{"id":1129117,"date":"2019-07-26T12:14:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T17:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/?p=997706"},"modified":"2019-07-26T12:14:08","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T17:14:08","slug":"safer-healthier-more-productive-the-promise-of-wearables-for-miners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/?p=1129117","title":{"rendered":"Safer, healthier, more productive \u2014 the promise of wearables for miners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As declining ore reserves push<br \/>\nmines to greater depths and also to remote locations, some companies are<br \/>\ntesting wearables \u2014 clothing, gear and other accessories incorporating computer<br \/>\nand advanced electronic equipment \u2014 to see how they can help cutting costs,<br \/>\ndecrease risk and drive productivity.<\/p>\n<div class='d-flex justify-content-center'>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1561499308230-0'><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1561499308230-0');});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Those solutions are increasingly being adopted by companies that see health, safety and environmental challenges as a priority, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/ca\/en\/pages\/energy-and-resources\/articles\/future-mining-wearables-improve-safety.html\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">study published Deloitte and NORCAT<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>The confluence of a number of factors, including miniaturization, processing power, battery life and WI-FI readiness has created a significant opportunity for wearables in mining.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Deloitte\u2019s global mining and consulting leader, Andrew Swart.<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The main advantage of these smart electronic devices is, according to Deloitte\u2019s global mining and consulting leader, Andrew Swart, that a single gadget can serve multiple purposes.<\/p>\n<p>He notes wearables are currently used in four main areas. In environmental monitoring, for instance, remote sensing technologies let frontline workers anticipate and companies respond to various types of risks.<\/p>\n<p>For health and safety managers, biometric devices can help avoid accidents thanks to real-time alerts indicating a person is highly stressed or too tired. <\/p>\n<p>When used in conjunction with underground digital mining platforms, they have the ability to communicate and address multiple issues such as air quality (diesel particulate, gas levels, dust levels, temperature), location tracking using RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags and workers\u2019 last known position tracking during seismic events.<\/p>\n<p>Wearables are especially useful for<br \/>\ntraining, Swart told MINING.COM. Real-time virtual and augmented reality applications<br \/>\nare accelerating skills and knowledge development, especially in the context of<br \/>\nincreased adoption of mobile equipment.<\/p>\n<p>This technology is also helping optimize response capability to incidents.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/deloitte-helmet.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-997712\" width=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/deloitte-helmet.jpg 709w, https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/deloitte-helmet-300x220.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/><figcaption>The Smart Helmet Clip is an industrial-grade wearable device with a modular sensor suite that enables situational awareness. (<em>Image courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/cortex-design.com\/work\/deloitte\/\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cortex Designs..<\/a><\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The confluence of a number of<br \/>\nfactors, including miniaturization, processing power, battery life and WI-FI<br \/>\nreadiness has created a significant opportunity for wearables in mining, Swart<br \/>\nsaid.<\/p>\n<p>Adroit Market Research predicts that the global digital mining market will be worth almost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globenewswire.com\/news-release\/2019\/07\/18\/1884371\/0\/en\/Digitalization-in-Mining-Market-to-hit-13-567-2-Mn-by-2025-Global-Insights-on-Trends-Growth-Drivers-Competitive-landscape-Application-Mining-and-Metallurgy-Financial-Performance-wi.html\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">$13,570 million by the end of 2025<\/a>, boosted by miners\u2019 needs to optimize productivity and offer safety to their workforce.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Privacy issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>As with any emerging technology, wearables\u2019 adoption can be met with some reluctance, especially by unions. They tend to believe that, rather than monitoring the environment, the smart devices are meant to monitor workers.<\/p>\n<p>To avoid this, Swart noted, unions<br \/>\nshould be engaged in the decision process and the introduction of wearables at<br \/>\nwork. <\/p>\n<p>The data that wearables collect depends on a device&#8217;s features and the infrastructure in place, which can either ensure continuous connection (active tracking) or gated connection (passive tracking). <\/p>\n<p>Given the legal risks related to<br \/>\nemployers accessing information considered private, such as a person\u2019s medical<br \/>\nconditions, mining companies should enable only the right features for the<br \/>\norganization and review the processes by which data is collected, Swart noted.<\/p>\n<p>Equally or more important, he<br \/>\nadded, is for miners to introduce policies, infrastructure, system security and<br \/>\nappropriate education on wearables.<\/p>\n<p>While their adoption has increased in the last decade, wearables are being integrated in mining operations in a variety of ways, depending on factors such as assets location and type of mining.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Deloitte_wearables_DSC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-997711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Deloitte_wearables_DSC.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Deloitte_wearables_DSC-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Deloitte_wearables_DSC-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption>In environmental monitoring, remote sensing technologies let frontline workers anticipate and companies respond to various types of risks. (<em>Image courtesy of Deloitte.<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Australia\u2019s largest gold producer, Newcrest Mining (ASX: NCM),\u00a0has been looking to wearables and algorithms to help workers at its Telfer mine drink enough water. The decision was amde after tests found up to one-third of the staff didn&#8217;t start the day adequately hydrated.<\/p>\n<p>Boart Longyear has introduced a<br \/>\nsystem that allows 100% hands-free drilling rods handling. Among the multiple<br \/>\nhazard associated manually handling&nbsp; those tools, the solution prevents<br \/>\nback and hands injuries, as well as muscle strains and pulls.<\/p>\n<p>In Ontario, Canada, Jannatec Technologies has produced a number of wearables currently in use at the several mines and projects located in the region. The most recent one is a helmets with a 360\u00b0 high visibility feature, onboard brim mounted camera, bio-sensors and proximity detection. <\/p>\n<p>Embracing the full potential of these technologies requires mining leaders to think through questions that will arise during pilot, implementation and scaling phases, Swart said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs as with any new technology we\u2019re in a transition period during which the product will be slow to show tangible results,\u201d he concluded.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As declining ore reserves push mines to greater depths and also to remote locations, companies are increasingly testing wearables to cut costs, decrease risk and drive productivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2849,369,4,2857],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1129117"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1129117"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1129117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1129192,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1129117\/revisions\/1129192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1129117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1129117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1129117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}