Safeguarding REMSAFE, a remote isolation system for electronic devices to improve operational safety, will be installed at an unnamed Western Australian company’s iron mines. The system is designed to quickly and safely de-energise and isolate bulk handling plant and equipment from all motive energy sources, to ensure that the equipment cannot be moved or restarted while a worker is in the process of repairing or maintaining the equipment.

The system isolates heavy mining plant in around three minutes, compared to the traditional manual process which can take up to 90 minutes at each instance of repair or maintenance.

REMSAFE is therefore expected to increase operation efficiencies with reduced downtime and deliver cost savings by making the need for electricians to manually operate isolators redundant.

The system improves safety and reduces the chance of electrical discharge or arc flash.

Michael Lane, Managing Director of REMSAFE, commented that there is a “growing need for Western Australia’s major iron ore companies to improve production efficiencies and commit to an enhanced safety solution”.

The system, which has already been used at operations run by BHP-Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Fortescue Metals Group, can be used for electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic or kinetic energy devices in isolation or in combination.

The REMSAFE remote isolation system is designed to achieve up to SIL3/CAT4, the highest possible rating for machine safety. It meets or exceeds the Australian and International Standards for machinery and conveyor safety.

REMSAFE combines a safety-rated programmable logic controller, built-in redundancy and interlocks to ensure that energy sources are isolated at two independent points on command. Isolation is verified using both automated and manual ‘try-steps.’ The status of the isolation and the health of the system are continuously monitored and displayed using indicator lights, HMI and SCADA transparent to both the operator and the Control Room. The system is failsafe.