MINE SAFETY
The continued deployment of the ANSUL Liquid Vehicle Suppression System, or LVS, across mobile mining equipment is an area of focus for Johnson Controls
Liquid Vehicle Suppression System, or LVS, across mobile mining equipment is one area of focus, he said.
“ The liquid agent provides rapid flame knockdown while cooling hot surfaces and helping prevent reflash, which is critical on equipment where fuels, hydraulic fluids and high-temperature components are often located in close proximity,” Borberg explained.“ The non-fluorinated LVS NF-40 agent also supports customers seeking effective fire protection while addressing evolving environmental requirements.”
The company is expanding the flexibility of the LVS platform. New configurations, including the compact LVS-M1 tank, allow liquid-agent protection to be applied to smaller machines, light-duty vehicles and equipment where installation space has traditionally been limited.“ This enables mine operators to apply a more consistent fireprotection strategy across a broader portion of the fleet,” Borberg explains.
When it comes to detection, the CHECKFIRE 210 platform provides multizone detection, alarm and automatic system actuation for large mobile equipment.
“ More recently, the CHECKFIRE 210 Quad Infrared detector has added highspeed optical detection capable of identifying hydrocarbon flames in seconds, while helping reduce the potential for false discharges in demanding mining environments,” Borberg said.
He added:“ Together, faster detection and liquid-agent suppression are designed to shorten the time from ignition to intervention, reduce fire severity and help protect both personnel and critical equipment.”
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In terms of future product developments, Borberg said Johnson Controls is consistently evaluating technologies that can make fire protection faster, safer and more reliable, including advances in detection, system connectivity, diagnostics and data analytics.
“ Our focus is not innovation for its own sake; it is applying the right technology to improve detection, simplify system management, support safer operations and give customers greater confidence in the performance of their fire-protection systems throughout their lifecycle,” he said.
Addressing critical control downfalls
Sphera says the latest fatality data from the ICMM – which detailed 39 fatalities at ICMM member company operations in 2025, down from 42 in 2024 – highlighted that the industry continues to face a critical challenge: ensuring essential safety controls are executed consistently, every time.
In over 70 % of the 2025 fatalities reported by the ICMM, critical controls failed to execute, Sphera explained, with safety processes still relying on disconnected or manual workflows in many organisations.
“ These approaches can make it more difficult to consistently execute, verify and document critical controls across increasingly complex operations,” Sphera said.“ The industry must transition to digital, connected tools to turn around these downward trends.”
The company reflected on one of its customer success stories to highlight how such tools can improve safety performance.
This customer – a global mining company – was out to strengthen both operational safety and maintenance efficiency by standardising how permits, isolations and risk assessments were managed across its operations.
Working with Sphera, the organisation implemented connected digital workflows designed to improve consistency, reduce administrative burden and strengthen execution of critical controls.
“ Their approach to risk management stands out as a strong example of how digital transformation can make a real impact in high-risk environments,” the company said.
Recognising ongoing gaps in highrisk work activities – even with electronic isolation systems in place – the company piloted and implemented an integrated digital permitting system in 2023. The primary goal was zero isolation system breaches, while also improving permit accuracy, risk assessment, communication and control.
Sphera’ s team transitioned manual, paper-based permits to a digitally integrated system.“ This significantly reduced administrative time and errors that had previously led to isolation breaches and miscommunication,” the company said.
The digital solution also helped eliminate handwriting-related mistakes, ensured standardised risk assessments and embedded critical prerequisite controls into workflows, helping to prevent failures in critical safety systems.
“ By connecting permitting, isolation management and work execution into a single workflow, the organisation achieved measurable operational improvements,” Sphera said. This included:
• Increased efficiency: Permit creation time was reduced from hours to minutes, expediting authorisation for high-risk work;
• Fewer isolation breaches: Built-in approval protocols ensured safety measures were verified before work began;
• Enhanced visibility: The solution’ s online / offline mobile application connected employees, contractors and maintenance crews, allowing area controllers to track real-time, high-risk work activities. This helped to improve oversight and highlight additional opportunities to improve safety standards; and
• Improved risk knowledge retention: Risk profiles, lessons learned and isolation records were digitised and easily accessible for future work planning and new generations of mining and metals employees.
The company concluded:“ This success highlights that prioritising safety doesn’ t
International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2026