Newly developed solar-powered light-up safety cones have been released to the South African mining market by quarry, mining and industrial products supplier ERG Industrial.

The 1.8-m-tall safety cones were developed over 18 months, with nine different prototypes undergoing testing at several sites, including South African mines, before the company settled on a final version, says ERG Industrial MD Eugene Preis.

“These solar-powered flashing cones were inspired by the general poor visibility during nightshift at mining operations,” he explains, adding that traditional 1.8 m barrier cones rely on reflective strips and thus an external source of lighting, such as that provided by mining equipment’s headlights.

To overcome this challenge, ERG Industrial set out to develop a solution that did not require an external light source to make cones visible to observers, did not require additional equipment to demarcate certain areas of a mine and could function like normal 1.8 m cones during daytime.

The specific areas that ERG’s solar-powered flashing cones target include high-risk and high-activity areas such as crest demarcation during drilling, in-pit maintenance, in-pit light-duty vehicle parking and haul road demarcation.

ERG currently offers cones of six reflective colours, including red, blue, green, orange, yellow and deep yellow, while the solar LED lighting widgets are configured to flash the same colour as the reflective strips.

“In addition to the cone colours and lighting colours, we can add customised lettering on the cones to provide more information and context on-site. This is however only available for bulk purchases,” says Preis.

Regarding flashing patterns, ERG currently only offers a single preset pattern, but Preis says the company is presently working on a version that would allow end-users to select different flashing patterns.

The solar-charged battery takes between five to eight hours to fully charge.

“What makes it unique is that it charges via UV, meaning that charging still takes place effectively in overcast conditions,” he says, adding that a single charge provides up to 72 hours of flashing continuity.

The light and battery unit is also encased within the cone, protecting it against external elements and conditions.

“Additionally, each unit is resin sealed in order to increase robustness,” says Preis.

Compared to traditional, non-illuminated demarcation methods, ERG’s solar LED cones offer users a reduced lighting plant requirement, improved awareness of hazardous areas, faster identification of hazardous areas and thus a longer time for decision-making, as well as usability in both day and night shifts.

“At ERG Industrial we like simple innovations, like these cones. Sometimes the mining industry focuses on highly complex solutions whilst there are simpler quick wins up for grabs,” he states.