Boosting mining operations with hyperlocal weather insights

From heavy winds kicking up dust, to lightning and ice, severe weather impacts pose serious threats to operational efficiency, worker safety, and environmental compliance across the global mining industry. Failing to properly monitor and manage dynamic weather conditions at remote mine sites can lead to costly downtime, accidents, regulatory violations, or worse.

Consequently, implementing advanced weather monitoring and decision support solutions can help mine operators develop comprehensive weather resilience strategies that address industrial hygiene challenges by:

• Mitigating risks.
• Optimising productivity.
• Enhancing health and safety practices.
• Meeting growing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

Improving operational efficiency and productivity

Mining is a 24/7 endeavour in which unplanned downtime can prove extremely expensive – potentially reaching US$50 000/hr of lost production. Instead of taking an overly conservative ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, integrating highly precise on-site weather sensors, forecasting capabilities, and alert systems can minimise unnecessary shutdowns and the potential for weather-related accidents.

Monitoring hydrological conditions, for example, provides early warning of flood risks that could wash out roads, disrupt supply routes or lead to drainage, enabling decision-makers to pause operations in higher-risk areas while maintaining productivity elsewhere on-site. Similarly, hyperlocal meteorological insights can help decision-makers determine whether a storm will take a turn for the worse or miss the mine entirely.

Protecting worker health and safety

Hazardous conditions like extreme heat, lightning, high winds, heavy precipitation, icing and low visibility all pose risks to those working in one of the world’s most dangerous industries. Advanced warning of approaching severe weather allows mine operators to restrict certain activities and prioritise personnel safety based on specific threats.

For example, rather than halting all operations in the case of the first lightning strike within a 20-mile radius, an automated lightning detection system allows miners to monitor the precise location, direction and intensity of an incoming storm to make informed decisions about pausing operations to maximise productivity and employee safety. Similarly, high winds bring air quality issues and dust challenges, as well as equipment loading and crane operations issues. Understanding when and where these weather events will take place is essential.

Boosting ESG performance

As regulatory standards tighten, comprehensive weather data enhances environmental management plans related to water usage, dust control and monitoring of tailings dams or other infrastructure.

Water is a crucial but often scarce resource for remote mining operations. Closely tracking precipitation, temperature, wind, and solar radiation in real time helps miners implement measures that reduce the water footprint and ultimately close the water balance. Dust is another critical challenge, as particulate emissions can degrade air quality in surrounding areas if not properly controlled.

Consider dust pollution in Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest mine ports. With multiple operators on-site, determining which activity caused the dust or which operator neglected suppression was challenging. Combining wind lidar and air quality sensors from Vaisala, authorities gained a real-time view into both ground-based and upper-air observations. This holistic view provides a strong understanding of the dust sources and dispersion, ultimately enabling targeted dust suppression that saves water and costs while improving health and safety for employees and the neighbouring city.

The power of hyperlocal weather intelligence

In an industry facing immense industrial hygiene challenges and increasing sustainability requirements, hyperlocal weather intelligence enhances productivity and business resilience while safeguarding people, communities and the environment — creating a crucial competitive advantage.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/technology-digitalisation/03072024/boosting-mining-operations-with-hyperlocal-weather-insights/