FUTURE-PROOFING SA MINING WITH CPS ON TMM
By Dushendra Naidoo – head of Safety and Sustainable Development at the Minerals Council South Africa
MINING INDABA •
Introduction As South African mining evolves to meet global sustainability and safety standards , Trackless Mobile Machinery ( TMM ) installed with Collision Prevention Systems ( CPS ) has emerged as a pivotal innovation for enhancing safety , efficiency and competitiveness . Under the overarching theme of " Future-Proofing African Mining ," this thought leadership piece explores the current status of TMM and CPS in South African mining operations , the opportunities and challenges these technologies present , and the roadmap for a resilient and sustainable mining ecosystem .
At the heart of this transformation lies the Minerals Council South Africa ’ s unwavering commitment to Zero Harm , exemplified by its substantial financial investment in the multi-year special project “ Industry Alignment on TMM Regulations ”. This initiative represents a holistic , risk-phased , and collaborative approach to ensuring compliance with TMM regulations while balancing the critical priorities of saving lives and safeguarding livelihoods . The Minerals Council South Africa Project Team embarked on a comprehensive journey through the execution of the special project that included a review of the work done previously by EMESRT ( Earth-Moving Equipment Safety Round Table ) and other entities both locally and internationally .
The Minerals Council ' s special project has led to the production of world-leading guidance documentation to assist mining industry stakeholders in ensuring that “ due-diligence ” is catered for through the process of assessing operational requirements and where a
CPS is required , the CPS ecosystem requirements are reviewed in totality . Technology is certainly not a “ silver-bullet ” solution and operational aspects such as traffic management and “ reasonably practical measures ” also need to be considered through a riskphased assessment prior to the implementation of technology . In my opinion , currently in our era , the successful implementation of technology is only as good as the people and systems that support the technology .
Dushendra Naidoo – head of Safety and Sustainable Development at the Minerals Council South Africa .
Challenges Mining operations across South Africa have made significant strides in adopting TMM with CPS technologies to address transportrelated accidents , one of the most persistent safety challenges . These systems integrate advanced sensors , proximity detection and automated braking technologies to prevent collisions between vehicles , equipment and personnel . The introduction of TMM subregulations has catalysed widespread adoption , driving a culture of safety innovation .
Supplied by Minerals Council South Africa
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