The Drill Platform Detection system aims to assist that coal mine personnel on or around the drill platform are safe while the drill is in operation, says safety and monitoring solutions provider Monitech chief sales officer Nick Murray.

The versatile system is designed as per customer requirements for their drill platforms. The system was not an existing product and was developed specifically for this application.

“When we first introduced it, it was a requirement from a coal exporter mine, formerly owned by Anglo Coal, which is now called Thungela Resources. The mine needed a system to help protect anyone on the platform from getting too close to the drill while it was in operation,” he adds.

The system can be adapted to suit the application and the mine, as Monitech collaborates with clients to find solutions to problems and resolve their challenges regarding safety.

The system’s “innovative” 360º capabilities design adds to its adaptability and flexibility.

“You can set it up to have different ranges and different zones. You can have multiple sensors, you can have single sensors – there’s a lot we can do with it,” says Murray.

“This approach to innovative systems design ensures that we meet all the clients’ requirements,” he adds.

Safety and Training

Safety is paramount when working at a mine site and Murray says the Drill Platform Detection system assists companies in fulfilling this ideal.

“While the system is there to prevent any sort of harm coming anyone’s way, it’s just as critical that people understand that they are, ultimately, responsible for their own safety,” he stresses.

The system is fully automated, so the operator does not have to manually activate it – they “just have to understand how it works” and to facilitate this the company implements a comprehensive change management process with the client.

This understanding as well as safe operating habits are imparted through on-the-job training that must be completed before the system is used, notes Murray.

“A lot of this training includes conversations and visuals, and the creation of an interactive space to ensure that operators are afforded the opportunity to ask as many questions as they would like. Thereafter, Monitech develops client-specific manuals, protocols and operating procedures.”

Murray highlights that Monitech designs, develops and manufactures its mining solutions: “We deliver, we install, we maintain. We are a company that does it all in-house to ensure our clients maintain safe operations.”