CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY site based on the available resources to support it was tailored to each operation, with the focus on projects that have the highest risk profile.
As an underground contractor with significant experience working in shafts, Cementation worked with Forwood and other subject matter experts to enhance and expand the CRM framework to include critical control checklists for underground hoisting, including commissioning, engineered designs, emergency preparedness and operations. These checklists are now available to all CRM users.
“ We did the same for exposure to high temperature water,” he added.
In total, Cementation has rolled out the program to over 30 projects across North
America, according to Wrixon.
“ We had a number of lessons learned from our initial rollout plan,” he said.“ A large project in Mexico participated in the initial manager training and simply said,‘ Yes, this makes sense; we need this right away,’ and rolled with it the next week. It was not exactly what we had planned, but with the right leadership and onsite champions of the program, they made it a great success and the results were immediately positive.”
These on-site champions are important in any operation, according to Wrixon, as are a combination of coaching in the field and classroom teaching. Defining critical controls – and who“ owns” these – is another lesson
learned, as is the need to use task-based checklists. This, on top of the“ top-down approach” already mentioned, has proven key to getting everyone to comply with the plan.
Wrixon, who picked up the 2024 SME Health and Safety Operational Excellence Award in Denver on behalf of the company for this work, said several of its clients also now use this program.
“ It is a strong selling point of ours when bidding on work with clients who use the program, because we can tell them that we are a mature company when it comes to fatality prevention and we can hit the ground running at their site,” he said.“ Users of this program always learn from each other and their experiences, which ultimately leads to better results.”
In terms of further industry adoption, he emphasised that the key was to not confuse it with other aspects of a safety program.“ This program is about preventing the worst things that can happen to our people in the workplace, fatalities and critical injuries,” he said.“ It is important to keep that focus and not blur the lines with other elements which are designed to manage lower potential events.”
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2024
Shaft Sinking • Development • Underground Construction Raise Boring • Engineering Studies Design Engineeringg • Contract Mining Mechanized Raising • Project Services & Hoisting
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PROVIX vision system receives AI boost
Early in 2024, PROVIX combined its 360 degree aerial view camera system with AI cameras to enhance the ability to detect both personnel and vehicles. After months of in-service testing, the ability to both slow and stop vehicles and equipment has been added to facilitate an operator-independent collision avoidance system, the company reported.
The integration of this AI technology set the stage for a system that has the capability of detecting pedestrian personnel even when operators fail to recognise their presence, Dave Winfield, President of PROVIX says.“ The sensitivity of the AI cameras is such that an arm, a leg or even a hand will be identified as a person, and a warning will be provided to the vehicle or equipment operator.”
If the operator fails to react to the audible and visual warning, the system will override the vehicle equipment control system, disconnect the throttle and apply the brake to slow or stop before collision occurs, according to the company. It says the“ PROVIX slow and stop technology” is compatible on all types of off-road vehicle and equipment( on-road vehicles with air brakes are limited to use of the automated intervention system while in reverse or while forward speeds are governed with a speed control device).
The complete system is currently being used on equipment with hydraulic and service brakes,
14 International Mining | APRIL 2025