources by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/product-news/12062015/safemine-cas-helps-mines-meet-safety-regulations-2410/