Australian Mining Contractor Prevents Vehicular Collisions
Byrnecut Mining developed a cost-effective RFID solution to improve safety during short-term mining projects.
By Mary Catherine O'Connor
Aug. 3, 2009—Vehicular collisions are common occurrences in mines, because it's tricky to navigate underground in loud, dark, rugged environments. To improve safety, mining companies have been turning to radio frequency identification—a number of vendors sell comprehensive RFID systems in which active tags are used to track vehicles, as well as assets and personnel. While effective, these systems require a major investment—tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, production needs to be interrupted while sensors, lasers and a network of RFID interrogators are installed throughout the mine, and the vehicles are removed so they can be equipped with RFID tags. All told, these systems are best suited for major mining operations.
Byrnecut Mining, a contractor based in Western Australia, needed a way to prevent vehicular collisions in the Telfer gold mine in Telfer, Western Australia, where the scope of the project did not merit the time and resources required to install a comprehensive RFID system for tracking vehicles. The mining contractor works with nearly 15 mining companies in Australia and overseas, offering a wide range of services—from mine development and production to managing occupational health and safety, equipment management and maintenance, and purchasing and contract administration. In some cases, Byrnecut's involvement in a particular mining site lasts five or more years, while other projects have a shorter timeline.
When Byrnecut began providing excavation services within one of Telfer's mines in 2005, vehicular collusions were on the rise. "We had an increase in vehicles being damaged," says Adam Arnold, Byrnecut's electrical area manager. He attributes the number of incidents to an increase in production to keep up with the high demand for ore. As the mine got busier, it required additional underground personnel—and, thus, more moving vehicles. "Some of the protocols were falling by the wayside," he says. "Sometimes we had vehicles that were parked [in the mine], and haulers would run into them as they came around corners."
Aug. 3, 2009—Vehicular collisions are common occurrences in mines, because it's tricky to navigate underground in loud, dark, rugged environments. To improve safety, mining companies have been turning to radio frequency identification—a number of vendors sell comprehensive RFID systems in which active tags are used to track vehicles, as well as assets and personnel. While effective, these systems require a major investment—tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, production needs to be interrupted while sensors, lasers and a network of RFID interrogators are installed throughout the mine, and the vehicles are removed so they can be equipped with RFID tags. All told, these systems are best suited for major mining operations.
Byrnecut Mining, a contractor based in Western Australia, needed a way to prevent vehicular collisions in the Telfer gold mine in Telfer, Western Australia, where the scope of the project did not merit the time and resources required to install a comprehensive RFID system for tracking vehicles. The mining contractor works with nearly 15 mining companies in Australia and overseas, offering a wide range of services—from mine development and production to managing occupational health and safety, equipment management and maintenance, and purchasing and contract administration. In some cases, Byrnecut's involvement in a particular mining site lasts five or more years, while other projects have a shorter timeline.
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| Vehicular collisions are common occurrences in mines, because it's tricky to navigate underground in loud, dark, rugged environments. |
When Byrnecut began providing excavation services within one of Telfer's mines in 2005, vehicular collusions were on the rise. "We had an increase in vehicles being damaged," says Adam Arnold, Byrnecut's electrical area manager. He attributes the number of incidents to an increase in production to keep up with the high demand for ore. As the mine got busier, it required additional underground personnel—and, thus, more moving vehicles. "Some of the protocols were falling by the wayside," he says. "Sometimes we had vehicles that were parked [in the mine], and haulers would run into them as they came around corners."
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