14 Apr 2022
A multifunctional security system is being implemented in Kazakhmys Corporation LLP
In a second, Rustem Kanafin, the head of the project "Replication of the personnel and transport positioning system at the mines of Kazakhmys Corporation LLP", made it possible to transfer from the office to the -20th, +60th horizons of mine No. 67 of the Zapadny mine.
He said: I "connect", and the mining of mine No. 67 appeared on the monitor with the help of special software that allows you to view the current location of equipment and personnel in online mode. Next, the functionality of the personnel and transport positioning system in action was shown, viewing the route of personnel and equipment for the selected period of time, the main prerequisites for the implementation of this project were explained, namely:
1. Compliance with legal requirements. According to the Order of the Minister for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 30, 2014 No. 352, "Rules for industrial safety for hazardous production facilities conducting mining and geological exploration" were approved, where paragraph No. 54 regulates the need for a monitoring system, accident notification, positioning and personnel search at mines. (Failure to comply with the above requirements of the Legislation, entails a fine on the company from the supervisory authorities in the amount of 600 MCI, with the suspension of activities or certain types of activities).
2. Improvement of the occupational safety and health system. The positioning system in the mine is a tool, with the interested and proper use of which it is possible to prevent personnel injuries, which is aimed at developing a culture of safety and labor protection, timely warning of responsible persons and their response to the presence of personnel or self-propelled equipment in prohibited areas.
3. Technical development. Development of the underground IT infrastructure of mines by expanding the existing functionality of the underground communication system by positioning personnel and equipment, emergency notification and personnel search through the rock strata.
This system was implemented at the 67th mine in May 2019, and in 2021 the management of Kazakhmys Corporation LLP decided to replicate the project at the “Zhomart”, “VZHR”, “YUZHR”, “Zapadny”, “Nurkazgan”, “Abyz”, “Sayak”, “Shatyrkul” mines, and the “Vostochnaya Sary-Oba” mine.
To date, work is underway to put into pilot operation a multifunctional security system at the “Vostochnaya Sary-Oba” mine and the “Zhomart” mine, and at mine No. 67 of the “Zapadny” mine, work is underway to expand the functionality of the existing system using mobile devices and applications.
- What is a multifunctional security system?
- This is a complex of systems consisting of an underground radio communication system, emergency notification and personal call, positioning of personnel and transport, searching through the rock strata, preventing personnel from colliding with transport, transport with transport.
- What were the feedback from the employees of No. 67 mine, following the implementation of a multifunctional security system?
- Here, as we know, change is an inevitable component of our life. However, quite often people perceive them "with hostility", it is difficult to perceive innovations by employees with many years of work experience, adaptation is necessary. The multifunctional security system is being built on the basis of the existing underground radio communication infrastructure, which was implemented in the period from 2013 to 2015. When introducing underground radio communication, there were people who were skeptical about it, and now they have adapted to underground radio communication so much that they can no longer imagine mining operations without it.
Recently, during the next descent into the mine, I talked with the driver of self-propelled equipment for the delivery of people, asked questions about the multifunctional safety system in operation. In response to my questions:
1) Regarding the positioning system of personnel and transport, he replied that he now has a nominal mine lamp, and he feels much safer now, since, given the length of existing mine workings and the danger of working in underground mine workings, if he does not go to the mountain (surface) after the end of the shift, the dispatcher will know the last point of his location, which will facilitate the efficiency of his search and rescue.
2) As for the system for preventing collisions of vehicles with personnel, he replied, sometimes you drive in the dark, there seems to be no one, but when the installed equipment starts beeping and warning, and a person really appears out of nowhere, and at such moments you begin to understand what this system is for.
I think many employees who think about their safety and the safety of their colleagues will have similar reviews.
Yes, there are still such moments from the field of humor, I myself come from the city of Zhezkazgan, many close relatives, friends work in the mine, sometimes during the feast they talk about this system implemented at the 67th mine, as if the entire management of the Corporation is watching them, the four of them can't get together to have a snack. Of course, jokes are jokes, but I would like to tell them that the algorithm of the personnel and transport positioning system is the determination of the last location of the employee, this is not video surveillance and for the management of the Corporation, given the number of employees, there is no need to monitor you. It is important that you do your job and your safety is ensured.
- Have there been any cases of equipment damage?
- Unfortunately, yes. There are workers prone to vandalism. During the implementation of the project at mine No. 67, there were cases of damage to nominal mine lamps, according to these cases, the guilty workers were promptly identified, explanatory work was carried out with the participation of the mine management. Now there are no similar cases of mine lamps, but there are facts of theft of a radio-emitting cable, intentional damage to the linear equipment of a multifunctional security system. According to these cases, we carry out joint work with the participation of specialists of the Department of Economic Security of Kazakhmys Corporation LLP. I would like to tell such employees who carry out such crimes that the non-working system threatens the safety and life of other employees, and threatens not only dismissal from work, but also criminally prosecuted.
- How do you feel about digitalization and is the introduction of a multifunctional security system the beginning of the company's digital transformation?
- I have a positive attitude towards digitalization. I will give a simple example, before calling a taxi by phone, you wait for quite a long time without understanding whether the car is assigned or not when it arrives, it was especially difficult in winter. And now, there are various applications with a user-friendly interface, where you just leave a request or place an order, you can watch online where the car is, the application itself notifies about the car that has arrived.
The introduction of a multifunctional security system is the beginning of the company's digital transformation. Taking into account the adaptation of personnel to innovations, everything is done gradually, step by step.
In 2019, we implemented an emergency alert and personal call system, personnel and transport positioning, a search system through the rock, and now we are expanding the functionality, automating business processes for issuing electronic work orders, fixing and eliminating industrial safety risks, collecting primary data on self-propelled vehicles.
All this will affect the development of industrial culture among employees, increase the intellectual level and digital literacy of shift foremen, site managers, and most importantly, the safety and health of our employees.
