Safety in mining operations at Russia’s largest gold producer

The solution will be implemented across the gold mining fleet owned by Polyus, Russia’s largest gold producer, to ensure the highest safety standards.

‘With 30% of all accidents in the workplace in 2018 caused by mobile equipment according to the International Council of Mining and Metals, health and safety surrounding vehicle usage is critical. At VIST, we have proved our capability in increasing the safety of mining operations through the implementation of cutting-edge solutions,” said German Popov, Head of the Division at VIST Group.

The Orlaco 'collision avoidance system’ consists of a set of cameras and radars mounted on mining equipment. The information is then communicated to the driver via a monitor, allowing them greater spatial awareness of their vehicle and the surrounding area. The features include a built-in warning system which automatically alerts the transport operator to any equipment, people, boulders, poles and other stationary structures within a 30 m radius. Overall the system has been designed to provide operators with greater control over their vehicle for manoeuvring, mainly where space is tight, other vehicles or people may be present in large numbers, and/or weather conditions prove prohibitive, to ensure the utmost level of safety.

The implementation of this latest safety solution follows on the heels of the company’s earlier 2017 initiative, when a similar Orlaco safety system was implemented at the Krasnoyarsk business unit of Polyus. According to the results of the survey into the performance of the solution: 77% of mining equipment operators were fully satisfied with the installed system and its ease of use, 78% noted an increase in the level of safety in work, and 75% evaluated the additional visibility provided by the cameras in the dark positively.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/10102019/safety-in-mining-operations-at-russias-largest-gold-producer/