Hexagon Vehicle Intervention System first and only open-pit Level 9 solution to pass University of Pretoria safety test

Today’s landmark result marks a significant milestone in the continued evolution of VIS, which became the first Level 9 solution available to the market when originally introduced in 2017. The newly verified system builds on that proven foundation with enhanced architecture and performance aligned to current Minerals Council South Africa requirements.

A Level 9 solution represents the highest level of control defined by EMESRT (the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table). Under EMESRT’s nine-level framework for preventing vehicle interactions in mining, controls range from site design and operating procedures through to advanced advisory systems and, ultimately, full automatic intervention. At Level 9, the system can automatically intervene to slow or stop a machine if the operator does not respond to a hazard, providing the strongest layer of protection against collision.

The University of Pretoria (UP) conducts independent TRL4 verification testing for Collision Prevention Systems (CPS) and Collision Warning Devices (CxD) in controlled laboratory and proving ground environments. These tests, conducted under the Minerals Council South Africa framework, validate the fundamental, standalone functionality of sensors and systems before field integration.

The TRL4 stage gate is a critical milestone in South Africa’s MOSH (Mining Industry Occupational Safety and Health) initiative, ensuring that technologies demonstrate reliable, repeatable performance.

UP’s TRL4 CPS test specification is designed to verify that CxD and Trackless Mining Machine (TMM) CPS solutions can detect and prevent collisions through scientific, quantifiable, and repeatable testing. The scope includes ISO21815-2:2021 compatibility, log keeping, self-diagnostics, detection and tracking, effective warning, and vehicle interventions.

First subjected to more than 10 000 testing hours in a working mine prior to its initial launch in 2017, VIS established the benchmark for Level 9 intervention in opencast mining. The latest generation builds on that operational heritage and is engineered to automatically inhibit propulsion, apply retarder or service braking, enforce safe following distances, manage vehicle overspeed, including ramps, and bring a vehicle to a safe state in the event of system failure. These intervention capabilities are designed as a last resort when an operator does not respond appropriately to a Level 8 warning.

Hexagon’s Mining Division President, Dave Goddard, said the TRL4 verification represents an important validation point for customers seeking compliant, future-ready safety technology.

“This milestone gives our customers confidence that our next-generation Level 9 intervention solution has been independently verified in a controlled environment before moving to integrated site testing,” said Goddard. “It reinforces Hexagon’s commitment to supporting mines in meeting regulatory requirements and advancing toward zero harm.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/26032026/hexagon-vehicle-intervention-system-first-and-only-open-pit-level-9-solution-to-pass-university-of-pretoria-safety-test/