FATIGUE MANAGEMENT the person is not microsleeping – they are just heading in the direction of significant risk but can still take some simple preventative actions – sit up straight , take a sip of water , take a bite of food like an apple . The stats are compelling – 98 % of the time people respond to the early warning alert .” Plus , at this stage they are responding privately , no one else is involved and they return themselves to a more alert state within two minutes . For the handful of times in which they don ’ t successfully self manage , they might progress to a fatigue risk alarm , but they are still not asleep so can still act at this stage the mine systems will also be aware so that their processes can kick in if needed .
Bongers adds : “ Real time actions to real time fatigue awareness are also straightforward . With minimal guidance , nearly every SmartCap client around the world has nearly identical criteria for what to do . That standardisation is very important for mining companies with many sites . The aspect of self management is important and reassuring to many operators as well , as it is familiar to them , in the same manner , you would self manage when you start to feel tired in your personal vehicle .”
Bongers has also given some idea of the degree of penetration of fatigue related technologies in mining – from about 5 % of mines globally having some form of technology even three or four years ago – to fast approaching the majority today .
Looking forward , the technology may not be restricted to haul truck operators – it is already being used to some extent in light and ancillary vehicles . But what about mines using autonomous haulage which uses fleet controllers as well as other people in ROCs ? “ If an individual is having to look at lots of screens with a lot of head turning as a major part of their role , a camera fatigue solution just wouldn ’ t work as you would need multiple cameras to look in all the directions they might look . SmartCap works anywhere , anytime . As a result , we are getting a lot of enquiries about fatigue monitoring for these vital roles where it has the potential to be both production and safety critical .”
The final change worth mentioning is that it is widely accepted that fatigue management technologies bring productivity benefits – the workforce is more alert , and kinder on equipment leading the lower maintenance costs . It ’ s no longer just about safety and compliance , there is a business case now that can be made to comfortably justify the spend .
So , who is using the SmartCap LifeBand in mining today ? There have been some big wins . Iron ore major Fortescue is a major user . In FY21 , FMG extended its use of LifeBand , and during FY21 , 198 units were in operation across FMG ’ s sites which has increased further since . Anglo
American has been a major user , at the Kolomela and Sishen iron ore mines in South Africa for example . BHP uses SmartCap extensively at Escondida and Cerro Colorado in Chile and has expanded its use into Australia . MMG uses the technology at Las Bambas and Dugald River . In Mexico , Torex is rolling it out at its El Limón Guajes Mining Complex ( ELG ) for use initially in open pit , with plans to move underground mining and Over The Road ( OTR ) transport . These are just some of the major examples . To date , every mine site with SmartCap installed has eliminated fatigue related incidents .
A brave new world , powered by Machine Learning
In October 2022 , Fatigue Science announced that Newcrest Mining Ltd was the latest major mine to deploy its Readi predictive fatigue management technology site-wide at its Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea . An open-pit gold mine , Lihir employs around 4,500 people , many of whom operate safety-sensitive shiftwork operations , such as haul truck operators and bus drivers .
The statement said : “ In adopting Readi , Newcrest positions itself among the rising number of global leading mining firms who have recently adopted the predictive fatigue management technology from Fatigue Science . Readi , as both a system of record for operational fatigue data and as a daily tool for supervisor decision-making , is based on scientificallyvalidated biomathematical modelling . With a proven and quantified impact on the safety and productivity of other mines that have deployed the technology , the investment by Lihir represents a clear step toward optimising operations using datadriven technology .”
“ We ’ re thrilled to welcome Newcrest aboard with their landmark adoption of Readi at the Lihir mine ,” says Andrew Morden , President & CEO of Fatigue Science . “ With this implementation , Newcrest further affirms its mission to put health and safety at the forefront of its
operations , while keenly leveraging proven technology that has a direct benefit to mine output at the same time .”
Fatigue Science cites Readi FMIS as “ the world ’ s leading fatigue management information system .” Based on the biomathematical fatigue model , SAFTE™ , Readi interprets operator sleep data and / or estimates of operators ’ sleep derived from machine learning . “ With these data , it calculates a unique and personalised fatigue prediction for every operator , for each hour in every shift . It then provides these hour-by-hour fatigue predictions both to supervisors and to the operators themselves via mobile notifications and optional wearables .”
Supervisors at Lihir will receive daily push notifications at the start of every shift , alerting them to any haul truck operators or bus drivers under their supervision who are flagged with a high risk of fatigue – including fatigue that may arise later in that shift . Armed with these predictive insights , supervisors can take proactive measures , such as rotating safetycritical tasks and planning fatigue breaks , based on objective and validated fatigue data .
Additionally , Newcrest Lihir has chosen to provide ReadiWatch smartwatches to several hundred of their most safety-sensitive operators , such as those operating haul trucks and busses , so that they can receive on-wrist Fatigue Alerts ahead of periods of critical fatigue . The wearable
JANUARY 2023 | International Mining 71