Tag Archives: mine safety

Caterpillar Safety Services looks to build safety resiliency with newest updates

Mining events, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , ,

With safety no longer being a box-ticking exercise but a true measure of employee engagement, Caterpillar Safety Services says it helps build a strong culture where safety practices are embedded across an organisation. To aid this, the company has launched two updates to its programs contributing to resilient safety cultures.

The updated Safety Perception Survey and a program focused on human and organisational performance that have recently been announced leverage Caterpillar Safety Services’ 50 years of operation, along with the latest research and approaches to address safety excellence within organisations.

Today, Caterpillar Safety Services says it assists companies with improving the four components of a resilient safety culture, where safety is approached proactively, and all team members take ownership of safety. This expands to programs featuring equipment from all OEMs – not just Caterpillar. The components include:

  1. System – clearly defined safety expectations embedded in policies and procedures to identify and mitigate risk;
  2. Mindset – a shared mindset that safety is everyone’s responsibility, people make mistakes and an environment of openness that makes people feel safe to speak up;
  3. Leadership – specific, consistent leadership behaviours at all levels of the organisation that positively influence people toward safe work; and
  4. Ownership – occurs when all levels fully engage in the creation and continuous improvement of the safety system.

Trinnie Cortez, Industry Consultant, Caterpillar Safety Services, said the latest updates reflected ongoing trends in the industry that are relevant to safety people and operators on the front line in mining.

“We, at Caterpillar Safety Services, are close to our customers and, with these updates, are recognising not only feedback from the field but also from our technicians working with equipment on a daily basis,” he told IM on the sidelines of the SME MineXchange Conference and Expo, in Phoenix, Arizona. “The updated Safety Perception Survey, for instance, is a product of continuously communicating with safety steering teams and the facilitation of working groups. We continue to evolve our offering in line with what the market tells us.”

The Caterpillar Safety Services Safety Perception Survey analyses an organisation’s safety culture. Building on 35 years of research and study, the new survey updates language and modern concepts of safety culture excellence, adding questions related to psychological safety and human and organisational performance.

The new survey’s reports are streamlined with more modern visualisation of the data. They measure five safety activities – hazard identification, event learning, inspections, near miss and safety meetings – and address 11 cultural indicators, including caring climate, employee involvement, feedback, management credibility, training effectiveness and risk reduction. Importantly, they also show how safety is perceived differently among employees, supervisors and managers.

Human and organisational performance is a framework concept for talking about safety and creating a resilient safety culture, Caterpillar Safety Services explains. It is a mindset that allows organisations to build more error-tolerant systems by teaching leaders that expecting perfection from workers, processes, or procedures is not realistic.

Caterpillar Safety Services says traditional methods of managing safety systems centre around designing policies, standard work and processes assuming work happens in a straight line. Management sets the expectations, tells workers what to do and the workers do it the same way, every day.

“This method, however, does not account for organisational factors that can disrupt the system, such as employees not having the right tools for the job and adapting or making tradeoffs because they are still required to meet production targets,” it said. “Nor does it account for the individual factors that impact a worker’s awareness, or lapses in attention due to events in his or her personal life, such as a family emergency.”

When workers deviate from the safety plan or make mistakes under the traditional model, they may be scrutinised or punished to attempt to improve safety, but this can have the opposite effect and lead to a weaker safety culture.

Using human and organisational performance principles, Caterpillar Safety Services applies a new understanding of human behaviour to safety, it says. Leaders create an environment where employees feel empowered to speak up to share their ideas, struggles and mistakes. The organisation learns to improve its safety system continuously.

“With this framework concept, we are recognising what real leadership is within a safety context,” Cortez said. “Building and promoting such leadership is key to getting the whole workforce engaged with programs for continuous safety improvements.”

This results in a more engaged and proactive safety culture with improvements in morale, retention, efficiency and profitability, according to Caterpillar Safety Services.

Caterpillar Safety Services assists organisations with implementation of human and organisational performance principles through its Leadership Development and Coaching program.

“Tailored to the specific needs and objectives of the individual leaders, the program includes a mix of workshops, assessments and individual face-to-face sessions,” Caterpillar Safety Services said. “It helps each leader understand their strengths and areas for development in safety management, demonstrates how a leader impacts the safety culture, and creates personalised development plans for all leaders that align with organisational goals and processes.”

SafeGauge to continue ELW journey with launch of MultiTool Pro at IMARC

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SafeGauge, which has a goal to eliminate live work (ELW) in heavy industries, such as mining, defence, construction, agriculture and oil & gas through the use of wireless/Bluetooth testing solutions, is set to unveil a new product at next week’s IMARC event, in Sydney, Australia, that, it says, promises to elevate vehicle maintenance to unprecedented levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

The MultiTool Pro allows technicians to connect to 12 SafeTest gauges simultaneously, from up to 100 m away. SafeGauge has a range of SafeTest Pressure Transducers (PT Series), Dial Indicators (DI Series) and Tachometers (TM Series), which, it says, are the go-to solutions for heavy industry applications.

The intuitive ‘plug-and-play’ touchscreen on the MultiTool Pro interface comes packed with a host of new features, including data-logging and graphing, with the ability to generate comprehensive reports that can be exported and shared via in-built cloud connectivity, according to the company.

Fit for heavy-duty applications, it comes with a rugged IP68 designed casing, with attached stylus pen.

Luke Dawson, Managing Director at SafeGauge, said: “We are thrilled to be a part of IMARC 2023 and share our latest innovations with industry professionals. SafeGauge is dedicated to transforming the landscape of heavy vehicle maintenance, and our wireless testing solutions are a testament to our commitment to safety, efficiency and innovation.”

By eliminating the need for technicians to work in close proximity to operational heavy vehicles (inside the machine footprint) through the use of such tools, SafeGauge says it ensures both the safety of technicians and the efficiency of maintenance procedures.

Martin Engineering addresses conveyor safety misconceptions

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , ,

Martin Engineering is disputing the idea that putting conveyor equipment out of reach or inconveniently placed away from workers – known as “guarding by location” – is a valid form of safety.

After decades of safe equipment design and comprehensive conveyor safety training in the bulk handling industry, Martin Engineering experts have witnessed where “guarding by location” has led to a lapse in workplace safety, resulting in injuries and – in some cases – fatalities, the company says.

Most people readily accept that conveyors and other machinery require safety guards when positioned near workers or walkways. Guarding by location is the assumption that when hazards, such as moving conveyor belts, are positioned beyond the normal reach of a worker they don’t require a guard. Yet they can still present a serious hazard.

Worker risks from guarding by location

Some regulations define a general safe height for components based on the average height of workers. This means taller employees (1.82 m in height or more) can easily suffer an injury reaching up into a moving component that is 2.13 m above the ground. Working above machinery that is considered guarded by location exposes workers to increased severity of injury if they slip or fall to a lower level.

Most regulations do not account for the potential buildup of spillage underneath the conveyor or in walkways, which can easily change the distance between the working surface and a hazard. It’s also fairly common practice to purposely collect a pile of material or fill a bin to gain access for service or inspection of an elevated component. Using tools and methods that extend a worker’s reach while the belt is running is a hazardous activity that can contribute to serious – and possibly fatal – accidents.

Height prevents a worker from reaching hazardous areas until the reality of bulk operations proves otherwise

Hazards from above

By not requiring a physical barrier, guarding by location creates what is considered by some to be an exception to the general requirements for the guarding of hazards in the workplace. Several hazardous locations are beyond the normal reach of staff when working or walking under or around elevated conveyors. These hazards are commonly found in or around nip points between the belt and return rollers or drive components such as pulley shafts, couplings, drive belts, gears and chains. Additional hazards from falling components may be inadvertently ignored if considered guarded by location.

Guarding best practices

The logical solution to guarding by location is to simply install guards and baskets to protect workers from lateral and overhead hazards, while still offering safe and easy access. For maximum risk reduction, all nip points, shear points and moving or rotating components should be guarded, regardless of location or access. However, there is also no global standard for guard mesh sizes and mounting distance from the hazard. Most standards use a gauge to measure the distance which varies by mesh size. When a bulk material handling guard is placed relatively close to a hazard it greatly reduces the ability to inspect components without removing the guard, thereby encouraging guard removal for routine inspections.

It would be far better (and safer) to standardise on a few mesh sizes and mounting distances allowing maintenance workers to build guards to a short list of materials, using standard mounting distances and eliminating the use of the gauges. Below is the recommendation included in Martin Engineering’s book ‘FOUNDATIONS for Conveyor Safety’.

Put an end to the myth

Despite its nearly global acceptance as a concept in industrial safety, the practice of guarding by location remains a particular problem for overhead conveyor applications. It’s time to accept that as far as conveyors are concerned, ‘guarding by location’ is a myth. As such, it’s a concept that should be abandoned in order to make conveyors – and those who work on and around the equipment – safer.

Elphinstone set to put newly-acquired Beltor ‘Puller’ safety & productivity device into action

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , ,

Elphinstone recently acquired the proven Beltor ‘Puller’ – an underground mine extraction device designed to safely recover buried equipment – as part of its ongoing commitment to safety and mine productivity.

Operator safety and mine productivity have always been a priority at Elphinstone, which has a long and successful history designing and manufacturing underground hard rock mining equipment from its headquarters in Burnie, Tasmania.

This was demonstrated in March of this year when it announced the acquisition of MED Pty Ltd, the owner of the IP for the underground Mine Extraction Device (MED) also known as the “Beltor Puller”, developed by the founder of Beltor Engineering, Aldo Beletich, back in the 1980s.

The MED was invented in response to a need by underground miners to extract buried or bogged equipment in a safe and efficient means without damaging the mine or negatively impacting production.

When Beletich invented the first Beltor Mine Extraction Device back in the 1980s, mining equipment was much lighter than it is today.

The first MED, with a pulling capacity of 90 t, was introduced to the market in 1988 to meet the needs of the underground thermal coal miners in and around Newcastle. With the increase in the size and weight of underground mining equipment, there was a need for larger extraction devices to recover buried or bogged equipment.

As a result, higher capacity MEDs were introduced to ensure that underground mining operations could return to full production with minimum delay. Subsequently, the 150-t (MED150) and 210-t (MED210) versions of the device were introduced in line with the industry’s growth.

In addition to the retrieval of buried equipment, the higher capacity models are also capable of extracting drill rods embedded in the rock face.

The expansion did not stop there. In 2020, the largest version of the extraction device was launched, the MED360, with a pulling capacity of 360 t for much larger underground coal and hard-rock machinery.

The MED range has revolutionised the way buried underground equipment is extracted and made this process safer, according to Elphinstone.

“What makes the (Elphinstone) MED unique is that it eliminates the need, damage and disruption of using other production equipment to remove the buried machine and operates in a more controlled and safe way,” Tim Mitchell, Elphinstone’s Global Sales and Marketing Manager, says.

“When the MED is towed into position in the mine, the boom is raised against the roof and the wheels are lowered on the floor, effectively wedging the machine into position. A bridle assembly is interlocked into the teeth of the MED racks which are then pulled via hydraulic cylinders.

“The process is conducted in relative silence allowing the operators to hear and see exactly what is happening during the extraction, a stark contrast to the traditional method with wheeled or tracked tow vehicles that produce noise and dust.”

The MED will be sold and serviced by Elphinstone direct to end users from the company’s manufacturing facility in Burnie.

Murray & Roberts Cementation highlights training evolution in mining sector

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Training within the mining sector is a fast-changing field, driven by technological advancements, evolving safety standards and the need for a more skilled workforce.

Keeping up with these demands has been the focus of the Murray & Roberts Cementation Training Academy near Carletonville, South Africa, combined with ongoing attention on raising safety levels in pursuit of Zero Harm.

According to Tony Pretorius, Education, Training and Development (ETD) Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation, this has meant constantly pioneering effective strategies that build excellence and discipline in the workplace.

“An important foundation for us has been the integration of technology in our training programs, incorporating tools such as virtual and augmented reality, e-learning, and online resources,” Pretorius says. “These technologies enhance the learning experience, improve knowledge retention, and facilitate the development of digital skills essential for working with advanced mining equipment and systems.”

At the same time, he highlights the promotion of a safety culture in mining. To achieve this, the academy places a strong emphasis on cultivating a safety-first mindset among trainees. By prioritising safety in all aspects of training, the academy helps instil a culture of vigilance, risk assessment and continuous learning – aligning with best practices for workplace safety in the mining industry.

“We also ensure that our training programs align with relevant mining regulations,” Pretorius says. “This equips workers with the knowledge and skills to adhere to the latest safety guidelines while keeping their workplace compliant with regulatory requirements.”

As an example of how digital technology has been leveraged in the learning space, he points to the academy’s use of virtual and augmented reality in the training process. These immersive technologies allow trainees to experience realistic, risk-free simulations of mining environments and scenarios.

“This approach not only improves knowledge retention but also enables the identification and correction of potential mistakes before they occur in real-world situations,” he explains.

Another important aspect of the modern training approach has been towards competency-based training. Here, the focus has shifted away from the mere completion of training programs, to the more detailed assessment of competence of workers in their specific roles. The focus, therefore, is on the development of practical skills, knowledge and attitudes that lead to improved job performance and overall safety. Pretorius also points to the vital role of what were previously referred to as ‘soft skills’ – competencies which are today proving to be as important as technical skills.

“In addition to technical skills, the mining industry recognises the importance of developing skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork and problem solving,” he says. “These skills are vital for maintaining a safe working environment, especially in high risk situations where effective collaboration and decision-making can prevent accidents and save lives.”

Beyond the daily work tasks, workers are also having to become more aware of sustainability and environmental issues. This is inevitable, as the mining industry faces increased scrutiny regarding its environmental impact.

“Training programs now include modules on sustainable mining practices, resource conservation and waste management,” he says. “This helps ensure that workers are aware of their responsibilities and the role they play in minimising the industry’s environmental footprint.”

Wabtec’s latest generation collision avoidance solution gains traction with new orders

IoT, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

Wabtec’s Digital Mine division says it has received a series of orders for 3,500 of its new Generation 3 Collision Avoidance System (Gen 3 CAS) from three major global mining companies.

The capabilities of the new system will drive performance and safety improvements at the customers’ mining operations, the company says.

When Wabtec launched this system in June, it said its innovation focus was on shifting from traditional proximity detection to true collision avoidance.

Nalin Jain, President, Digital Intelligence for Wabtec, explained: “These orders demonstrate the Gen 3 CAS’s value and rapid market adoption since we launched the system in June. The Gen 3 CAS is the only solution aligned with the industry’s best practices that also meet the functionality requirements of our customers.”

Installing Gen 3 CAS across a customer’s mining operations will improve safety, bolstering their zero-harm objectives, according to the company. By minimising the risk of vehicle interactions, the Gen 3 CAS will contribute to reduced downtime, increased productivity and optimised resource utilisation.

Wabtec says its customers can confidently rely on this innovative solution to drive performance and achieve their operational objectives.

Wabtec Digital Mine’s Gen 3 CAS offers a range of class-leading advanced capabilities not seen on any other solution, according to the company. These include predictive beam curving, context-based definitive voice-based alerts, real-time self-test, superior accuracy via Ultra High Precision Global Navigation Satellite Systems and the most advanced rules and intelligence engine in the industry. The system’s brand-new user interface, validated by Professor Robin Burgess-Limerick, a human factors expert, has been designed so that vehicle operators receive appropriate feedback from the Gen 3 CAS, Wabtec says. It replaces “beeps-and-buzzer” technology with sophisticated, discreet, directional and audible warnings, enabling operators to work without distraction and respond instantaneously to audible alerts.

Jain added: “We are improving safety and operational efficiency, so we have entered into agreements with several global mining companies who recognise the potential of Wabtec Digital Mine’s Gen 3 CAS to transform their mining operations. These customers are installing the Gen 3 CAS to enhance their mining fleet’s safety standards and performance.”

Henro van Wyk, Vice President and General Manager of Wabtec Digital Mine, said: “We are thrilled that multiple global mining companies have selected Gen 3 CAS for their operations. These deals represent a significant achievement for Wabtec’s Digital Mine team positioning the business as the global leader in mining technology by redefining the meaning of true collision avoidance. Mining operations using the Gen 3 CAS will achieve new levels of safety, efficiency and productivity across their mining operations.”

ICMM report highlights fall in mining fatalities in 2022

Mining safety, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , ,

ICMM has, today, released a report that benchmarks the 2022 safety performance of its members, highlighting that 33 people from ICMM company members lost their lives at work in 2022.

This number compares to 45 in 2021 (after an additional two were retrospectively added to the count) and 44 in 2020.

ICMM says its members are unwavering in their commitment to operate responsibly, as they work to eliminate fatalities towards a goal of zero harm.

To support this commitment, ICMM compiles, analyses and publishes the safety data provided annually by company members, which collectively represent a third of the global mining and metals industry. The full report, ‘Safety Performance: Benchmarking Progress of ICMM Company Members In 2022,’ is available here.

The report analyses fatalities from ICMM company members based on the cause (or ‘hazard’) and provides safety performance metrics by county and company. In 2022, nine of the 33 fatalities were related to mobile equipment and transportation, and five fatalities were caused by falling objects. Company member operations in South Africa had the highest number of fatalities (seven), accounting for 21% of the total fatalities across ICMM members. Thirteen out of 26 members reported zero fatalities.

Rohitesh Dhawan, President and CEO, ICMM said: “Everyone deserves to work free from harm, within a safe and healthy industry environment.

“ICMM has remained steadfast in our belief that we can always find new ways to improve, and as we enter a period of unprecedented demand for minerals and metals, we will continue to focus on identifying new ways to eliminate fatalities from mining and metals operations.”

ICMM began collating and publishing data on members’ safety performance in 2012 with the intention of driving knowledge-sharing, transparency and continual improvement across the industry. This data is compiled using ICMM’s ‘Guidance on Health and Safety Performance Indicators’ which was updated in 2021.

Hexagon’s Mining division expands with dedicated underground mining portfolio

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Hexagon’s Mining division has, today, introduced HxGN Underground Mining, an integrated sensor-software portfolio built for the unique challenges of underground environments, at its HxGN LIVE Global 2023 event in Las Vegas.

Featuring what it says are robust systems for collision avoidance, drill optimisation and production planning, the new portfolio helps mines to achieve the best results while protecting drivers, pedestrians and equipment in the most demanding environments.

For Hexagon’s Mining division, meanwhile, it enables the company to further diversify its revenue stream, which is currently skewed towards the open-pit mining sector.

Hexagon says today’s announcement responds to industry demand as more mines push deeper beneath the surface for deposits and face ever more complex conditions. The aim is to provide mines transitioning from open-pit to underground operations – or those mining orebodies from surface and underground simultaneously – with a holistic solution for the life of mine.

HxGN Underground Mining, the company says, effectively creates a seamless technology transition from open pit to underground mining. Its safety suite, for example, leverages collision avoidance and operator alertness systems proven in more than 40,000 vehicles worldwide in open-pit environments.

Similar integration is at work in the portfolio’s operations suite, which helps mine operators and supervisors to manage underground fleet equipment and to optimise production in real time via a dynamic activity scheduler and fleet management system (HxGN MineOperate UG Pro fleet management system). Engineers, via the HxGN MinePlan Underground Engineering product, can avoid flawed mining processes and minimise downtime by using 3D visualisation, and CAD tools to create mine designs and activity-based schedules, the company says.

The portfolio’s optimisation software for production and development enables mines to achieve consistent blasting outcomes with high-precision drilling and optimal set-up processes. The company added to this portfolio recently with the incorporation of Minnovare. The Australia-based company has established four solutions – The Azimuth Aligner, Development Optimiser™, Production Optimiser™ and Minnovare Core – to improve the speed, cost and accuracy of underground drilling.

Beyond benefitting business, better drilling practices are good for the planet, reducing CO2 emissions and supporting sustainability goals, Mateus Quintela, Hexagon’s Head of Product, Underground Mining, said.

“We know mines are looking for ways to mine smarter, safer and in more environmentally and socially conscious ways,” Quintela says.

“HxGN Underground Mining will help our customers answer this search by increasing the efficiency of machines and miners throughout the operation. Well-choreographed scheduling will minimise the downtime of working areas, like headings and stopes, and there’s a real opportunity to reduce diesel emissions through better truck-to-loader planning.

“Perhaps most importantly, our new portfolio offers ways to ensure operators and supervisors are capturing and using safety data, so whether above ground or below it, everyone gets home safely.”

GeoMoby to accelerate rollout of location intelligence platform with new funds

IoT, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , ,

Mining location technology company GeoMoby has secured A$3 million ($2.03 million) to fund the further rollout of its technology to the global mining industry.

The money will be allocated towards expanding its sales and business development team, as well as adding to a strong team of staff focused on technology development.

The funds have been largely sourced from multiple European investors, GeoMoby said. The capital raise was also supported by existing shareholders as well as a strategic GeoMoby partner – Agreement Hub – and a grant from METS Ignited.

GeoMoby – the name of the company and product – uses wireless, cable-free and reusable beacons to geofence sites, track assets and check on workforces, providing a layer of safety and efficiency never seen before, the company says. The technology allows surface-to-underground communication through smart devices, meaning, for the first time, photographs and video can be sent to the surface from remote tunnels in deep underground sites.

GeoMoby is targeting long-term contracts with Western Australian-based underground mining companies, but its technology can also be applied to surface mining operations and construction sites in Australia and globally, it says.

And, through its strategic partner agreement hub, it is also working with several mining and renewables companies to use the location intelligence technology to protect cultural heritage sites.

Founder and CEO, Chris Baudia, said: “Australian mining companies want to keep their workers – often in remote areas – safe, and this technology is the best, most reliable way to do that right now in the world. This latest funding now enables us to provide Australian miners with a gold standard location service and we are working hard to educate the mining sector about our cost-effective technology.

“We are now Australia’s most advanced location intelligence platform with a specialisation in live tracking and geofencing technologies for the mining and construction industries. We provide a 360° view platform that helps our clients to visualise their assets – trucks, light vehicles, machines – and the most important one, people. This is done in real-time whether it be in a multi-storey building, a remote area or even deep down an underground tunnel.”

Agreement Hub’s Managing Director, Kellie Swanson-Hill, said: “We are really excited to be partnering with GeoMoby to introduce its location intelligence technology to the mining industry in relation to cultural heritage protection. We are calling this application Protect. We are working with companies across the industry, from big iron ore to juniors, to make Protect the new best practice in cultural heritage protection.”

BCX Wireless, Huawei, MPI, Umnotho and Dahua bring 5G to Nungu mine

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BCX Wireless Solutions, one of the largest systems integrators in Africa and a division of Telkom, has partnered with Huawei, MPI Holdings, Umnotho Technologies and Dahua to bring 5G connectivity and 5G-enabled technologies to the Nungu Mine in Elandspruit, South Africa.

The deployment of the latest 5G-enabled technologies is set to radically enhance the mine’s operational efficiencies and safety, according to BCX.

“This is a game changer for the entire industry and the hundreds of thousands of people it employs,” Neo Phukubje, Managing Executive at BCX, said.

The mine’s improved wireless connectivity has enabled data analytics and automation for video monitoring via drone technology, integrated connectivity with handheld devices and tablets, and a facial recognition proximity detection system, the company said.

Wireless technology in the form of 5G creates possibilities to transform every area of the operation, from workplace safety to improved productivity through predictive intelligence, BCX says.

Gert Venter from MPI said: “The importance placed on the partner ecosystem in the project helped develop vital innovations in safety. This includes 5G-enabled proximity alert between two heavy vehicles for collision prevention, which can mean the difference between life and death.”

Frenndy Wang, Channel Department Director at Huawei South Africa’s Enterprise Division, says in addition to improved safety and operational efficiency, another differentiator is that 5G allows for AI-based real-time data analytics, a key to smart mining.

Wang said: “Data is a valuable asset for miners, enabling ‘data-driven decision making‘ in the critical mining environment. Fifth generation connectivity will make the South African mining sector globally competitive. We are excited about working together with our partners like BCX to drive digital transformation in the mining sector, which is such a crucial industry in the economy.”

The project at the Nungu Mine consists of two phases: above-ground and underground. In phase one, BCX deployed 5G-enabled cameras at critical points at the mine to enable:

  • Proximity detection, enabled by IoT sensors and digital processing technologies;
  • A stockpiling monitoring system, enabled by footage collected via drones and processed via the digital edge computing systems;
  • In-cab connectivity to monitor driver fatigue and collision prevention to minimise the number of incidents and collisions; and
  • Pedestrian Protection System, enabling the safety and monitoring of miners on site.

Phase two will see the extension of connectivity underground to enable a fully connected smart mine that will increase security, supply motion sensors that trigger an alarm and enables the mine’s control room to monitor underground activity effectively, according to BCX.

Phukubje concluded: “As proven with this launch, wireless technology can be harnessed in powerful ways that make a lasting difference. It builds on our confidence and excitement to work in partnership with all industries from finance, aviation and agriculture to healthcare so they too can benefit from becoming 5G-enabled, fully integrated and connected to a new world of infinite possibilities.”