DRONING ON ABOUT SAFETY

By Rodney Weidemann

Worker safety in mines has long been a challenge, owing to the hazardous conditions and functions of the sector. It is therefore in South Africa’s national interest, as well as that of the public and private sectors, that all options to ensure worker safety be considered.

Alana De Wet, mining vertical head at iOCO, a member of the EOH group of companies, points out that when it comes to safety, technology is most o en the answer. For example, she notes that mines today are using drones, not only for the purposes of surveying, but also to improve safety.

“There are many di erent applications of drones when it comes to mine safety. In some cases, drones are being used to look for gas leaks in a blast face, while in others they are providing intruder alerts and even sta head counts.

“Drones are also providing miners with essential safety data in their day-to-day operations, like monitoring air quality or evaluating the impacts of rain run-o . In fact, many mines now choose to use drones instead of helicopters or planes, as this enables them to get the data they need faster,” she says.

“For example, a dam leakage can be identified and dealt with in a fraction of the time, at a much lower cost. There are also drones that have been designed specifically for use underground, and these have become a vital tool in managing things like rockfalls, a er a blast. Some miners have even used drones to monitor zama zamas [illegal miners], ahead of police action to help ensure arrests are made.”

Sustainability And Safety

In surface mining, says De Wet, stockpiles create sloped terrain that requires continuous stability monitoring. Drone data allows mine teams to detect early warning signs of instability, and thus mitigate the issue, keeping everyone safe while maintaining maximum e iciency with mining operations.

In underground mines, she says, drones can navigate dusty, wet, and rocky ore passes to locate blockages. In addition, sensors can create 3D models to identify hangups, fractures, and other geological features.

“Drones can get to even the most hard-toreach areas, whether they are underground, or contain hazardous materials or gases. This allows miners to get more safety information than they have ever been able to, and mitigate risks accordingly.

“Using drones rather than the helicopters or planes that were used in the past not only saves time and money, but helps with increasing environmental, social and governance reporting requirements, by providing a greener alternative.

“Skills and compliance restrictions are the biggest challenges faced by miners. There are limited numbers of qualified pilots, mainly based within third-party operators – most mines do not operate the drones themselves.

“In addition, the current regulations require flight paths to be registered before the drones can be sent out, which makes it di icult at present to utilise autonomous drones.”

She suggests that an autonomous “drone in a box” solution would allow a mine to send the drone to wherever it is needed, whenever necessary, without needing a skilled pilot and without having to submit permit a er permit.

“There is pressure on government to adjust the regulations, so autonomous flights look set to become much easier – and far more common – in the future.”

Similarly, she adds, mines are currently limited to running one drone at a time. This makes it harder for organisations to keep an eye on their entire operation, as they have to prioritise where the drone will be used. In a future where swarming is allowed – once the regulations have changed – mines will be able to monitor even the most remote areas without having to ignore any other operational regions or zones.

“With drone manufacturers now adding features like lighting and voice capabilities, safety applications in mines will only increase. For example, drones could be used to drop safety equipment, while there are also drones being developed that might actually be able to li people.

“Drones are also helping to drive equality and inclusion in the mining industry, thanks to pilot training programmes like the one that holding company EOH has pioneered. This particular training programme

Drone Applications

■ There are many di erent types of drones, ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles to robotic devices that have been designed with specific applications in mind.

■ Those that are used underground have specifically been developed to be able to operate well in specialised environments.

■ For example, those operating in environments like coal mines have to be intrinsically safe to avoid accidental sparking, and most of these types of drones are built to disregard elements like cold, moisture and dust.

has graduate drone pilots that include handicapped people, as well as previously disadvantaged individuals,” says De Wet.

Safety In Sight

While unforeseen accidents will always be a reality, mine operators are in a position to mitigate as many hazards as possible by installing solutions that help protect workers’ safety, says Marcel Bruyns, sales manager for Africa at Axis Communications.

“A key component of any mining outfit is for operators to have adequate oversight of their sta , assets, and facilities. Whether it’s equipment failure, sta injury, environmental challenges, or criminal activity, operators must be positioned to see everything happening on their sites. Video surveillance allows them to do that,” he says.

“We are talking about more than just a CCTV camera – innovations in video technology have given way to cutting-edge cameras and sensors that provide extensive coverage from several standpoints. For example, cameras enabled with infra-red sensors can provide coverage in low-light conditions, such as mine sha s.”

Bruyns says onboard cameras placed on machinery and vehicles can improve operators’ awareness, and when equipped with thermal imaging capabilities, improve drivers’ visibility when faced with obstructions or dust clouds. Image stabilisation technology also ensures that these devices are not impacted by vibrations and will provide consistently clear video quality.

“Video surveillance can even be applied right down to the individual mine worker. With body-worn cameras, operators will soon be able to monitor activity in real

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time and use the footage for post-incident investigations.

“With the right deployments, operators can protect people by making sure they and other assets are where they’re supposed to be, alerting supervisors when they’re not.”

Advancements in video analytics and intelligence have also made it possible to identify and monitor behaviour patterns and trends, he says. By capturing data and learning more about the operation, cameras and sensors can help o icials make quicker and better decisions related to personnel safety.

“Keeping mine workers safe also entails keeping the mine itself safe and secure. Strategically positioned along a fence or perimeter barrier, fixed thermal cameras can provide long-range coverage regardless of lighting conditions.

“But it’s not just about video coverage. A mine can have multiple entry points with hundreds – if not thousands – of sta members and vehicles passing in and out daily. Operators need to control access and can do that with solutions such as cameras equipped with licence plate verification so ware, and intercoms and card readers installed on doors and gates,” says Bruyns.

In 2022, the mining industry reported the lowest ever number of fatalities, with the largest contribution to its safety performance that year being a 70% decrease in fall-of-ground fatalities. On the back of this, during the 2023 Mining Indaba, the Minerals Council South Africa and its members committed e orts to achieve zero harm.