As the South African mining sector narrows its focus to safety, efficiencies and cost savings, the role of technology is becoming increasingly important.

The combined power of technologies, such as machine sensors, edge-to-cloud connectivity, advanced data capture and powerful analytics, is increasingly being harnessed to deliver deeper insight, safety enhancements and cost savings to mining operations across South Africa.

However, mining is, and has always been, seen as a risky business, whether undertaken on the surface or deep beneath the earth’s surface, says Wabtec Corporation digital mine VP and GM Doug Hanson.

“But, thanks to a combination of government regulation and a concerted effort by mining companies and original-equipment manufacturers, combined with cutting-edge technology, it is becoming a lot safer.”

He adds that South Africa, in many ways, is leading the way in this drive towards the ideal of a safer mining industry.

This follows the reiteration by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe that South African mining companies need to improve safety.

“Once you understand that, you have a solid starting point . . . Human intervention can lead to a fatality-free mining industry. But we must first understand the nature of the industry and mitigate against the problems,” he said at the Joburg Indaba 2019, this month.

Deaths and injuries are not inevitable once these risks are understood and steps are taken to counter them, Hanson says, noting that the Minister’s comments underline the crucial importance of collision awareness solutions and associated technology currently being developed and rolled out in the sector.

“Collisions awareness solutions are an integral part of mine safety management tools, which help workers make the right decision at the right time.

Solutions being developed by Wabtec go beyond proximity detection to increase productivity, improve operator situational awareness, minimise false alarms and mitigate collision risk,” Hanson says.

Further, there are still numerous cost pressures facing mining companies in South Africa, which underline the importance of cost efficiency and productivity enhancement measures.

“In addition to political pressure, mining operations everywhere are also experiencing renewed profitability pressures from continued commodity pricing volatility and global demand variability,” he points out.

This, he adds, has caused mining companies to re-evaluate business models and seek smarter, more efficient ways of operating that focus on sustainable cost management practices and improved productivity.

He points out that this is not unique to the mining industry, with many of the world’s leading industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, and healthcare, besides others, having recognised this need for change.

“While the exact improvements vary from industry to industry, the path to transformation is similar: an emphasis on process improvement through the application of leading-edge digital technologies across the industrial Internet value chain,” he concludes.