Health & safety
The supplier of advanced geotechnical monitoring radar systems presented an off-the-shelf sub-surface profiler (SSP) – combining ground- penetrating radar and radio frequencies to scan for compromised rock below the surface, hidden from the naked eye. It offers mining teams digital real-time data on rock structures, allowing them to identify areas of concern such as gravity falls and excavation drift. This, though, can be difficult for lesser experienced operators to read, and can also be distorted by uneven rock surface.
Technology can provide pre-emptive solutions to falls of ground, increasing safety and efficiency.
shortlisted into those that offered a possible solution in the near-term by a panel of experts. Shortlisted participants were then given an opportunity to present their solutions to a ‘virtual pitching den’ made up of a panel of judges who then individually rated each proposal.”
Among the innovations were ground-penetrating radar technologies, light detection and ranging- compatible drones, thermal and acoustic imaging and millimetre-wave synthetic aperture radar imaging for real-time rock mass quality inspection. During the event, participants from Canada, India, South Africa, Switzerland and the US were given 15 minutes to present their solution and take questions; each judge provided their own score based on what Tsele labelled “a matrix of relevant criteria”.
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The number of mining-related fatalities in South Africa in 2022 – a record low, down from 74 in 2021. MiningWeekly
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She says the belief is that if potential rockfalls can be identified before they occur, that would empower miners with the confidence to know they’re working in stable ground conditions. “We need simple and relatively cheap instruments that employees can handle – without disrupting their working patterns – and easily understand for the early detection of loose rocks that may detach from the rockmass at any time,” says Tsele.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Advanced Internet-of-Things group, Tata Consultancy Services Research and Swiss-based indoor drone developer Flyability were runners up. Other finalists included Stratafy, Ramjack Technology Solutions and RockMass Technologies. But the outright winner was a solution presented by South Africa’s own Reutech Mining.
Therefore, the company presented what it calls a “topographical correction” to improve data interpretation and speed the decision-making process, Reutech told African Mining. Provided as an add-on to its current SSP offering, it said it hoped the product would increase accuracy by mapping the vertical movement of the SSP and recording the inertia and movement of the device. Adding that further developments, such as 3D imaging, are planned for the SSP, Heinrich Greeff, a geotechnical engineer working with Reutech, said: “The idea is to give miners doing visual inspections a powerful but light, fully portable, connected, stand- alone tool and system which allows them to observe beyond the rock surface to identify rock hazards.” Said to be a potential gamechanger, Tsele acknowledged the product needs further refinement: “The Reutech Mining solution was a technology that has been developed over a number of years for the industry to achieve the identification of loose rock and discontinuities. However, there are some shortcomings which, if addressed, would make the technology much more effective.” She added her hope was that the award would provide further impetus to the product coming to full maturity.
South Africa commits to action Despite the huge steps taken by South Africa’s mining community to combat risks such as FoGs, Tsele remains committed to driving down already record-low incidents and casualties, believing new technologies will help provide information and knowledge. “We need to work more on improving technology. We have many people working in our mines – 472,500 in 2022 – and exposure to the risk of FoGs is still with us, even if it has reduced,” she says.
The technology on display will now be trialled at Sibanye-Stillwater and Impala Platinum’s underground facilities. However, says Tsele, there are other elements that will help reduce casualties too. “The success of any technology depends on acceptance of the workforce and the ruggedness of equipment […] In the interim, we need to teach good leadership behaviour and provide behavioural communications to the total workforce.” ●
World Mining Frontiers /
www.nsenergybusiness.com
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