Since Level 9 vehicle intervention for collision avoidance became mandatory on South African mines in 2022, mine safety equipment manufacturer Booyco Electronics has continued to lead the way in proximity detection system (PDS) technology and implementation. Despite the availability of mature and proven technology, industry-wide adoption has been slower than anticipated, primarily owing to limited operational readiness rather than technical constraints.

The Level 9 requirements enforce automatic vehicle slowdown or stopping through engineering controls on trackless mining machines, preventing machine-to-pedestrian and machine-to-machine collisions. 

As the recognised leader in PDS, Booyco Electronics has developed advanced systems capable of seamless integration across diverse mining operations. The greater challenge, however, lies in the mines’ ability to integrate PDS effectively within their operational frameworks.

Successful implementation depends on comprehensive risk assessments and coordinated collaboration across management, operations, safety, engineering, production and human resources. Mines must embed PDS into their broader risk mitigation strategies, ensuring the technology complements rather than disrupts existing systems and production flows. 

A strong starting point is an optimised traffic management plan, reducing vehicle-pedestrian interaction, identifying incident hotspots and adapting routes or operational layouts accordingly. This ensures PDS deployments align with actual site conditions, improving efficiency and reducing false alerts.

Booyco Electronics emphasises that operational readiness requires leadership commitment, structured change management and extensive communication to foster understanding of system functionality and value. Training and behavioural adaptation are critical as PDS operates invisibly using radio frequency technology. By integrating technical excellence with stakeholder collaboration, Booyco Electronics continues to set the benchmark for safety technology in mining, enabling operations to meet regulatory requirements and achieve genuine advances in collision avoidance.