Risk assessments by surface mines are fundamental to operating trackless mining machines (TMMs) safely, and are a requirement of the Mine Health and Safety Act.
Risk assessments and appropriate PDS and CPS systems are key to operating mining machines safely.
“It is significant that we see mines continuously conducting risk assessments on their mobile vehicles and traffic management systems,” says Anton Lourens, CEO of Booyco Electronics, South Africa’s leading developer of proximity detection systems (PDS) and collision prevention systems (CPS). “Such risk evaluations are essential in identifying appropriate risk mitigation responses and technology for each site.”
Speaking from his extensive industry experience, Lourens says surface miners have largely implemented Level 7 PDS and CPS systems, which can warn of possible collisions. They have also embraced Level 8 systems, which can identify and advise on corrective actions. Further testing is being conducted on Level 9 systems, which come with a controlled ‘slow-down and stop’ engineering control intervention.
“The groundwork for this progress has been laid by years of collaboration between the Minerals Council of South Africa, mining companies, PDS suppliers and original equipment manufacturers,” he says. “The process has allowed the available technologies to be reviewed carefully, with the necessary recommendations being made to the regulator – the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.”
Industry has also made significant headway in the testing of PDS technology, Lourens says. Simulation testing has been conducted by the Vehicles Dynamic Group at the University of Pretoria, in a process developed by the Minerals Council. This testing demonstrates the capabilities of PDS solutions so these can be submitted to the stakeholders.
Booyco Electronics has conducted multiple tests as part of its continuous improvement in the performance of its systems. This has allowed the company to progress to single and multiple machine tests on mine sites. The tests are ongoing at some surface mines, with positive results. Another important step forward has been the integration of the CPS systems with OEM equipment, says Lourens.
“Industry recently adopted the ISO 21815-2 (2021) standard, which deals specifically with how a CPS solution should integrate with OEM offerings,” he says. “This allowed for a common interface between all CPS suppliers and the different OEMs.”
As mines conduct their risk assessments in preparation for applying PDS, Lourens points out that the risks of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions should both be fully considered. He notes that many surface operations seem to place more focus on using PDS to mitigate vehicle-to-vehicle risk. This may be due to mines applying mitigation strategies such as traffic management, fixed barriers or pedestrian walkways to address vehicle-to-pedestrian risk.
“By creating a separation of people from moving machinery, part of the risk can certainly be mitigated,” he says. “However, with the development of our systems from Level 7 to Level 9, today’s CPS offerings make them a more comprehensive solution.”
To ensure that mines around the world can make the most of CPS solutions, Booyco Electronics collaborates with a number of technology partners – or system integrators – in various regions. Lourens says rapid technological advances in the mining sector make it difficult for mines to develop and retain specialised skill sets in CPS and related technologies. “The system integrators help mines to apply CPS effectively, bridging the gaps in different areas of expertise to promote safety and efficiency.”
He adds: “There has been a great deal of work on PDS and CPS over recent years, paving the way for mines to install optimal solutions. This supports ongoing progress towards the industry’s goal of achieving zero harm.”
For more information visit: www.booyco-electronics.co.za
