FATIGUE MANAGEMENT
IM asked some questions on the FMS market to Daniel Bongers , Chief Technology Officer at SmartCap Technologies , one of the global leaders in both reactive and predictive FMS through its Life suite of solutions including the SmartCap itself but also the LifeBand wearable . Its solutions are based on EEG technology
Hexagon Mining ’ s HxGN MineProtect Operator Alertness System ( OAS ) is an integrated fatigue and distraction-detection , alerting , and reporting solution
Collision Avoidance System ( CAS ), OAS uses sophisticated computer vision technology combined with scientific body-clock modelling . It provides a realtime fatigue and distraction risk status and traffic awareness to operators via unobtrusive , operatorfriendly displays . OAS delivers reliable , audible , and visible alerts of fatigue and traffic-related events to avert imminent accidents . It features a web platform to continuously assess in real time the fatigue risks of individual operators and the complete fleet , allowing intervention , if necessary . CAS integration with OAS means one GPS antenna for positioning for both systems , as well providing external camera awareness ; a top view of the traffic and radar detections on a single screen for the operator , decluttering the cabin and enabling a single source of safety information . It also means capability to record video via external camera whenever there ’ s unwanted interaction , allowing real-time assessment and classification in control room .”
The combined CAS-OAS system is being trialled in South America and Australia with good results . “ The main benefits seen to date are video proof of nearmiss collision events ( system confidence ), and cause and affect correlation between collision and fatigue .” MineEnterprise CAS Analytics now means that KPIs can be monitored monthly , weekly , daily , such as the top 10 or top 20 operators under risk , system availability , etc . A whole new set of dashboards includes the integration of OAS heat maps and collision avoidance data .
Recent OAS implementations include new sites in South Africa , Saudi Arabia , Australia , as well as expanded usage in the US , Australia , and South America . OAS-LV is being trialled now beyond the mine by transportation groups that support the operations . Hexagon has also followed the release of OAS-LV by integrating the system with CAS to record videos and include voice notifications prompted by unwanted situations detected by CAS . OAS now offers visual detection of seat belt adherence .
“ With the individualised nature of fatigue and distraction , we aim to give operators the most individualised algorithm possible . This is possible through the configurations , and the latest addition to this is the ‘ Open Eye Fatigue ’ tensor . Not every Fatigue event is represented by eye closure . In many cases
Q With people staying on FIFO sites for longer due to COVID , has fatigue become a greater issue temporarily ? A To some extent there has been an increase in fatigue risk associated with the travel restrictions . In cases where FIFO workers are stuck on-site longer , some sites have had to adopt a roster change . This has meant that some workers are working more consecutive days without time off , which is known to increase fatigue risk . We expect this has been compounded by the impacts on overall wellbeing , especially in cases where individuals struggle with mental health issues . More time away from family in addition to the uncertainty of the pandemic can exacerbate depression and anxiety , for example , which can cause greater fatigue .
Q Have you seen more standardising from mining groups on FMS technologies ? A Several mining businesses have established global agreements with SmartCap , given the ability of our solution to be used on-site and off-site , in all equipment or in an office environment . Camera-based competitors have been unable to be used in ancillary equipment such as graders and dozers or in private vehicles for off-site journey management so we have seen a lot of mines also using our Life solutions in these applications .
Q Is there now more interest from mining contractors as opposed to just mining groups ? A We have seen an increase in interest from mining contractors throughout 2020 , which we attribute to two main drivers . Firstly , mining contractors are recognising that fatigue monitoring technology is an established and proven addition to any effective fatigue risk management system . Secondly , the nature of competition between mining contractors has evolved beyond merely competing on price , but also competing on safety leadership and a range of environmental and community platforms also .
Q What about underground , has anything been done there to address fatigue for equipment operators such as LHD operators ? A The underground sector hasn ’ t matured as quickly as the surface mining in the fatigue space . In part , this appears to be related to a perception that fatigue incidents in underground operations are of lower consequence , given the combination of lower speeds and less vehicle interactions . That said , there continue to be reportable fatigue incidents in underground operations . Over the last 12-months we have seen an increased engagement with underground miners and are excited to be completing several new underground deployments early in 2021 .
Q As mining moves to more remote control operation of machines where presumably it gets very boring operating equipment from screens instead of being in the cab - is fatigue management being applied here ? A Yes , but to a very limited extent . Given that risk equation shifts more towards production loss and equipment damage in remote control operations , the business case becomes ROI-based rather than safety bases . Beyond eliminating fatigue incidents , our customers have been able to demonstrate impressive returns on their SmartCap investment not only through less interruptions to production , but also as a result of more efficient production . We know that alert operators are gentler on equipment , leading to improved EU , and also that alert operators make less mistakes , demonstrate lower spotting and cycle times , use less fuel , and are have less absenteeism . In light of this we expect to see increased usage across remote control operations .
there is a partial eye closure over long term with limited recovery . In other cases , operators have wide eyes almost in a catatonic state . Both represent a risk factor and are now being identified by the latest version of the OAS algorithm . We have also released and sold singleperson OAS monitoring centres , offering a single corporate view of multiple sites .” Hexagon says it now offers several options for customers : n No monitoring . System alerts driver and sends automated response to nominated personnel . n On-site mine monitoring by a team trained with Hexagon-accredited training . Hexagon offers audits and continuous assessment and recertification n Remote monitoring by the Hexagon Remote Operations Centre based in Tucson or Peru . Hexagon says it is also partnering with a predictive business to quantitate the additional benefits of adding real-time monitoring with prediction to its offering . “ The complex nature of fatigue & distraction allows for value for multiple sources of data . Wearables can provide one of those data points .” Finally it says it has definitely had interest in the UG market , but none deployed yet . “ We ’ ve not had much interest in fixed operator monitoring to date . We are exploring fatigue & distraction using the OAS-LV unit
with remote UG operations as well .”
IM
JANUARY 2021 | International Mining 67