Wearable Technology for Enhancing Safety in Mining Operations
Wearables Revolutionalise Mine Safety Mine Health and Safety regulations obligate mine operators to adopt measures that mitigate the risks their employees are exposed to at the coal face of operations. That’s why they should continuously adopt tools that can help them enhance safety. Based on incredible abilities they display, wearables have staked their claim as a reliable part of health and safety solutions.
Miner’s smart helmet
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urrently, mining companies are enjoying a spell of high commodity prices (long may it continue). This is despite high energy prices occasioned by the War in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mining Safety And Efficiency.” De Wet notes that 90 per cent of accidents are attributed to human error.
Market Trends and Challenges As you would have thought, mine operators are ramping up production to make the most of the favourable market conditions. According to project updates, Mining Business Africa regularly gathers, some are even moving their activities to deep-level areas, in some cases ultra-deep, as well as remote conditions, to access ore deposits. Inescapably, this increased activity in extreme environments exposes workers to escalated health and safety risks. For instance, amongst others, there is a likelihood of an increase in driving accidents. This is a fact that Cliff de Wit, Chief Technology Officer at Netstar (a subsidiary of Altron) highlights in this article, “How Advanced Technology Transforming
Generally, accidents result in financial losses of millions of dollars when downtime to production and compensation claims are factored in. Accordingly, mine operators must explore tools that can help them improve workplace health and safety. Role of Wearable Devices Expediently, wearable devices (or interchangeably as wearables) have emerged as one of the convenient tools that mine operators can utilise to enhance safety and improve productivity. Largely, this is thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart technology, which have opened up opportunities in wear technology. Until recently, the marvels of this innovation were regarded as the stuff of science fiction. What is more, as a tool, the portability of wearables is very convenient to the end-user. Worn on the user’s body, popular wearable devices include smart watches, smart glasses, smart helmets, fitness trackers, smart clothing,
A smart watch
10 Mining Business Africa | September - October 2023
