Accidents and downtime are the deadly enemies of the mining and energy industries as they move into an era of unparalleled world demand for their output, driven by sharply rising urbanisation and economic development. The push to optimise output efficiencies and competitive advantage is a huge task in an industry that is critically dependent on the safety of highly skilled personnel, while achieving optimum uptime of high cost mobile and fixed equipment. Whiting Corporation division Whiting Passport has introduced to North America a new universal access control system, called AccessPoint, which uses smart card technology to control access to mobile and fixed equipment.

It physically prevents unauthorised people from using vital machinery they are not qualified to control. “As the demand for commodities grows, mining companies need a partner to support them in their efforts who understands the issues important to the mining industry – like safety, and productivity,” says Whiting Passport Product Manager Joel Phelps. “AccessPoint from Whiting Passport puts an engineering control between your high-value, high-risk equipment and those who shouldn’t be using it.  This helps to ensure the safety of your operators and employees, and extends the life cycle of your equipment because you can control who can operate your equipment and who cannot.”

AccessPoint is described as unique in that it controls and can record the who, how, when and where the equipment was used. The technology – which can be used on any piece of fixed or mobile equipment – is an inexpensive, easy-to-use way to significantly reduce the risks of equipment misuse, which can include death and injury, compromising of the safety of entire plant operations and also causing damage and disruption that drives up operating costs. The technology differs from existing access control systems that are designed to control access to areas, governing perimeter access. By contrast, AccessPoint from Whiting Passport puts an engineering control between any high risk, high value equipment and stops it being used by people who shouldn’t be running it. The system is administered through a secure, easy-to-use web-based application, Whiting Viewpoint, which can tell operators who is using any equipment  in real time.

System users can view run hours of all AccessPoint devices within range from any Bluetooth device, or they can log into their own personal dashboard, or Viewport, from their PC to view usage statistics of all AccessPoint devices. Each AccessPoint system is customized to each specific user, who has the power to store start and stop times, to track certification and expiration statuses and to set customised re-certification intervals on a per user basis, as they see fit. “Users can remain in compliance with OHSA and other regulatory standards because AccessPoint gives them the ability to continuously view how their equipment is being used. Users can quickly address and correct misuse patterns. AccessPoint creates a shared culture of responsibility that ensures the correct use of high risk, high value plant equipment. Unlike specialised perimeter systems designed to control and record access to areas or a single asset, AccessPoint  can be deployed across the entire enterprise for every range of fixed and mobile plant equipment,  from a fleet of different vehicles and civil engineering equipment that could be lethal in the wrong hands, through to through to extensive and expensive materials handling and mineral processing systems.”