The mining industry comes with several health and safety risks. Miners are in danger of fire, explosions, equipment accidents, rock bursts, and roof falls almost daily. They are also prone to health conditions like silicosis and black lung from often coming into contact with toxic materials.
Fortunately, technological innovations have helped raise mining safety standards. Different technologies can reduce on-the-job threats and improve equipment safety for a better mining environment.
Personnel safety is given the top priority in mining, and understandably so. Here are a few technological advancements that have helped the industry create a safer work environment for its employees.
Wearable Technology
Wearables can significantly impact individual safety while integrating easily with standard protective equipment. There's a lot of room for flexibility in prices and functions when opting for wearable technology to improve mining safety.
Most mining companies utilize wearable devices for monitoring employees during site operations. Tracking the miners' activities is helpful, especially in underground environments where external communication can be challenging.
For instance, when the roof of a cave or an entire tunnel collapses, wearables allow management to find their miners using IoT, GPS, or RFID technologies. They can also be used for preventive measures, as site managers can rely on the miners' tracking devices to ensure no one strays into dangerous areas.
Wearable applications also detect environmental conditions such as air quality and monitor employees' fatigue levels. If necessary, the devices forward a warning signal to warn of potentially dangerous situations to lessen risks and prevent accidents.
Robotics and Automation
While wearables help individual miners keep safe, large-scale efforts like automation improve overall site safety while boosting operational efficiency.
Robotic advancements have enabled machines to take over dangerous activities that miners previously carried out. Using automated technologies directly protects the miners from hazardous situations without affecting the quality of work.
Automation can also help companies achieve worker safety compliance while reducing expenses. For instance, an automated ventilation system tracks miner activity and allows the site manager to decrease energy costs by only venting areas that need it.
Drones
Drones present several opportunities for safety not just in mining but across all industries. These machines can fit into spacings and enter locations humans could not, giving them more outstanding capabilities in scouting and collecting information.
Mining companies can deploy drones to capture images inside mines with hazardous substances or high risks of collapse. The drones can perform labor-intensive surveys, inspections, or mapping activities to help companies understand the mining conditions and make the necessary adjustments before sending workers inside.
Simulation Technologies
Simulation technologies are extremely helpful in training inexperienced miners. The virtual environment helps them better understand the on-site processes without exposing them to unsafe environments.
Simulation allows miners to experience practical situations they will probably encounter during on-site operations. It is also a terrific way to determine knowledge and skill gaps before deploying them into the real world.
Simulation systems also help companies save on costs by determining if specific actions effectively achieve the desired outcome. For example, a blast modeling tool helps coal miners predict fragmentation and displacement for specific blast geometry and rock conditions. It suggests the best choice for improved fragmentation and rock displacement, allowing site managers to pick the safest and most effective option before blasting away.
