CAS & FATIGUE
at the University of Pretoria, who leads that work with its Vehicle Dynamics Group. He had this to say:“ We are testing continuously and have conducted more than 200 tests to date. This keeps us extremely busy, yet we still observe very limited performance from the CxD products. It appears that most CxDs work in certain scenarios but struggle in others. They can pass all scenarios, but only if developers are allowed to adjust or configure the systems in between- indicating a lack of robustness for real operating environments where a system must handle any and all scenarios”. He adds:“ We are gradually seeing international machine OEMs joining the effort, but not at the pace the local mining industry requires.”
Regarding regulatory status, as stated, collision avoidance regulations have been in effect since December 2022, with no changes to date. A major challenge the industry still faces is the inconsistent interpretation and application of these regulations by all involved parties.“ This leads to confusion and poor alignment, ultimately resulting in extended development timelines, inadequately tested products, and systems with limited performance that fail to improve mine safety while introducing significant impacts on production.”
Hamersma argued that one positive development is the revision of the MOSH CPS guideline, which was recently published. It updates the original guideline from 2022, with the main objective of improving clarity and transparency to encourage wider adoption.“ We are seeing definite progress on this front, most notably in the Northern Cape. Credit goes to the MOSH Transport and Machinery team and the Northern Cape Mine Managers Association’ s Engineering Work Stream. Their initiatives and positive approach have led to productive engagements with many key industry stakeholders- from mines to developers, suppliers, and the Regulator. I hope their approach becomes the model for the rest of South Africa.”
It is worth pointing out that it is not a legal requirement to test with the University of Pretoria. However, many mines are mitigating their risk by requiring vendors to carry out the tests and align with the MOSH CPS guideline. Hamersma:“ We provide an independent assessment of a product’ s performance, under clearly defined test conditions. We do repeatable, scientific testing, allowing for easy comparison across different products, and allowing developers to identify and close gaps in their solutions.”
Booyco- Operational Readiness is Key to PDS Implementation on Mines
One of the long standing collision awareness tech players in South Africa is Booyco
Electronics – it argues that despite Level 9 vehicle intervention for collision avoidance being mandatory on South African mines since 2022, a significant barrier to effective proximity detection system( PDS) implementation is not just the deployment of technology but also operational readiness of mines.
Booyco CEO Anton Lourens emphasises that successful adoption requires full leadership commitment, cross-functional collaboration between departments and alignment of PDS with traffic management plans, risk assessments, and change management processes.“ Level 9 vehicle intervention for collision avoidance has been mandatory on South African mines since 2022, yet the effective roll-out of proximity detection systems( PDS) remains slower than expected – not due to technical limitations insofar as integration but to operational readiness on site.”
The Level 9 requirements mandate engineering controls on trackless mining machines( TMMs) to automatically slow down or stop vehicles, preventing both machine-to-pedestrian and machine-tomachine collisions. While PDS technology has advanced considerably to meet these requirements, Lourens stresses that a real challenge lies in how mines prepare to integrate it.
“ Many operations are still not ready to operationalise PDS within their daily activities, safety systems or workflows,” he explains.“ Successful adoption demands coordinated involvement from all stakeholders including the mine’ s own management, operators and departments, regulators, technology suppliers and TMM OEMs.”
Detailed risk assessments remain a key requirement for mines to identify and mitigate significant hazards, specifically around TMMs. Lourens notes that PDS is a valuable tool in this process of mitigation that can provide valuable information, but its implementation must be systematic and aligned to the broader risk framework.
“ The choice of PDS technology will depend on the specific environment and based on identified risks – whether underground or surface, hard rock or coal – but it must be introduced without creating further unintended risks to other operational systems, particularly production.”
A critical starting point, he says, includes the mine’ s traffic management plan. Reducing vehicle-pedestrian interaction lowers risk and minimises production disruption. Continuous analysis of incident hotspots can guide traffic flow adjustments and sometimes operational plans may need to be revised. Once traffic patterns are optimised, PDS deployments can be aligned to complement these flows. Misalignment risks frustrating operators, creating‘ PDS fatigue’ from excessive warnings which can lead to alerts being ignored.
Operational readiness, therefore, requires full leadership commitment and cross-functional collaboration. While PDS suppliers often deal with engineering teams, Lourens points out that production, finance and human resources must also be engaged. Finance teams need to weigh capital and maintenance costs against safety and efficiency benefits; HR must oversee operator training and production must understand the operational implications.
Change management, he warns, is neither quick nor easy. It requires active communication across the mining ecosystem, ensuring that everyone understands the system’ s function and value.“ Any new system must be accompanied by a change in behaviour or nothing will improve,” he says.“ Unlike when introducing mechanical equipment some PDS operates invisibly through radio frequencies( RFID) so early engagement, clear communication and thorough training are essential.”
From induction and operator instruction to ongoing best practice reinforcement, Lourens concludes that mines must take a structured inclusive approach to PDS adoption if they are to achieve the full safety benefits envisaged by the Level 9 regulations.
Wabtec’ s portal to performance – closing the loop on incident management
Wabtec released its Generation 3 Collision Avoidance System( Gen3 CAS) in 2023, and it was described as a game changer in the sector at the time. It was more supportive of production by introducing a smarter‘ rules & intelligence’ engine, meaning alarms were more the exception than the rule based on deviation from mine site procedures. The new CAS also featured a curved detection beam following the vehicle heading. In simple terms, it uses accurate discrimination between a safe-interaction versus an unsafe or dangerous interaction, eliminating nuisance alarms and resulting production impact at L8 / L9.
It also improved the user interface based on best-practice human factors engineering which has led to improved operator acceptance. Voice based warnings provide specific context of threat and expected response, reducing operator reaction times and any distractions from viewing the system screen. It is designed to only alarm when a high risk incident is likely. This greatly reduces operator alarm fatigue and minimises the complacency risks associated with nuisance alarming.
What, if any, are the latest developments around Wabtec’ s Gen 3 CAS itself? Mitch
66 International Mining | JANUARY 2026