COLLISION AVOIDANCE
Fail to safe
The level of interest in collision avoidance technology is increasingly global , both underground and on surface – with a realisation that it brings both safety and productivity if applied in the right way . Paul Moore reports
As is traditional for this collision avoidance article we always have a discussion around the situation in South Africa , where the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ( DMRE ) brought into law the Chapter 8 clauses of the Mine Health and Safety Act Regulations in late 2022 . And following last year ’ s article , IM has been in touch with some key figures in the collision avoidance space in South Africa , notably Kobus Blomerus , who set up SECDI – the Safety Engineering Competency Development Institute in 2019 . Since then he has been a driving force behind the Minerals Council South Africa ' s Industry Alignment on TMM Regulations Project .
Blomerus says 2024 was a tipping point for Collision Prevention Systems in South Africa . Much of it he believes is driven by a formal collaboration between mines in the Northern Cape . A number of mines in the region adopted the MOSH CPS blueprint and actively started driving it as the defacto standard for their mines ’ ‘ CAS L9 ’ products . This effect has been demonstrated by the fact that from three CxD ( CxD is a commonly used term in South Africa meaning Collision Warning and Avoidance System device ) products passing the ISO 218152- 2021 UP VDG test at the beginning of 2024 there are now 12 , and from four TMM CPS products there are now 11 . He adds that the first underground CxD product has now passed all the five UP VDG foundational readiness tests that are
the stage gate for moving onto integration tests . Blomerus believes that these developments have removed any doubt that might still have existed with the validity of the MOSH CPS Blueprint .
He adds : “ A further five CxD products passed the first three of the five tests . Interesting enough , however , understandable , is that the major international products are lagging . There is still reluctance to enhance CAS L9 CxD products to the CPS standard . On the TMM side things are not going as well . International surface TMM OEMs are still pushing back against the blueprint standard . A breakthrough decision by Komatsu South Africa late in October 2024 is very encouraging . Komatsu shared with its customers that it believes the CPS Functional and Technical Performance Requirements published by the Minerals Council of South Africa ( CPS blueprint )
are a way to validate the Machine Intervention System ( MIS ) which Komatsu provides for local requirements . In principle , KSA agree to the TMM OEM related requirements as defined , and Komatsu will make its best effort to comply .”
Matrix Design Group ' s OmniPro Vision AI utilises artificial intelligence to alert equipment operators to pedestrians , vehicles and other potential hazards
With the mines under a lot of pressure to install systems and TMM OEMs being reluctant a number of third party TMM CPS products emerged and are outperforming TMM OEMs when it comes to conformance with the MOSH blueprint . Seven third party products already passed the ISO 21815-2-2021 UP VDG tests with five passing the first three of the five tests . Indications are that one of the largest global underground TMM OEMs will soon pass all of the first five UP VDG tests .
Blomerus also revealed that pressure from the DMRE is still mounting , with the North West region recently issuing an instruction to mines in the region to self-stop their TMMs by end December 2024 if they do not comply with the regulations . “ This elevates the challenge from a safety and compliance one to a business survival one . TMM OEMs will most likely be on the receiving end of some of the pressure .” Blomerus concludes his reflection on 2024 by sharing that the 1st CPS Exhibition held in Kathu in the Northern Cape on 5 December 2024 drew 13 CPS product exhibitors , all showcasing their current and future products . It seems that South Africa has come a long way in 2024 .
Herman Hamersma , Senior Researcher at the University of Pretoria ’ s VDG which oversees the TMM testing at the Gerotek testing site , echoed these comments from Blomerus . “ The first UG CAS supplier has completed all the TRL4 tests successfully . We also have two OEMs ( both international ) that have completed the TRL4 machine tests successfully . Adoption of the Minerals Council specifications has been mixed , the local suppliers and developers are more keen than the international ones . We have completed 79 tests in 2024 , with a few more to come before the end of the year . Our tests have revealed the relative lack of maturity and readiness for widespread adoption . Mines are still at risk of both non-compliance and limited performance , leading to losses in production and continued incidents . It seems as if the majority of the CAS suppliers are bringing new products to market , so we anticipate the need for testing to persist for the foreseeable future .”
He added : “ Suppliers and OEMs are having a hard time with the majority of the tests . Especially very limited fail-to-safe functionality . Almost all of the CAS suppliers are bringing new products to market , as to go from an old Level 7 system to a full-blown CPS is a significant step up . Very few suppliers have been able to upgrade their old product to meet the CPS requirements , because it typically involves upgrades to both hardware and software . This is taking time and
International Mining | JANUARY 2025