African Mining February 2021 | Page 35

CRADLE TO GRAVE •

Global technology company ABB is launching ABB Ability Safety Plus for hoists , a suite of mine hoist safety products that brings the highest level of personnel and equipment safety available to the mining industry .

The products include Safety Plus Hoist Monitor ( SPHM ), Safety Plus Hoist Protector ( SPHP ) and Safety Plus Brake System ( SPBS ) including Safety Brake Hydraulics ( SBH ).

Designed in accordance with the international ' safety of machinery ' standard ( IEC62061 ), the products have been independently certified by the Research Institute of Sweden ( RISE ) which works with companies , academia and the public sector in industrialisation , quality assurance and certification .

ABB Ability Safety Plus for hoists includes the new ABB SIL 3 Safety Plus Brake System ( SPBS ), which is the mining industry ' s first fully independently certified Safety Integrity Level 3 ( SIL 3 ) mine hoist brake system . SPBS will increase the safety of personnel riding mine hoists as well as the safety of the equipment , hoist , and shaft infrastructure . The new SPHP provides enhanced protection for the mine hoist and mine shaft infrastructure equipment .

ABB SIL 3 SPBS handles the application of the safety brakes during emergency stops and the prevention of brake lift . ABB SIL 3 SPHP monitors the speed and position of the hoists . It also monitors the instrumentation used by personnel accessing or using the hoist from different levels , for example , at gates and maintenance platforms , emergency stop buttons and remote lockout points . The ABB SIL 3 SPHP interfaces with the safety brake system to bring or keep the hoist to a safe state . It also interfaces with the drive and hoist control system .

ABB

ABB has launched ABB Ability Safety Plus for hoists for the highest level of personnel and equipment safety .

“ This is a significant milestone in mine hoist safety representing a world first for fully certified Safety Integrity Level 3 hoisting ,” says Oswald Deuchar , global product line manager for Hoisting , ABB . “ Labour safety is a key priority for mine operators and increasing legislation underlines this imperative . The ABB Ability Safety Plus for hoists suite of products , SIL 3-rated components and selfdiagnostics will ensure high availability of the mine hoist while providing the highest level of safety . These products are readymade safety solutions , which are exhaustively tested in house , and designed for tough mine environments ,” says Deuchar .

ABB offers safe , optimised and fit-for-purpose hoisting solutions designed by mining engineering teams , and has almost 130 years of experience in hoisting with more than 1 000 hoisting solutions installed worldwide , integrated with a portfolio of advanced digital services such as ABB Ability Performance Optimisation for hoists to ensure highest availability and productivity .

By Nicol Mullins , chartered reward specialist and executive committee member of the South African Reward Association ( SARA )

For most organisations , the importance of keeping their employees productive has never been more critical . For some , their very survival may depend on it .

The way in which they structure rewards , that is , employee remuneration , benefits , and incentives as a total package , has a significant influence on how well they will achieve that objective .

Yet , life has changed beyond recognition , affecting workers and their perception of which rewards are most meaningful to them now .

To maintain productivity , employers need to look at rewards from a completely different angle , one that considers the personal and individual needs of each employee .

Rewards generally take the form of monetary and nonmonetary compensation . In South Africa , in addition to basic pay , monetary compensation traditionally includes a retirement fund , medical cover and risk insurance , which form the basis of the total reward package .

With corporate finances becoming stretched , greater emphasis on non-monetary rewards may give organisations the edge they are looking for . Specifically , this means better psychological

support for employees and greater flexibility in employment conditions .

Incidentally , this class of reward is exactly what many employees desire right now . For example , the ability to work from home allows exployees to save on travel while being more available to their families during these unprecedented times .

However , this approach requires a change in attitude in two main areas .

• Firstly , employers need to think of rewards not as a cost to the company but as an enabler of productivity . It is therefore better to focus on developing rewards that encourage productivity in a given context rather than taking an approach of cutting costs across the board .

• Secondly , the reward offering needs to create an environment of trust .

Giving employees greater flexibility in how they carry out their duties means trusting that they will do so to the best of their abilities . After all , if their organisation doesn ’ t trust them , why did they hire them in the first place ?

At the same time , employers can win their trust by understanding that their personal lives are severely affected by the pandemic ,