Technology
Wearable technology emerges as a safety device MINING OPERATORS ARE INCREASINGLY DRAWING ON CRITICAL INFORMATION FROM WEARABLE DEVICES TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT THEIR SITES. OSISOFT PAINTS THE SCENARIO.
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he COVID-19 pandemic has challenged how things are normally done even in the largest of companies. BHP’s teams based in Western Australia are using wearable technology to navigate and overcome travel restrictions that have been enforced because of the pandemic. When undertaking complex tasks, the teams can assist auto-electricians and mechanical fitters who are at mine sites 1300 kilometres away. Such is the advancement of wearable technology that Microsoft’s HoloLens, for example, incorporates mixed reality so technicians receive step-by-step guidance from afar. According to BHP Minerals Australia vice president of technology, Pat Bourke, remote work using technology has always been an option for the company. “… however, COVID-19 has pushed us to really harness innovative technology and we will only continue to improve our productivity as we make it widely available and perfect its use,” he says. The pandemic has not only changed the way day-to-day activities at mining operations are undertaken. Canadabased OSIsoft industry principal, mining, metals and materials Martin Provencher explains how he accepted
his temperature before taken before going into a dental clinic. “They were monitoring my personal information, and I accepted that. Before COVID-19, who would’ve said yes? If I don’t follow the procedures, I wouldn’t have been able to go to the dentist,” Provencher tells Safe to Work. “Things are changing now. Working schedules in the mining sector have changed and expanded. Some mining companies that do fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) have extended the duration of workers’ rosters so people stay longer on site and are isolated to minimise risks. “These workers also accepted that they were coming for work for a longer period and that their employer was monitoring their health. “These are drastic changes that we see in the world, where we start talking about using your personal, real-time data just to improve everybody’s health.”
SAFETOWORK.COM.AU 30 SEP-OCT 2020
Readily available wearable devices can be systems that help mining companies improve safety today. But unfortunately, research by GlobalData indicates that they are not one of the top 10 trending technologies that global metals and mining companies are considering. Wearable technology can be as simple as a smart watch, or an iPhone and Android mobile phone, all of which have mainstream popularity. “If you start combining information from an employee – an asset – and external authorities, you will be able to monitor employees’ location and the different health events happening to them,” Provencher says. “This will allow you to notify them when they’re facing a potential and previously unknown risk to themselves and their health, or when they’re posing risks to their colleagues.”
