FATIGUE MANAGEMENT
19 travel restrictions . Hexagon has a team of 12 employees based out of Accra , and this local office provided significant support for the project implementation . These employees work with customers across the West African region .
The Operator Alertness System responds to the threat posed by fatigue and distraction , helping operators of heavy and light machinery to maintain the level of attention necessary for long hours and sometimes monotonous tasks . For Gold Fields , OAS-HV is one more way to ensure that people working at the busy open-pit mine return home safely after every shift . “ Hexagon shares Gold Fields ’ vision of a safer , more connected mine ,” said Andrew Crose , VP- Autonomous , Hexagon ’ s Mining division . “ We ’ re proud to be part of Damang ’ s push for zero harm and appreciate their collaboration in such a successful deployment . Our Accra office embodies Hexagon ’ s strategy of being closer to the customer , ensuring expert staff are in-country to professionally perform onsite services .”
Michiel van der Merwe , General Manager , Damang Mine said : “ We are always exploring new and innovative ways to improve safety at our mine . This project demonstrates our commitment to leverage innovation and technology to achieve our zero-harm objective and promote the wellbeing of our people .”
“ More than 60 % of our employees are from the host communities ,” said Abdel-Razak
Yakubu , Community Affairs Manager , Damang Mine . “ Hexagon ’ s Operator Alertness System is not only ensuring worker safety , but also enhancing our reputation as a responsible mining company that prioritises the health and safety of its employees .”
“ At Gold Fields , safety is our number one value , and that is why we continue to invest heavily in safety systems to prevent injuries and fatalities , as well as equipment damage ,” said Joshua Mortoti , Acting Executive Vice President and Head of Gold Fields West Africa . “ The Operator Alertness Safety system will augment our existing safety interventions and help us achieve our safety vision of our people returning home safe and healthy to their families every day .”
Elsewhere , expansion of the use of Hexagon ’ s OAS-HV has been announced by Australian coal mining major Yancoal . It states : “ OAS-HV is a non-intrusive fatigue and distraction solution that continuously monitors operators to proactively prevent accidents . Using an infra-red camera , OAS-HV continuously monitors for eyelid closure , facial and head movements , and other unsafe behaviour such as mobile phone use or speeding while the vehicle is in motion . Although procedures to reduce fatigue risk have previously been in place , OAS-HV enhances the effectiveness of Yancoal ’ s fatigue detection through features including in-cabin alarm and seat vibration that are linked to the system that alert the worker of unsafe events , as well as a review function that allows recorded video footage to be used to educate workers about fatigue and its implications .”
The miner said in its 2021 ESG report that broader implementation of a proven pilot project across other Yancoal operations was completed as planned in 2021 . Yancoal ’ s surface coal mining operations include Mount Thorley Warkworth , Moolarben , Hunter Valley Operations ( HVO ), Cameby Downs & Middlemount ( 50 %).
SmartCap – anywhere , anytime
In recent years , Wenco International Mining Systems ( Wenco ) and its parent , Hitachi Construction Machinery ( HCM ), have invested heavily in solutions to streamline and optimise the end-to-end mining enterprise , with safety as a foundation . In May 2021 , Wenco announced the acquisition of SmartCap , based in Brisbane , adding an advanced , fatigue monitoring layer for operator protection to this digital mining initiative . It is ultimately part of HCM ’ s Solution Linkage ® family , an ICT / IoT solution platform for global mining and construction customers created in response to increased demands for improved safety , life cycle cost , and productivity .
The SmartCap algorithm was developed by Dr Daniel Bongers while a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland , as part of