In hazardous working environments around the world, technology is helping to bring down accident and fatality rates. Tools like Location Services are keeping workers out of harm’s way, and helping organizations rapidly respond to events as they occur. In this article, we take a close look at how these solutions are saving lives.
Workplace injury is not only tragic but expensive. The mining industry is a great example of an environment where worker safety technology can save lives every day. As of 2018, there were nearly 700,000 people employed in private mining in the US. Globally, there are more than 40 million people involved in mining operations of varying sizes.
Mining can be an incredibly lucrative industry, but this comes with a myriad of health and safety issues concerning machinery, working at a height, slips and falls, and incidents with powered haulage. In the US alone the annual fatality rate is 13 per 100,000, an increase from the previous 5 years. Aside from the human cost, the fines involved with workplace injuries can render entire operations unprofitable.
Despite technology advances, in recent years fatal accident rates have remained consistent. The real rate of fatalities has not improved, despite monetary penalties and government intervention. Tait is committed to helping critical industries operate safely and efficiently. We offer a range of Location Services that can mitigate common causes of injury in hazardous working environments. Lets take a look at some example scenarios:
Tait Location Services
Worker Safety
A worker has an accident in a remote location, but he’s carrying a Tait portable radio with Lone Worker and Man Down features enabled. He fails to answer a Lone Worker call, and his Man Down alert is triggered. His location is available to dispatch, and the nearest workers can be sent to offer assistance quickly.
Learn more about Worker Safety features.
Indoor and Outdoor Location
Workers on the surface have their location information polled by satellite positioning tools, but buildings and tunnels block satellite coverage. iBeacons within buildings and tunnels continue to track worker movements indoors, keeping them safe no matter where they are.
Learn more about Indoor and Outdoor Location solutions.
Tait GeoFencing
The various operational areas of the site are defined into different zones. As workers enter these zones, it triggers automated protocols. In ZONE 1, workers’ radios are in a normal mode. ZONE 2, has greater risk so enhanced worker safety features are enabled. When workers enter the HAZARD zone, the radio plays an alert tone letting the worker know they have strayed into an active blasting area, and they should immediately exit.
Learn more about Tait GeoFencing.
Location Mapping
All assets like vehicles can be tagged for location mapping, so location data and other important information like engine temperature and tire pressure can be made available to dispatch. If dispatch detects a driver is in an area with hazardous weather, or their equipment is likely to suffer some fault through engine temperature or low fuel, assistance can be sent from the nearest support team member.
Learn more about Location Mapping.
DMR Fast Polling
Large vehicles on the site pose an immediate hazard, as they may have difficulty seeing smaller vehicles in their path, but can cause catastrophic damage. All vehicles are tagged with location tracking devices, and all vehicle locations are polled up to 1,000 times per minute. In the event dispatch detects a large and small vehicle are approaching on the same road, an alert can be sent to the vehicles to change course, avoiding collision.
Learn more about DMR Fast Polling.
Every workplace accident is tragic and costly, but solutions exist to minimize the impact of human error and unexpected events in hazardous environments. While the Mining industry serves as one example, Location Services help keep workers safe in many arenas, from Public Safety to Utilities and Transport.
Dive deeper into Tait Location Services
Tait people have industry specific expertise and valuable knowledge you can count on. Learn more about our commitment to safety in this white paper – Zero Harm – Health and Safety in the Workplace
