MARK CRANITCH
AROUND THE WORLD IN BRIEF
Charles Dumaresq VP of Science and Environmental Management, MAC
Stricter guidelines for tailings Two-thirds of heavy industrial accidents are rooted in cognitive fatigue, says Canaria Technologies CEO Alex Moss. To predict when an operator is at high risk, the company has developed the Canaria-V, a wearable that gathers biometric and environmental data.
Biometric screening prevents medical issues Canaria CEO Alex Moss states that twothirds of heavy industrial accidents are rooted in cognitive fatigue, often caused by microsleep during operation of heavy machinery. The predictive biometric system does two things: firstly, it collects data to gain knowledge of health and safety-related problems; secondly, it detects and sends an alarm about medical incidents several minutes before they happen. The system is being tested at the Lake Giles site.
LKAB
BIOMETRIC SCREENING TECHNOLOGY might come to be of great assistance in predicting and preventing health-related issues in industrial operations, Mining Magazine reports. Australian company Canaria Technologies has developed the Canaria-V, a wearable device the size of a hearing aid. The biometric and environmental data gathered by the device is analyzed in real time by an AI system to predict when the wearer is at a high risk of, for example, cognitive fatigue or heat exhaustion.
Spot the Wonder Dog SPOT, A ROBOTIC MINING DOG developed by LKAB, has been undergoing on-site trials since September 2020. Spot is equipped with AI technology enabling it to recognize environments, adapt to the terrain and find its way autonomously from point A to point B, even in challenging terrain with moving obstacles. It can carry 14 kilograms of equipment, including cameras, first aid kits and drones. 20
Mining & Construction | No. 01 | 2021
MAC – the Mining Association of Canada – has updated its guidelines for tailings management. Why? “Failure to safely and responsibly manage tailings can potentially have catastrophic outcomes for safety, health and the environment. A tailings failure in Brazil in 2019, for example, caused almost 300 fatalities. We have revised our guidance on tailings management, which is a part of our Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) program, to better align with the new Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management. On comparing the two, we found a high degree of alignment with the Standard, with MAC providing more substance and detail in many regards, but we also identified some gaps. The revisions MAC has completed address some of those gaps, thereby helping to ensure that MAC continues to deliver worldleading practice on responsible tailings management.” Can you give us some examples of revisions? “We have added some levels of specificity on accountability and responsibility, such as the responsibilities of an executive officer within the company and the responsibilities of persons on site with lead responsibility for tailings facilities. We’re also making sure there is documentation, throughout the life of a facility, on the facility design and construction, and the closure plan.” More
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