Conveyor Belt Fire Detection Solutions - African Mining Briefambriefonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AMB-Jan-Feb-2016.pdf · Conveyor Belt Fire Detection Solutions ... and CAD

January - February 2016, Volume 10 No.1

Mine Site Accommodation Solutions

Pumps

Structured Slope Monitoring

Payload Management


Pumps


Payload Management

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Conveyor Belt Fire Detection SolutionsConveyor Belt Fire Detection SolutionsRisk analysis and fire prevention keycomponents in the elimination of conveyor belt fires

RegulaRs

1 The ediTor's NoTe

2 News / AssociATioN News 4 New ProducTs

5 eveNTs

6 GuesT

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18 imPAcT of The coNveyor belT fire oN The coNTiNuiTy ANd ProfiTAbiliTy of The miNe is huGe

36 choosiNG The riGhT PumP for The job is imPerATive

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Contents January - February 2016, Volume 10 No.1



Pumps


Payload Management


Pumps


Payload Management

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8 COVER STORY

Conveyor Belt Fire Detection SolutionsRisk analysis and fire prevention key components in the elimination of conveyor belt fires

Cover picture:Conveyor system at a coal plant

Botswana Office

Cadline (Pty) Ltd.

P/Bag 494 Gaborone, Botswana.

Tel: +267 318 7101

Fax: +267 318 102

E-mail: botswana@groupafricapublishing.

com

China Office

Hangzhou Oversea Advertising Ltd

55-3-703 Guan Lane, Hangzhou,

Zhejiang 310003, China

Tel: +86-571- 87063843

Fax: +1-928-752-6886

(retrievable worldwide)

Email: [email protected]

Kenya Office

Northwest Ventures Ltd

P.O. Box 16414 Nairobi 00100 Kenya

Tel: +254 20 2679809,

2679808, 2091305


Malawi Office

Centre for Media Advocacy

P.O. Box 1732, Blantyre, Malawi

Tel: 2659954854

E-mail: malawi@groupafricapublishing.

com

Nigeria Office

B23/24, Aishetu Emoewa Plaza

196, Iju Water Works Road,

Ifako Ijaye Lga,Agege, Lagos.

Tel: 234-1-7347860

Email: nigeria@groupafricapublishing.

com

Ghana Office

Image Consortium Limited

1st Floor, The Trust Bank Building,

Tesano

Tel: 233(0) 302 232 728

Fax: 233 (0) 024 882 8286


Published By Group Africa Publishing Ltd. Regional Offices

Zimbabwe Office

CMC Media Publications (Pvt) Ltd,

P.O. Box 4828, Harare, Zimbabwe.

E-mail: zimbabwe @groupafricapublishing.com

Rwanda Office

Kolline & Hemed Inc., B.P. 3328,

Kigali, Rwanda

Tel: +250 03 748106

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.kollinehemed.org

Tanzania Office

Daas Agencies Ltd

P. O. Box 96061 Dar es Salaam

Tel: (022) 2124328

Fax: (022) 2124328,


South Africa Office

College Publishers Ltd

1st Floor, No.267 Oak Street,

Oakfields, Randburg

Tel: +27 11 781 4253

Fax: +27 11 781 4287

E-mail: southafrica@

groupafricapublishing.com

Zambia Office

Dayflex Limited, 4th. Floor

Tazara House

Dedan Kimathi Road, Lusaka,

Zambia.

Tel: +260 211 230 529 / +260

977 756 663


E-mail: dayflex06gmail.com

Uganda Office

Smg Uganda Limited

Kamukamu Plaza, Entebbe

Road

Kampala-Uganda,

Tel: +256 774 079 804,

uganda@groupafricapublishing.

com

AMB Jan - Feb 2016.indd 2 27-Jan-16 5:35:53 PM

The editor accepts letters and manuscripts for publication from readers all over the world. Include your name and address as a sign of good faith although you may request your name to be withheld from publication. We reserve the right to edit any material submitted .

Send your letters to: [email protected]

MANAGING EDITORRobert Barnes

COUNTRY EDITORSNigeria - Boladale Ademiju

Kenya - Francis MakariUganda - Mr. Dan Nsalasata

South Africa -Newton Mthethwa

WRITERS Jimmy Swira,

Lindsay Wagner,

GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN Augustine OmbwaCaleb Larum Rorat

COUNTRY LIAISONThuthukile Mhlanga

Manoko Thosago

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVESKenya:

Frances Lagoussis (Mombasa), Trizah Njoroge

Uganda:Bill Collins Musaazi Harriate Nakabuye

Tanzania:Orton Kishweko

South Africa:Manoko Thosago, Happy Mokoena

Shepherd Mthethwa, Winnie Sentabire, Angeline Ntobeng, Nqobile Ndlovu

Botswana:Dickson Manyudza,

Gerald Mazikana

Malawi:Anderson Fumulani

Nigeria:Seni Bello

Ghana:Anthony Hondah, George Laing

Zimbabwe:Kenneth Mpyisi

Rwanda:Collison Lore

China:Weng Jie

The test of resilience

Mining bosses might be putting on brave faces in their media interviews on the small screen during business news, but if you were to be a fly on the wall during their numerous board meetings, you would pick up the tension that grips them from their cracking voices.

The fact is: there is a crisis in the mining sector. Suddenly, the Chinese no longer have a gluttonous appetite for commodities from all over the world, and resource-rich countries have been left with huge stockpiles no one wants to buy, even for a song. The situation mining companies are facing is to akin passengers aboard the Titanic who wined and dine oblivious that they were about to hit an iceberg.

While on the one hand the market’s destiny is out of their hands, it is how mining houses manage the effects of the downturn that will define whether they will stay in business or not. In most resource rich countries the economic ramifications of the woes these big tax contributors to government coffers, who are also big employers, are already being felt.

However, it is encouraging to note that instead of retreating into a denial mode, most forward-thinking mining companies have come to accept that things might have to get worse before they get better, and are acting accordingly.

From what we have observed, hard decisions are being made to negotiate their operations out of the down turn, at times, in conflict with the interests of governments and trade unions. Mines are scaling down operations, mainly through measures such asreducing the number of employees, shelving projects and divesting their interests in under-performing or non-performing assets.

Notwithstanding heartening figures of the Chinese GDP Growth in the last quarter of 2015, recent developments betray a long spell of gloom in the coming months. Oil prices are on a seemingly terminal downward spiral (they hit $29 as this piece was being drafted) - not auguring well for Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In a world in which perception is reality, the oil woes have contaminated financial markets.

As there bound they yearn for does not seem to be around the corner, their resilience will be severely tested. For one thing, dawn will follow the sector’s darkest spell.

Robert Barnes

Editors Note

African Mining Brief is published six times a year and is circulated to members of relevant associations, governmental bodies and other personnel in the mining industry as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services in Africa, the Middle and Far East. The editor welcomes articles and photographs for consideration. Material may not be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher.

The publisher does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or authenticity of advertisements or contributions contained in the journal. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

© All rights reserved.

NEWS

4 January - February 2016

The 2016 Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (COMZ) prognosis, due to be released this month end, may depict worse conditions for mining companies, the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Isaac Kwesu, has hinted. Commenting on the conditions, COMZ chief executive officer, Isaac Kwesu, said: “The outlook for the industry may be the same if not worse. Nothing really is encouraging from the commodity price outlook and we still anticipate that prices will remain depressed.” According to Kwesu, COMZ forecasts low prices for metals mined in the country and low production in 2016. The main challenges which stifled progress for mining companies in 2015 included policy uncertainties, power outages and lack of access to capital.

Morrocco solar agency, Masen has still not disclosed the reason for

the suspension of the inauguration of Noor-1, a solar power plant

in Quarzazate, which is the first part of the four-phased project.

With electricity production capacity of 160 megawatts, Noor-1 will

enable Morocco to cut carbon emissions by 240, 000 tons a year,

the Morocco Energy Ministry approximates. The whole project will

cut Once commissioned in 2017, the three-phase project, will be

the world’s biggest solar power production facility, generating 580

megawatts to one million homes. The project’s next phases – Noor

2 and Noor 3 – are to follow in 2016 and 2017, and a call for tenders

is open for Noor 4.

A locally designed and developed crusher capable of dramatically reducing energy consumption in the communition circuit was introduced to quarry operators during the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa) round of regional meetings. The crusher departs from conventional wisdom by using a stationary mantle fixed to a central hydraulic shaft. Crushing force is transferred via the concave ring which in turn is driven by the fly wheel and eccentric . These rotate on bearings and provide an elliptical, pendulum type action in the direction of feed to take in, reduce and eject rock. Developer Leon Venter of Crush Force on the East Rand explains that the new approach is less complex, requires only two moving parts and is quicker and easier to operate than conventional crushers. In addition, it requires less horsepower to spin the weighted flywheel (and eccentric) to produce the required elliptical motion and force required for crushing by the concave ring.

Almost 16 years ago, diamond-producing countries decided to introduce a measure to authenticate the source of diamonds that were being sold at markets like Antwerp in Belgium. This measure was aimed at preventing illicit diamond proceeds fueling wars in war-torn regions of Africa like Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. But here is the trillion dollar question: What checks and balances have been introduced? What if diamonds sourced from war-torn areas are laundered and smuggled into the legal market? A documentary flighted on Al Jazeera television last month raised a few intriguing questions about the effectiveness of measures like the Kimberly process. The documentary demonstrated that it is easy to buy minerals from rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) smuggle them to a third country repackaged, tagged and exported to overseas markets where they fetch high prices.

Noor-1 solar project phase one.

Energy efficient crusher for quarries

Just how efficient is the Kimberly Certification?

Zimbabwe Morocco

Africa News

Africa

2016 Zim mining prognosis gloomy

Morocco-solar-plant

NEWS

January - February 2016 5

The latest I-Site point cloud processing tools from Maptek focus on the everyday needs of mine surveyors for fast, accurate volumes, conformance reporting, geotechnical analysis and CAD design. I-Site Studio software offers an expanding range of applications with increasing sophistication. I-Site Studio 6, released today, provides exciting new tools and requested enhancements. New CAD design tools include user friendly preferences for snapping to angles and points. Other in-demand items include auto registration and alignment of scans, complex surface modelling, waviness analysis for geotechnical modelling and analysis. ‘Surveyors are under pressure from all departments to quickly and safely survey active mining areas.

Loose ends in the power purchase agreement (PPA) between Tanzania Electric Supply Co. Ltd (TANESCO) and AfrKibo Mining plc (Kibo), the Tanzania focused mineral exploration and development company, for the Mbeya coal to power project (MCPP) are being tied, and in due course should be finalised. This is disclosed in a press release from Kibo. It has taken over twelve months for Kibo and TANESCO, working under the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy and Minerals, to identify an agreed set of principles to guide and direct the development of a PPA for the MCPP. The objective of the principles is to guide and direct the development of a PPA for the MCPP. According to Kibo, the principles are intended to recognise, balance and protect the interests of all MCPP stakeholders in a manner that ensures the best interests of the MCPP are served at all times.

Cabinet has approved the issue of a Request for Proposal (RFP) by the Department of Energy for its nuclear build program of 9.6 GW. The final funding model for the build program will take into account the market responses to the RFP. Proposals for the funding model will be submitted to Energy Security Cabinet Sub-Committee for recommendation before being considered by Cabinet for final approval and implementation, the Department of Energy said in a statement December 26. "Any decision to proceed further with a Nuclear New Build Program will therefore only take place after the RFP process has been completed and a final funding model has been developed, and then referred back to Cabinet for consideration and approval," the state department said. In June 2015, South Africa's Cabinet agreed in principle to proceed with developing a procurement program for what would be the country's first nuclear power plants.

Heavy rains and major flooding left areas of Mozambique in a dismal state last year, having damaged major infrastructure such as roads, bridges and rail networks. In addition, significant damage to the powerline leading to a well-known minerals mine occurred, leaving it in a situation where it had to rely on diesel generators and product inventory to counteract the negative effect of the resultant power cuts.Now, as the repair of infrastructure is carried out, South African-based company, Kwikspace Modular Buildings (Kwikspace), who further has two factories and a strong presence in Mozambique, has played a supporting role to the progress of this project, through the provision of prefabricated buildings ordered by Conco. A company responsible for electrical power distribution system construction, Conco required four prefabricated units for various purposes at a remote location on the mine site, where it is contracted to install new overhead power towers.

Mbeya Coal Power

South Africa agrees to receive nuclear build proposals

Rains damage major infrastructure.

Africa TanzaniaSouth Africa

Mozambique

I-Site Studio 6 point cloud.

Damaged road and Bridge

EVENTS / NEW PRODUCTS


Efficient Power, a division of Efficient Engineering, has created an industry defining solution to address the challenges of building self-contained modular plants in remote regions. This process, the first of its kind for plants of this scale, offers a complete offsite construction solution with abnormal buildings leaving the factory with all internal equipment already installed, fully integrated, tested and cold commissioned, resulting in the bare minimum of site work - an unheard of feat that is set to revolutionise the time, risk and cost involved in these large and complex projects. Mobile substations are not a new concept, but according to Warwick Jackson, Managing Director of Efficient Power, these were previously built largely for the wrong reasons and in the incorrect types of structures. As the construction of brick substation buildings in remote locations comes with a slew of challenges, including stringent health and safety regulations, access issues, poor productivity, high costs and other logistical concerns, Jackson realised that the answer to the challenges of building traditional substations on site was to create fully integrated structures off-site. “Traditionally, substation construction is always going to be complicated, costly and time consuming, requiring a large team of expensive specialists to be brought to the site to complete the fitting and testing of all equipment.

Antaira Technologies is excited to announce that we will participate in Secutech during April 19th to 21st 2016. Antaira is one of the leading developer and manufacturer of Industrial Ethernet networking and communication products. We welcome our valued guests to visit us during period of exhibition to explore our wide array of products and critical applications. As Antaira continues to develop our product features &solutions diligently, we are glad to show our critical product features:A.LMP-1204G-SFP: 12-Port Industrial Gigabit PoE+ Managed Ethernet Switches• 8-port 10/100/1000Tx

Ethernet with IEEE 802.3at Compliant PoE+

• 4-port 100/1000 SFP Slot• Configuration: Web

GUI, Serial Console, CLI Command

• Network Redundancy support: G.8032 ERPS, RSTP,and MSTP

• Supports IGMP v1/v2, up to 256 groups

• Supports IEEE802.1p QoS and CoS/ToS

• Supports IEEE802.1Q VLAN, SNMP v1/v2c/v3

• PoE Ping Alarm function for PoE ports power recycle

• System Warning setting for automatic warning through e-mail

• Redundant Power Input Design, 48-55VDC

• IP30 Rugged Metal Case Design

• DIN-Rail Mounting, Wall Mounting (optional)

Antaira is pleased to announce our participation in Secutech 2016

What is it about WAMPEX that keeps attracting over 100 global industrial companies, investorsand thousands of visitors every two years? Why do governments, NGOs, trade associations and powerful private sector organisations flock to the West African Mining and Power Exhibition in Accra, Ghana, every second year without fail? There are many reasons – the most important is that WAMPEX is the biggest networking platform for showcasing products and services directly to the power and mining sector companies that operate throughout West Africa. Last year, WAMPEX hosted an impressive 140 exhibitors from 16 countries, and next year’s event is bound to grow even bigger. WAMPEX 2016 takes place from 1 to 3 June 2016 at the Accra International Conference Centre in Accra, Ghana. “West Africa is still one of the biggest and fastest-growing industrial, mining and power generation markets in the world,”says John Thomson of Exhibition Management Services, organisers of WAMPEX.

Zimbabwe is expected to return to a more stable fiscal and regulatory regime in the medium term. Key steps and ambitious targets set for 2018 by the Government have seen some positive steps in the Zimbabwean mining sector. The mining industry as the cornerstone to economic recovery through the ZimAsset strategy document, and the establishment of the MEPC. With the ministry of mines going on record on the 3 July 2015 in Johannesburg to reassure investors “The country remains ready to do business with the rest of the world on a fair economic basis.” Notwithstanding there are some contentious points within the Mining Law and Tax space, including the Zimbabwe Indigenisation Law, and 2 new laws which have just passed through parliament the New Mining law and the New Mining Tax Law. Event Content Highlights:• New Zimbabwe Labour Bill• New Mines and Minerals Bill• Zimbabwe Minerals Tax Policy• Indigenisation and economic Empowerment Bill in review• The New Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill and StructureDesigned For:Business directors, heads of legal, in-house counsel, lawyers, advisors, finance managers, tax managers, strategic and operations directors.

WAMPEX 2016

Zimbabwe Mining and Tax Law Market Briefing 2016

Revolutionary Power Plant manufacturing process


Bakubung Platinum Mine Underground Media Tour

Venue: North West province, South Africa. Date:9th Dec 2015

Operator at work underground the services shaft

Stockpile ready to be taken to the surface

A Journalist being helped to climb into the Cable during the media tour

Underground Services ShaftThandiwe Mapi, Manager: Corporate Communications posing the journalist on tour

Newton Mthethwa, AMB Country Editor

880m underground the Services shaft Executives accompanying the Journalists underground the Service Shaft

Journalist touring the Service ShaftMr Jacob Mothomogolo, Projects Executive,

BPM

Mr Edwin Mohlabi, General Manager: BPM & Mr Jacob Mothomogolo: Projects Executive ready

lead the media tour

Newton Mthethwa, AMB' Country Editor with with BPM executives

ColumnInterview


African mining industry has strong potential for long-term growth

While the continent’s abundance of commodities is already helping meet global demand, Africa is set to see a growth in secondary industries related to mining. This is likely to result in exponential growth in the industry.

Consulting engineering companySMEC has an extensive presence in Africa, with 1 000 employees in South Africa and a further 450

in the rest of Africa. Its involvement extends mainly to NPI (Non Process Infrastructure) projects, including power, water, roads, bridges, urban development and geotechnical work.“Our clients are typically governments or global institutions such as the World Bank. We focus on engineering and engineering supervision, feeding into most operating models, from EPCM (engineering, procurement and construction management) to EPC (engineering, procurement and construction,” Gerrit Lok, general manager, resources: Africa at SMEC, says.A differentiator for SMEC in the marketplace is that, interestingly, it subscribes to both models. “If projects are not well defined and/or maybe subject to significant change, then we would prefer EPCM. However, for well-defined projects with a limited chance of significant change, EPC tends to be preferred.

Mixed project model“From a risk perspective, EPC tends to be preferred by financiers. Current research on project surveys tends to show that a mixed project model yield optimal results. Fundamentally, if practiced correctly, EPCM should,however,deliver a lower capital cost, with all things being equal.”

Political stability, safety and health and security risks are common themes that “we continuously monitor internally and externally. Business risk challenges such as payment risks are also important, but this seems to be less of an issue due to our operating model and strong focus on having an established footprint in the countries we operate.“Many companies see the lack of infrastructure as a huge stumbling block, but given our core skillsets, we look at this as an untapped market. The drawn-out processes in funding the larger strategic projects in African countries can be a challenge, and often results in lost opportunities,” Lok cautions.

Gerrit Lok, general manager, resources: Africa at SMEC


Dearth of Greenfield projectsThe downturn in the global commodities market has resulted in a dearth of Greenfield projects in Africa. “Focusing on the mining and oil and gas industries, I think the single largest factor impacting ‘go’ or ‘no go’ decisions are really the unpredictability of global commodity demand forecasts.”

Lok explains that the volatility in estimates over often short periods of time, coupled with questionable information on economic activity, especially from China, makes it very difficult for companies to make long-term commitments. “Secondly, there is a marked surplus in production capacity for most commodities, given the short- to medium-term demand forecasts.”

This trend is reflected in the marked drop in exploration budgets, which have declined anything from 13% to 50% from 2013 onwards. “It has, however, not dried up, and exploration programmes have become more focused,” Lok argues. “There also seems to be a preference for exploration in gold, copper, PGMs and nickel.”

African ‘hot spots’ for miningThis is because Africa is blessed with an abundance

in this regard. “However, I like Tanzania, Ghana, Kenia, Uganda, Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Exploration is only in its infancy in these countries, as far as I am concerned.” Lok points out that the normal SADAC (Southern African Development Community) countries will always remain a part of this mix.

“South Africa has been, and will remain, core to our business. It has been a great base to expand into Africa. South Africa is not immune to the global economy and is experiencing many similar challenges as elsewhere in Africa and the rest of the world.”

Important factors in attracting more foreign investment and the attention of global mining players is to provide a competitive, secure business environment where predictable business outcomes can translate into long-term sustainable growth. “I would say the important things are to do your homework, be committed for the long term, manage your risks diligently and make a positive contribution to the environment that you are going to operate in,” Lok adds.

www.ambriefonline.com

get the whole process covered

Africa’s leading mining Journal

Online and in print


Conveyor belt fire detection for mining applications

Fire, especially on conveyor systems can result in catastrophic consequences that can negatively impact on a mine’s operation. Typically lives and equipment

damage are at stake when it comes to such events. Therefore conveyor fire belt detection systems plays a pivotal role in the elimination or reduction of fire break-out that might be costly to any organization.

There are multiple conveyor fire belt detection systems in the market, however there is no one size fits all solution.Hence before choosing a suitable solution/s from multiple systems available, it is imperative that a total risk analysis is carried out to determine potential high risk areas along the conveyor belt, e.g. pulley bearings, explains Jan Mulder, Market & Support Manager at Sperosens.

Risk assessments provides the information required to determine the applicable system amongst the various tools found in the market. In addition to risk analysis, it is important that fire prevention becomes part of the whole strategy- thus preventing fire from breaking out from high risk areas identified is vital rather than providing a reactive cure when fire breaksout.

The strategy should include measuring belt temperature, temperature around the conveyoras well as carrying out preventative maintenance in order to prevent fires from breaking-out which might result in lost productive time and lives, Jan Mulder elaborates.

Temperature scanners, bearing temperature sensors, flame detectors, smoke sensors, etc. are also used as part of the broader strategy. It is therefore critical that double- redundancy is applied to address concerns about undetected faults.For instance if one system fails the second will kick-in, thus eliminating room for error. Multiple detection methods such as early detection and flame detection tools should be used in order to eliminate any errors that may result because of fault detection tool. However, allowance should also be made to allow for manual overrider, should the automatic system fail.

Some of the detection tools available on the market today, include the following: early detection and flame detection tools, as well as the bearing temperature sensors, that monitor the temperature of the bearing.

Early Detection tools include the Plumber block temperature sensor (analog or digital) 68˚C - maintenance alarm and belt stop,the IR Temperature scanner- 68 ˚C – Maintenance alarm and belt stop, as well as the 90˚C – Fire alarm and spray system activation. In addition, both Plumber block temperature sensors and IR Temperature scanner, allow for temperatures to be monitored on surface.

Flame Detection includes the Triple spectrum IR Flame detector,flame- Fire alarm and spray system activation, and the Linear Heat Detection wire- 68˚C, 88˚C, 105˚ C- Fire alarm and system activation.

After detecting the fire, it is important to use the correct method of suppression as per the risk assessment, in adherence to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 15 or 16 etc.) set standards. These would include foam systems, water sprinkler systems, clean gas agents etc.

The system design addresses critical components such as the belt coverage, flow rate, nozzle selection, pipe diameter as well as the duration and capacity requirements of for fire protection system chosen. For instance in terms of duration and capacity requirements, the NPFA 15 requires the system to spray for 30 minutes as well as an additional 30 minutes for backup. It should have the capability to activate two zones simultaneously, or at least one zone plus a fire hydrant. The flow rate of a fire hydrant is typically 1200l/min, Jan Mulder adds.

Measuring the health of the system in use is critical; the system should be working 24/7 in case something happens, therefore the controllers in use should be able to send the signal immediately to the control room if system malfunction is detected, and the system should be regularly cleaned and maintained, Jan Mulder concludes.

Conveyor Belt Fire Detection Solutions

Risk analysis and fire prevention key components in the elimination of conveyor belt fires.

Conveyor belts are subjected to harsh conditions such as rain, wind and veld fires


Lightning is an unpredictable force of nature, which is a constant danger to structure, electronic equipment and human life. Conveyors are prone to

being struck by lightning and therefore it is imperative that lightning protection systems be installed to limit the risk of damage. A lightning bolt is basically a large conductor with a massive electromagnetic field around it which can extend for up to one kilometer from the actual strike. This means that all electronic and electrical equipment will be exposed to the magnetic field during the strike as well as a second collapsing magnetic field once the strike is over. If lightning had to strike within 100 meters of the equipment, the induced voltages could be up to 2000 volts per meter. This is the basic principle why equipment will suffer damage during a lightning storm even though it may not be struck directly

Advanced Lightning Protection, a proud partner of DEHN AFRICA (Pty) Ltd, recommends that a risk analysis is conducted before designing the protection system of the conveyor. The protection level will then be calculated by means of a risk analysis, including soil resistivity surveys, which determined the soil resistivity values prevailing on the plant. The design of the earthing and lightning protection system must be performed in accordance with SANS 62305, 10313 and 10199 specifications.

The design of the lightning protection which should be installed at the conveyor consists of a structural lightning protection system, high quality earthing system, electrical earthing system, surge protection system and equipotential bonding of all protection systems. The electrical earthing system must be designed to allow the safety devices to operate correctly and for the dissipation of any fault currents that may occur.

Its purpose is to save equipment from damage and to protect personnel from injury. For further protection of the electronic equipment, it is essential that the power supply, telecommunications and data lines are equipped with adequate surge protection devices. It is vital that the entire electronic system is at the same potential to ensure that the lightning protection is effective. The installation of the

protection system must be performed under strict quality control measures to ensure that the conductors, types of connections and bonding is installed correctly.

Advanced Lightning Protection highly recommends that all lightning protection system installations be inspected and tested on a regular basis.

By Lee-Anne Chapman

Lighting protection systems limit the risk of damage to conveyors

Do not hesitate to contact us for additional product information and re-seller opportunities.

www.spero.co.za • [email protected] • 086 177 3767

SPERO SOLUTIONS: • Fire Detection Solutions• Fire Suppression Solutions• Fire Extinguishing Products• Fire Wire and Controllers• Fire Equipment Monitoring• Temperature Measuring• Environmental Monitoring

Safe, Cost-effective, Environmentally Friendly Fire Solutions for your Peace of Mind

5360 Sperosens A4 Technews back page advert Pr2.indd 1 2015/10/08 3:24 PM

Contact Marihette Hattingh at [email protected] for additional product information and re-seller opportunities.

www.spero.co.za • 086 177 3767 • [email protected]

‘Change that doesn’t cost the earth’

Safe, Cost-effective, Environmentally Friendly Fire Extinguishing Solution to give you

Peace of Mind

SOLUTIONS INCLUDE: Portable Water and Foam Mist Extinguishers | Localised Fixed Systems | Vehicle Fire Suppression Systems | FireTrace Gas Suppression Systems

The TRT-VPS-FM System makes use of T-Rotor Technology. This technology is currently the leading misting technology internationally, extinguishing all classes of fires by using Foam Mist as the agent. The system creates a fine atomised mist, charged with kinetic energy to penetrate the heat radiation caused by a fire. It does gradual cooling without causing thermal shock to the equipment. 0.5% Telesolv AFFF “GREEN‘ foaming agent is added to the system to prevent any B class fire from spreading.

Advantages of Firefighting Mist:• High firefighting effectiveness

• Extra safety/protecting the operator

• No additional damage to the equipmentdue to the activation of the fire system.

• Reduced down-time and clean up afteractivation

• Low water usage with mist

• Safe for people and environment

• Improve and save on maintenance cost

• Low maintenance cost

• Easy operation and installation

Typical Applications:Conveyor Belts (tail, head & tensioner

pulleys), Transformers, Fuel Storage,

Tanks, Substations, Pumps, Generators,

Compressors, Vehicles, MCC Cabinets,

Server Rooms, Electric Motors and

more.

All systems can be refilled and pressure tested on-site and put back into service within minutes.

5302 Sperosens - I-CAT A4 advert REP.indd 1 2015/08/19 1:21 PM

Contact Marihette Hattingh at [email protected] for additional product information and re-seller opportunities.

www.spero.co.za • 086 177 3767 • [email protected]

‘Change that doesn’t cost the earth’

Safe, Cost-effective, Environmentally Friendly Fire Extinguishing Solution to give you

Peace of Mind

SOLUTIONS INCLUDE: Portable Water and Foam Mist Extinguishers | Localised Fixed Systems | Vehicle Fire Suppression Systems | FireTrace Gas Suppression Systems

The TRT-VPS-FM System makes use of T-Rotor Technology. This technology is currently the leading misting technology internationally, extinguishing all classes of fires by using Foam Mist as the agent. The system creates a fine atomised mist, charged with kinetic energy to penetrate the heat radiation caused by a fire. It does gradual cooling without causing thermal shock to the equipment. 0.5% Telesolv AFFF “GREEN‘ foaming agent is added to the system to prevent any B class fire from spreading.

Advantages of Firefighting Mist:• High firefighting effectiveness

• Extra safety/protecting the operator

• No additional damage to the equipmentdue to the activation of the fire system.

• Reduced down-time and clean up afteractivation

• Low water usage with mist

• Safe for people and environment

• Improve and save on maintenance cost

• Low maintenance cost

• Easy operation and installation

Typical Applications:Conveyor Belts (tail, head & tensioner

pulleys), Transformers, Fuel Storage,

Tanks, Substations, Pumps, Generators,

Compressors, Vehicles, MCC Cabinets,

Server Rooms, Electric Motors and

more.

All systems can be refilled and pressure tested on-site and put back into service within minutes.

5302 Sperosens - I-CAT A4 advert REP.indd 1 2015/08/19 1:21 PM


Conveyor belt fire safety: A new proactive way of thinking

Advanced Automated Systems was chosen to present its developments in proactive conveyor belt fire protection at MineSAFE 2015. The reason for the

current interest in this sector is due to the paradox which exists between the legislative requirement and the code based designs for fire protection systems on conveyor belt installations.

Advanced Automated Systems researched the relevant fire standards and codes and compared them to the requirements of the Mines Health and Safety Act and concluded that the current systems are not compliant and is not in line with the culture of “Sustaining Zero Harm”.

The MHS Act and Mandatory COP requires the employer to prevent persons from being exposed to flames, fumes and smoke arising from a conveyor belt installation catching fire, the code based designs are reactive in their methodology demanding extreme temperatures or flames to detect and react to a fire.

Thus a new proactive system was developed by Advanced Automated Systems to meet the challenges set by the MHS Act and Mandatory COP.

By installing the Lehavot Delta pneumatic-electronic linear heat detector within the conveyor framework at the designated areas the ; rapid change in temperature can be detected before the ignition temperature of the conveyor is reached.

In addition to this, the automatic actuation of the Dafo Forrex wet chemical fire suppression system with its unique

fire suppression abilities further inhibits the probability of ignition and re-ignition thereof.

The system is scalable and not complex and facilitates ease of operation, the systems requires limited maintenance and is more reliable in the case of a fire compared to water based systems.

For the detection along the conveyor belt installation as required by the Mandatory COP in Annexure B under the heading “Fire Detection”, research lead to fire detection systems utilized with in the transport sector specifically in Europe’s long underground tunnels.

The leading system utilized is the Lios De.Tect state of the art frequency domain based distributed temperature sensing system measuring the temperature by means of optical fibres functioning as linear sensors where temperatures are recorded as a continuous profile along the entire sensor cable.

The controller analyses the fibre optic sensors for every 0.5m up to 10km in length with a resolution of 1°C or better and with a response time of 4 seconds or less continuously, As a result the exact fire location, temperature and spread are accurately monitored along the complete conveyance installation.

A proactive approach to fire safety promotes to culture of “Sustaining Zero Harm” and saves lives and can be applied to various applications within the mining environment, especially Trackless Mobile Machinery, transformers and hydraulic power systems.

TRIAL BY FIRE - Advanced Automated Systems undertook a series of tests on a mock-up conveyor to establish a test protocol to determine the effectiveness of a newly developed fire protection system

You cannot afford this !

Advanced Automated Systems prides itself on partnering with the worlds leaders in fire suppression to ensure the perfect solution for all applications. Through its ability to engineer purpose built fire systems vs the available common systems Advanced Automated Systems is redefining fire solutions in all market sectors throughout Africa.

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Early detection, fast-acting fire prevention solutions are key

Belt conveyor systems are used extensively in the mining industry – they provide an ideal solution to transport bulk material. However,

a key protection area that has to be considered is how to best handle the issue of conveyor belt system fires.

“Any large fire may damage or cause the collapse of the conveyor structural elements with resultant interruption to operations and high replacement costs. The principal fire load includes the material being conveyed, the electromechanical components of the system, and the belt itself.”

There is a misconception that conveyors are not easily ignitable, which can often prevent mines from taking the necessary precautions to ensure that there is sufficient fire protection in place: “Once a moving conveyor fire starts, it will grow rapidly, and become very difficult to control in a very short period of time. Belts contain polymeric materials, which present a serious risk in terms of rapid fire spread and the generation of toxic, corrosive smoke – making these fires lethal and the control of which, incredibly difficult.”

In June this year for example, a fire that burned a multi-story conveyor belt at a Lake Elsinore aggregate mining and crushing business in the USA, caused an estimated $13-million in damage and took firefighters

more than two hours to contain. “When you consider the overall loss caused by a conveyor belt fire – you can’t just think about the possible loss of lives, injured staff and the loss of expensive equipment, but you also have to consider the excessive loss of revenue that will be incurred by the downtime required to fix or rebuild the conveyor belt.

“As such, the essential ethos behind any quality conveyor belt fire protection needs to revolve around the preservation of the conveyor belt system itself. Hence, the need for early detection and the quick and successful extinguishing of any fire, while simultaneously cooling the affected structure, remains key.”

Early detection, fast-acting fire prevention solutions are key“It is important to note that every conveyor belt system is unique, and as such, an individual assessment has to be made for each system in order to adequately and accurately determine where the fire risks lie for that particular system design”.

To ensure early fire detection in conveyor belt environments, ASP Fire recommends the installation of Technoswitch Fire Detection technologies in conjunction with suitable Fire Control and Extinguishant panels, which are specially suited to long-distance and moving environments – these include:

Burning enclosed conveyor fire

Technoswitch intelligent control panels and other fire detection and signalling products include world-class smoke and heat detectors, aspirating smoke detectors, motorised beam detectors, linear heat detectors, warning devices, manual call points and more. Triple IR flame detection and smouldering ember detection on conveyors are covered by the SharpEye IR3 Flame and the 4600 Ember detector units.

Providing innovation leadership

in mining fire safety management

Visit www.aspfire.co.za

ASP Fire provides fire risk management services and turnkey fire protection equipment projects to mining and industrial clients throughout Africa. We ensure a low total cost of ownership for the life of the equipment from commissioning to maintenance by working closely with you and your teams on the ground. We design and deliver cost competitive results underground and on the surface by leveraging technology distribution partnerships with best of breed fire detection and suppression system OEM suppliers. Technoswitch and iCat Fire Solutions are two technology partners that provide conventional and intelligent fire detection and suppression equipment for use in typical mining operations.

iCat Fire Solution’s FM Approved Localised Fire Protection System is ideally suited to suppressing conveyor fires in the head, tail and tensioner pulley areas. The atomised AFFF water mist penetrates the fire and provides ultra-rapid cooling to extinguish the fire without creating thermal shock. This modular system is scalable and is designed to meet both fire risk and budgetary constraints. The system is suitable for surface and underground conveyor installations and for all types of surface and underground mining vehicles.


• Ember Detectors, which detect a smoldering ember on a moving conveyor belt before it bursts into flames.

• Linear heat detection cable is used for very long distances, which are prevalent on conveyor belts, and responds to a rise in heat that is above the alarm threshold.

• The IR3 Flame Detectors uses three different Infrared light wavelengths to detect an open flame within the conveyor system.

Rapid Fire Suppression eliminates equipment damage and downtimeTo complete the fire protection system, ASP Fire recommends the iCat Fire Solution’s industry-leading technology to provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for conveyor belt fire-suppression: “The iCat Rotor Technology water mist fire suppression system can automatically detect fire and effectively suppress a fire in a matter of seconds before it becomes a problem.”

The iCat T-Rotor Technology systems are a prime example of innovative New Age technology – providing localised protection, hand-held extinguishers, fast response

back-packs and vehicle protection systems. They comprise extinguishers that use a combination of water and/or foam in a mist form, as opposed to traditional fire extinguishers that use either dry foam or chemical powders.

“The misting technology of the T-Rotor Technology atomises water and charges it with kinetic energy, creating a fine atomised mist with a size of between 50μ and 60μ. Using water as the main agent, and nitrogen as a propellant – it can extinguish all types of fire, including rubber and plastic fires, kitchen cooking oil fires, diesel and petrol fires and electrical fires rated up to 245kV”.

The system can also be designed to create cooling zones on conveyor belts to detect and cool hot material without adding to the moisture content of the product, to reduce any potential fire risks.

The Water Mist extinguisher range is FM and SABS-approved: “Using water and nitrogen is safe, effective and saves on maintenance and service costs. Each litre of water in a water mists system amounts to 120 square metres of coverage capability, and the small quantity of water that is used has the added benefit of ensuring little to no redundancy, damage or environmental contamination.

Elevated conveyor fire



Impact of the conveyor belt fire on the continuity and profitability of the mine is huge

Due to the environment of underground mining and the limitations of transport options in these environments, mines rely heavily on the operation

of their conveyor belt network for the day to day operation of their facility.

For this reason, the impact which a conveyor belt fire can have on the business continuity and profitability of a mine is huge. On many occasions a fire can not only be harmful to the personnel working close to the conveyor but the possibility of smoke inhalation to workers in other areas is a serious one. If we take an example of a mine losing their main product feeder conveyor belt to fire, the loss of income due to evacuation of the mine which stops productions is damaging enough. However, the long term effect on business continuity due to the time taken for the belt to be repaired, the cost thereof and the peripheral damage caused by the fire, can be disastrous. .

In some mining applications such as coal mining, the transport of burning product can have a serious effect on the operations of a mine. Transportation and storage of burning coal can cause damage to property due to explosions or the spread of fire. There have been instances where the transportation and burning of coal storage facilities has caused fatalities to mine workers.

For the above reasons there are various options of conveyor belt detection products and methods available on the market. It is very important to determine firstly, whether the mine is wanting to protect the belt or whether they want to protect the product being transported on the belt.

It is also very important to select the correct detection system for the application in order to prevent false alarms. False alarms can cause belt shutdown, mine evacuation or the opening of a deluge system. All of these scenarios can

have an effect on the productivity and continuity of the mines operations.

In terms of a coal mine and the ignition characteristics of coal, many coal mines will want to protect both the product as well as the belt itself. It is only important to protect the product on the conveyor belt should the possibility of ignition of the product be high. When protecting the product, for example coal, we need to determine which form of detection will be the best for the application. As coal is a smouldering ember and not a large flaming fire, for this application we using ember detection. Ember detection has the ability to detect a glowing ember of 6cm3 travelling at 6m/s along a conveyor belt. There are various ways to monitor the ember detector unit which will be covered later.

When protecting the belt, there are various methods of detection. The type of detection required is determined by budget, client requirements or a specific standard of detection. It is also important to determine which risk of the belt you are protecting. A conveyor belt has the large head and tail bearings, the rollers as well as the belt. All of these require detection and there are various options of detection.

The cheapest and most common form of detection is the use of Linear Heat Cable Detection (LHDC). LHDC can be placed at various points along the belt, it is often used to monitor the rollers along the bottom of the conveyor belt, these rollers often have bearing failure causing the roller toseize, when seized friction between the belt and roller increase and often cause the belt to ignite. Linear hear cable also commonly gets run along the top of the belt and is used there to protect the belt from the top and detect fire from there.

Although LHDC technology has been around

§ Aspirating Smoke Detection § Conveyor Belt Detection § Emergency / Evacuation § Extinguishing Panels § Fire Control Panels § Fire Suppression Units

§ Flame Detection § Linear Heat Detection § Warning Devices § and more

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HEAD OFFICE - JOHANNESBURGT +27 (0)11 794 9144 E [email protected] Park, Ridge Road, Laser Park, JohannesburgCAPE TOWNT +27 (0)21 948 4575 E [email protected] 3, 7 Tygerfalls Boulevard, Tygervalley Waterfront, Cape Town DURBANT +27 (0)31 266 8843 E [email protected] 2, 1st Floor Colchester Building, Essex Gardens Offi ce Park,1 Nelson Road, Westville, Durban

www.technoswitch.co.za

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2016-01 African Mining Brief January/February 2016 Edition A4 Advert.indd 1 2015/12/22 16:31


since the 1930’s and is still commonly used, companies have developed new technology to prevent false alarms as well as make accurate point readings along the LHDC line. Protectowire have launched a CTI type cable which prevents false alarms by monitoring the circuit as well as using thermocouple technology to determine the increase of heat at the point to make sure that it is not a broken/damaged cable but an actual fire. Fibre optic LHDC has also been introduced which allow you to have longer runs of detection line with exact point monitoring.

Flame detection has also become a common method of detection for conveyor belts. When protecting both the belt or the head and tail of the belt, flame detection can be used. There are various flame detectors which all have various detection ranges depending on the length of the zone being detected. It is most common to use an IR3 type flame detector, this unit is UV blind as well as blind to arc welding which prevents false alarms and unnecessary downtime for the mine.

When monitoring the head and tail large spherical roller bearings in plumber blocks, it is good and common practice to use temperature probes. These monitor the bearing grease and bearing temperature. The available units provide 2 dual temperature monitoring with individual outputs which allow an early warning to be sent through prior to stopping the belt.

When deciding which unit and what peripherals in the systems are required for the conveyor belt there are a few factors which need to be taken in account. As mentioned above it is important to determine whether you are

protecting the belt or the product being transported on the belt. The environmental conditions also need to be taken into account, typically underground conveyor belts have increased humidity and dust. When designing a system using a flame or ember detector it is important to note that these units are optical devices. Taking that into account it is important to have air purging using a clean and dry air supply. There are various purge options available, these are extremely important when installing the system.

With the various options of control panels available and various protocols which allow for networking or integration in various systems, make the system health checks and functionality far easier. Typically a detector will have a standard fire and fault relay, this can be used to go back to the control panel. Often the control panel then provides an output to the mine PLC, this will allow the people in the control room to see when there is a fire or fault condition on the detector. There are various other options of monitoring, many detectors provide you with a 4 – 20 mA output which also allows you to monitor the health of the condition through a fire panel or directly into larger MCC units.

There are various options of how to action a fire alarm when detected on a conveyor belt. On longer conveyor belts, the detections systems are zoned to smaller conveyor lengths, for example 20 or 40m this makes it easier to get to the fire. Often deluge systems are installed per zone, on detection of a fire, the belt in that specific zone is flooded to extinguish the fire. When designing the deluge for a zone it is important to take the belt speed and shut down time into consideration (should there be arequirement to shut down the belt). For example if the belt is travelling at 5m/s and it takes 3 seconds for the belt to come to a standstill, by the time the belt stops the risk will be 15m further along the conveyor belt. Standard warning devices should always be activated when a fire condition is found on a conveyor belt. The typical sound rating should be above ambient sound levels and should include a visual warning for people who are hearing impaired or people working with hearing protection.

New innovations in fire detection for conveyors are based on preventing false alarms and avoiding unnecessary loss of productivity. The CTI LHDC which confirms the heat source at the point of the fire and Fibre optic LHDC are newer technologies to prevent false alarms, increase detection distances of LHDC as well as prevent false alarms. This fibre optic solution is a solution for areas where there previously many obstacles preventing an efficient and reliable fire detections solution.

CTM-530-Angle-View-full


Payload management

No load left unturned

South African legislation will be the benchmark for the introduction of laws and regulations governing truck payloads and their management in other

African countries, where it is a grey area, in the coming years, Jonathan Palmer, the Chairman of Sasco Africa, the exclusive distributor of Bilanciai instrumentation in Africa, predicts, in an interview with African Mining Brief at Sasco Africa offices in Benoni, Johannesburg. Thus, in his views on the subject of truck load management specific to the mining sector, he uses recent developments in South Africa as a reference point.

In recent months, South Africa has enacted the Road Traffic Act 22nd Amendment, which spells out, in great detail, all the requirements that Transporters, Consignor and Consignees must comply with. They don’t just focus on total loading but also axle loading. Palmer deems this development as a milestone.

Fixing systemic loopholes The Road Traffic Act 22nd amendment will fix systemic loopholes that have existed. To date, almost all weigh bridges other than weigh bridges with Bilanciai instrumentation cannot calculate axle weights in addition to total weight.This is a major problem for the owners of non Bilanciai instrumented weigh bridges, Palmer observes. Palmer hopes the legislation’s stringent stance will result in noticeable improvement in compliance. Axle and total weight overloading are not going to be tolerated.

Transporters shunting mining commodities will be shut down if they do not comply and both they and the mines, as consignors, will face massive fines. Therefore,

payload management will need to be maximised within the parameters of this legislation.

Optimising payload management legally Naturally, from a neutral perspective, the new legislation raises the question of the heavy burden of compliance on resources. On this issue, Palmer outlines then following steps through which mining companies can optimise payload management within legal confines:• Determine what your legal maximum loading and

individual axle loading parameters are.• Accurately and reliably weigh the truck to determine

what the actual total and individual axle loadings are.• Compare these actual results to the permissible

results and make sure the truck is within tolerances.• To also make sure that the actual steering and drive

axle loadings are within permissible percentages of the total weight.

• On a load by load basis to keep complete records of the above and produce a weighing ticket which has all this information on it as well as all the other non-weighing information now required under the Act.

In the course of following these steps, it is important to get the right permissible weights for the truck loads, within the parameters of the Road Traffic Act 22nd Amendment, says Palmer. “For further clarification it is important to seek legal advice.This applies to both South African mines and any mines sending commodities through South Africa by road.” He foresees changes in South Africa occasioning critical reforms in other African countries, where the payload management could be in a worse state.

For decades, compliance with payload management has been optional, a situation worsened by grey areas in legislation. However, recent amendments to the regulations in South Africa, which have been earned industry plaudits, are widely seen as a reference point for other African countries.


Payload management: Reducing costs and downtime through training and accrediting

Over the past decade, Africa has seen millions of dollars of new investment in mining, processing and other related projects. Notwithstanding the current slump in commodity prices, the socio economic demographics combined with abundant untapped resources, should ensure that the medium to longer-term growth prospects for the continent, should far exceed those of alternative regions, thereby underpinning continuing new project investments.

The procurement for, and management of mining and related projects in Africa are generally co-ordinated by a project house on behalf of the investors, the vast majority of these project houses being based in South Africa. A duly appointed project house will normally be responsible for finalise the project specification, issuing the tender, playing an active role in the final appointment of the equipment suppliers and overseeing commissioning.

With the substantial number of wide ranging of projects being under taken in Africa, equipment specifications will vary greatly. However, almost always there is weighing equipment involved, although as a percentage of the total project spends, this component is small.

The amount of focus that is given by project houses to the specification of weighing equipment and its commissioning is however relatively low, with the amount of consideration being given to post implementation training and support being almost zero. The weighing outcome is almost always that of the cheapest “solution” being selected without any consideration being given to accuracy, reliability, availability and pricing of spares, technical support and the capacity to integrate into ERP systems.

The question is therefore, what are the economic consequences of this reality for investors, judged over the operating lifetime of the mining project. The answer is significantly negative for the simple reason that substantial elements of mining production and almost all mining sales are computed by weight and therefore weighing inaccuracy or weighing down time has a highly significant economic impact on the overall operational result.

Project houses need to recognise that weighing instrumentation has evolved greatly in recent years and therefore going forward far greater attention needs to be given to specifying far more stringent accuracy levels and reliability levels as well as ERP interfacing functionality. Take for example the Tier I Bilanciai weighing instrumentation, distributed by Sasco in Africa, which comes with 24 month warranties and the ability to reverse calibrate settings after load cells have been changed without the need for test weights.

Finally mining companies need to develop the same in house equipment maintenance and repair capabilities that they have in respect of their core plant and machinery, for their weighing equipment. Sascorecognises this reality, and through the Sasco Weighing Academy and Sasco’sAccredited Corporate Customer program are actively empowering their corporate customers to become “their own scale companies”. Key elements of this program include: formal training for weighbridge operators, formal training for instrumentation technicians on weighing repair and servicing, software training and the for those corporate customers that acquire the required in house skills, Sasco Accredited Customer status which entitles such customers to buy spares from Sasco at preferred pricing and to “self-repair” while maintaining full warranties.

Payload management enhances productivity and significantly reduces costs

Accurately Weighing Africa

Customer Call Centre0861 422 134 (RSA Calls)

+ 27 83 6800 722

Call Centre Hours24 Hours, 7 days a week

Sasco Africa Head O�ce2 Blackburn Street

Apex Industrial, Benoni, South Africa

Phone: +27 11 746 6000Email: [email protected]: www.sascoafrica.com

South AfricaNamibia

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Sasco Africa, is the Leading Weighing Company in Africa.Sasco Africa is the oldest industrial weighing company in Africa, having commenced trading in 1910. The Sasco Africa brand is synonymous with reliable products, the best technologies and software, an extensive service support network and accredited customer training.

Supply of Weighbridges

Sasco offers an unrivalled range of truck weighing solutions. This range is built on four fundamental principles namely Pricing Options, Choice in Instrumentation, Reliability & Durability. The top end of the spectrum is the Bilanciai instrumentation packages which offer a superior set of unique benefits which are inclusive but not limited to axle weighing, automation driver terminals and integrated truck databases. On the more economical end of the spectrum is a range of Sasco branded instrumentation which directly replace products such as the Avery range of instrumentation however at substantially lower prices.

Supply of Axle Weighing Solutions

Sasco offers the largest and most effective range of axle weighing solutions. There are a total of 6 products within this range. The most advanced of these products being a Multi-Deck which can be combined with a choice of Instrumentation packages. Also within this category of static weighers’ is the Sasco WB80T (trade approved) weighbridge loaded with the Bilanciai axle weighing APP, provides features similarly to the less cost efficient above mentioned Multi-deck.

Supply of Weighing Software and Cloud Solutions

Sasco offers a dedicated turnkey weighing and software project management capability. These services include solution specification, hardware and software recommendation, procurement, installation and testing. Sasco ProWeigh+ is the leading weighing software package in South Africa offering wide ERP configaration flexibility, cloud interfacing and compliant axle weighing consistent with the Road Traffic Act.

Corporate Customer Training

Sasco provides annual maintenance services to corporate customers but thereafter seeks to empower larger corporate customers, through formal training, to become Sasco Accredited to perform repairs in house and thereby to be supplied with spares directly at preferable prices. The Sasco Weighing Academy is the only SETA Accredited. weighing training company in Africa and offers a range of weighing and software related training programs.

Sanas Verification & Calibration Service

Sasco Metrology Services is the largest weighing verification company in South Africa and operates a fleet of road weighbridge, and rail weighbridge testing units on a national basis. Sasco is also a level 4 BBBEE Contributor, in compliance with the BBBEE Charters governing South Africa.


Inefficiencies abound in most mining companies in regard to the way they manage Governance, Risk and Compliance. Typically, there are numerous databases

and systems that are poorly integrated, if at all, with multiple versions of the truth, and silos that cause work to be redone and information to forever be cut and pasted. Islands of information are surrounded by a sea of Excel.

If directors of such companies were to design their ideal systems for managing Governance, Risk and Compliance from scratch, there is no way that they would come up with a hodge-podge of different systems stuck in various siloes across the business.

A case in point is new mines: typically, for their non-operational systems, they will look to purchase a system for ERP, another for HR/Payroll, and then a single system for all their GRC requirements.

The reasons they do this are obvious: GRC users only need to learn a single system; there is one annual licence fee, one supplier, one database to backup; all data is integrated; and consolidated dashboards can provide a board-level understanding of the GRC health of the business.

Consider all the different disciplines that fall under the umbrella of GRC: risk management, incidents, quality, environmental sustainability, occupational hygiene, occupational health, training, PPE, MSDS, action management, strategy, ethics, governance, contract management, contractor management, stakeholder management, non-conformances, primary healthcare, internal audit, inspections, meeting management, permits, policies and procedures, legal compliance, monitoring, B-BBEE, complaints and grievances, commitments, socio-economic development. The list goes on and on.

It is not unusual for companies to have more than twenty separate systems for managing all of these. Not ideal, for sure. And certainly not efficient. So why does the status quo prevail?

The main reason is that it is only relatively recently that software products have evolved to incorporate the multiple different aspects of GRC. Historically, products were sold as point solutions, addressing a specific problem. Getting to their current position has required huge amounts of investment, not only in software, but in getting users skilled in using such software, customising reports and processes, and developing integration mechanisms so that different products speak to one another.

The thought of moving to of a single, integrated platform is painful. People resist change. Because most of the various systems, within themselves, are bedded down and working effectively enough, it is difficult to consider replacing them. Yet, if one were to properly consider the benefits a single, integrated system would bring, the decision would be far easier to take.

Let’s consider the benefits in more detail. Firstly, there is people’s time. Inefficient systems lead to highly paid employees spending a large percentage of their time doing clerical work. Compiling reports, cutting and pasting data, distributing spreadsheets, reconciling, and chasing up people to check that they have attended to the tasks they have been given.With proper, integrated systems that automatically produce their key reports, these senior people could be spending their time far more effectively.

Integrated systems also make it easier for management to make informed decisions: dashboards allow for analysis

Advertorial Governance Risk and Compliance Solutions

Governance, Risk and Compliance


of trends, and management by exception. Integrated areas like risk, incident management and audit allow practitioners from all three areas to better understand what has happened and why, and to prevent recurrences.

There is no doubt that the evolution of GRC systems is following what we saw in ERP thirty or so years ago. Whereas in the early days of ERP, companies would buy, for example, their General Ledger from company A, and a Cashbook from company B, and then manage their stock in an in-house database, and use spreadsheets for Purchase Orders and Quotations, these days all these functions are integrated into modules within the various mainstream ERP solutions that dominate the market.

Just as it would be unheard of for a company to purchase just a Sales Ledger these days, so in the future it will be unusual for a solution for audit management, for example, to be purchased for standalone use. The value in the integration, and the cost of not integrating, means such point solutions will fall by the wayside.

An African success story, IsoMetrix has been providing solutions for Governance Risk and Compliance to mining for almost 20 years.

The product, developed initially (in the late 90’s) as a solution for Environmental management, has evolved to become a fully integrated suite of solutions for all areas of GRC, from Environmental and Safety Management to Enterprise Risk and Compliance, Occupational Health and Hygiene, Primary Healthcare and Wellness, Business Continuity Management, and Environmental and Social Sustainability. All solutions include modules for Internal Audit, Action Management and Meeting Management.

Managing social risk has become a key focus area for mining companies, and IsoMetrix has developed modules that accommodate the full range of requirements around social management, including: Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Mapping, Commitment Management, Complaints and Grievances, Socio-economic Development, Land Access and Resettlement, Compensation, Livelihood Restoration and many more, all tightly integrated into GIS solutions such as ArcGIS.

Says Paul Marketos, one of the founders of IsoMetrix: “We have seen a significant growth in our customers’ need for proper systems to manage social risk. In South

Africa, in the wake of events like Marikana, there is a need for greater visibility of progress against commitments, as expressed in compacts like the Social and Labour Plan. Indeed, the very concept of a social licence to operate has become common parlance, and is now embedded in each company’s approach to risk management.”

The success of IsoMetrix, the leading GRC solution for African mines, is built on three key advantages the product has in the market: Agility, Visibility and Breadth. As Marketos explains: “I am confident that IsoMetrix is the most agile product in the market. Through a simple drag and drop process, which even non-technical people can carry out, we can modify existing modules, or create new ones, quickly and easily. This gives us the ability to tailor our solutions to fit our customers’ needs exactly: we will match their precise processes, methodologies and terminology. It also means our final solutions are extremely elegant and easy to use, as every field and menu option the user can see is meaningful.

“Learning how to configure IsoMetrix requires only three days’ training. Some of our most satisfied customers are those who have been empowered to modify and extend their systems themselves.

“We also have extremely powerful dashboards that provide the ability to understand data at a high level and drill down to record level within IsoMetrix. Having this visibility empowers management to make informed decisions.

“Most importantly we are able to provide our customers with a wide range of solutions. And if there is a requirement we do not currently have a template for, we can configure this extremely quickly, using our agile technology.

“Newly established mines, or mines that historically have had very simple systems, tend to purchase multiple solutions, to cover all areas of GRC. With more established customers we tend to start with one or two key areas and extend over time into other disciplines. But whether the approach is a big bang or more of an evolution, there can be no doubt that the trend is strongly towards companies having properly integrated solutions for managing Governance Risk and Compliance.”

Advertorial Governance Risk and Compliance Solutions


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Well maintained light truck bodies contribute to high productivity in open cast mines significantly.

If you may have noticed, from being regarded as nothing beyond a mere attachment on a haul truck, truck bodies now contribute towards optimising productivity in open

cast mines worldwide. And even more striking is that most of them are lightweight.

To unearth unobserved facts about the correlation between lightweight truck bodies and productivity in open cast mines, African Mining Brief seeks the views ofthe managing director of Van Reenen Steel, John van Reenen,the South African manufacturer of off-highway truck bodies, dragline buckets and shovels/dippers, which has over 200 VR standard bodies working worldwide, and won the Swedish Steel Design award for its body. Recently, the company announced the launch of its Feather weight VR Truck Body, whose lightweight, van Reneen claims, enhances productivity.

On account of being 15-20% lighter than a standard VR body, the Featherweight VR Truck Body’s payload increase can be up to 3%, explains van Reenen. Also, there is significant fuel saving on the return trip, with the truck carrying less weight.

Maintenance and productivityHowever, van Reenen fears that mines could be overlooking the fact that any lightweight truck body can only beas productive as its sound maintenance, in their quest for high productivity.

He has noticed that there is a belief - if not a misconception - that the shorter life span of lightweight truck bodies – which is half of standard versions - can be offset by sustained production increase and lower fuel consumption, which could render a lightweight truck body more cost effective.

Nonetheless, what this line of thinking might ignore is the maintenance costs incurred on the truck body in the second year after purchase. Maintenance may necessitate adding thicker steel plates in high wear areas, cumulatively, making it heavier


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over time, van Reenen points out.“The body,heavier after sessions of maintenance may result in loss of production, and an even higher fuel burn than with a body that had been fitted initially.”

Deferring purchasing a new replacement, on account of capital constraints, may result in addition of more steel to ensure that the body is functional. Unwittingly, by the fifth or sixth year, the lightweight truck body would have become as heavy as a standard body or even heavier.

“Experience has shown that a lightweight body, initially weighing 6 tons lighter than a standard body, can add more than 10 tons to its weight over the various repair cycles. Not only do these more frequent repairs reduce the availability of equipment working in the field, the hourly operating costescalate. Ultimately, the initial capital cost saving of 20%-30% is negated,” deduces van Reenen.

Sustaining lightweight fleet performance Therefore, to sustain the performance of a fleet with lightweight truck bodies, van Reenen tells mines to consider the following steps:• Monitor that 2%-3% production increase throughout

the truck’s life to ensure it is being attained; • When the truck body goes into the workshop for

maintenance, make sure the repair does not increase the weight beyond what it’s new weight was; and

• Diligently replace the lightweight body with another lightweight body at the end of its design life, which is usually halfway through the life of a truck.

Eventually, once the above-mentioned steps are followed,the marginal profit from small increase in production will counterbalance the increased cost of ownership of a lightweight body.

By and large, says Van Reenen, one of the most important considerations when buying a new truck body, or replacing an old one, is to consider the cost of ownership over the life of that body. Granted, quality truck bodies may bemore expensive, but considering where the manufacturer offers affordable maintenance it has the lowest cost of ownership of any truck body.

New innovation for managing carryback The other new innovation is the VR heated truck body, used where carry-back is a problem. The heating ducts have been strategically placed to heat the vital areas of the truck body, from the exhaust, to 100 deg. C, thus eliminating carry-back completely. A recently installed VR heated body, on a CAT 789 truck, has increased the performance of the truck by 11%, or 18 tons per load.

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Mine site accommodation

The perfect fit for remote locations

Despite challenges they are experiencing due to low commodity prices, African mines are still under obligation to provide their employees with

decent accommodation. Due to their convenience and significantly lower cost involved, modular buildings have been the preferred choice, and in the current environment they could not be more relevant.

Felix Clemens, Director for Fabricated Steel Manufacturing Company (Pty), is widely experienced in providing modular accommodation solutions to big projects in Africa. Currently, he doesn’t see any other viable alternative to modular accommodation.

“Since there is a dire need for accommodation in the remote locations in Africa where new mines and expansions are taking place, modular buildings and remote locations make perfect sense together, especially in instances where accommodation needs to be erected in a short time, “he comments.

The significance of modular accommodation has been heightened by changing legislation in different African countries where mining ministries have underscored that better living conditions should be prioritised. For instance in South Africa, the Mining Charter enacts the need for mining companies to improve mining workers’ living conditions who over the years have been relying on hostels

or lived in the informal settlements around the mines.The intention of Mine site accommodation is to

create a “home-away-from-home” for people working in isolated,construction and mining industries, who often spend long periods of time away from their homes.

Modular Building Solutions vs. Conventional Construction

Modular buildings has been used as temporary site offices, clinics, classrooms as well as accommodation for employees in a number of areas. Their use has also come into the spotlight as a possible solution to medium and low cost housing needs in many African countries.

In addition, they offer many advantages over conventional construction methods, since greater work can be prepared off-site, this limits site work, the level and amount of skilled workers required on site, reducing site disruptions, as well as reducing health and safety risks as most of the preparation work is completed in a safer factory environment, explains Felix Clemens.

Modular buildings aim to maximise value and minimise waste, as materials used are premeasured, scheduled and prefabricated at the factory. This results in more consistent quality and financial savings as well as the ability to send large quantities of modular building panels to site at once.

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Assembly rates on site can exceed 1000 m2per week with a workforce of 200. Assembling does not require complex skills, and it is ideal in remote locations where skilled labour tends to be scarce and expensive.

Certainty of timescales for the delivery of projects is maximised through efficient manufacturing, on time delivery of significant quantities per truck load and speedy assembly on site, with the limited resources available in the remote location, adds Felix Clemens.

Important ConsiderationsIt is imperative for the clients to know what they want-

there is a wide choice available in prefabricated buildings produced by each manufacturer and also between various reputable manufacturers. Choices include portable or non-portable buildings, the material composition of the buildings and methods of construction. Some systems carry Agrément certifications, some manufacturers are ISO 9001:2008 certified and all should be capable of being certified under rational design criteria by a certified Engineer. Further considerations by clients relates to the flexibility of the system and the relocatability of modular components which add to the cost-effectiveness over time. Export clients need to carefully consider transport costs as flat pack systems offer significant cost savings as transport

distances increase. In addition, track record, quality, affordability as well

as after sales support are key, and customers should look at a company’s project history to gauge its level of expertise and if possible select a supplier which is ISO certified and affiliated to credible industry bodies.Sustainable designs

With the global focus on the need to reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants, as well as limiting the use of non-renewable resources, prefabricated buildings are moving towards a greener identity with most of these structures boasting low-carbon footprints. The components used to manufacture the panels are environmentally friendly, and the steel used is recyclable. The modular buildings can be fitted with energy saving lighting, solar panels, inverter air cons, evaporative coolers as well as solar geysers or heat pumps.

In addition, modular buildings are manufactured off-site, this will almost certainly mean that there will be minimal site disturbance, especially in comparison to traditional construction methods. Reduced site traffic is also another significant factor- fewer site trips for workers and vehicles.

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The YFEL is movable and fast to erect with the carrier attachment. YFEL’s can be easily uplifted with forklifts and moved around to create or change bin area shapes and lengths, or loaded onto trucks and

relocated to other premises.

To assist various mining sectors that are under vast pressure throughout the world, Metso has focussed on working with its customers to increase their

production output.“With commodity prices being what they are, we

are placed in a good position to assist customers reduce overhead costs,” says VP Sales and Service Southern Africa, Eric Maricot. “One of our solutions is that we have developed what is referred to as Life Cycle Services. This supports mines and quarries to improve maintenance, operational efficiency and longevity of their equipment. It is a long term partnership to keep efficiency and production targets at a premium, minimise downtime and lower operating costs”

The company believes that it ‘comes to the party’ with an all-inclusive package through its offering of a vast range of equipment with global competence and back-up, which is something that very few companies can boast. According to Maricot, “this reaches deep into Africa through our network. We have a staff compliment of 1500 with more or less 800 staff working in our factories based in South Africa, of which one is a foundry, one is a distribution hub, one a rubber factory and the other a workshop. Our local manufacture component offers added value.”

As market leaders, Metso has a huge installed base of equipment operating in Africa enabling it to offer fully comprehensive back-up for services. Access to good stock levels of spares as well as complete warranties on all wear parts and replacement components, are in place. In addition, areas in Africa are backed-up by dedicated service teams with hands-on experience.

Part of the company’s commitment to the continent during 2014 was to firmly establish a BBBEE company in South Africa, conforming to the regulations in South African Mining Charter. “This initiative further entrenches our promise to support mining in Africa and draw from conditions pertinent to Africa.”

Metso employs local people from local communities in various countries that understand the needs of specific customers in those areas. “We have representation in most major countries, however, to support this we have major service centres in South Africa, Zambia, Ghana and Algeria giving us coverage from North, South, East and West,” concludes Maricot.

The company’s return on investment comprises their BBBEE trust, where profits are re-invested back into the community.

For further enquiries go to www.metso.com or email [email protected]

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Choosing the right pump for the job is imperative

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After what seemed to be a robust growth of the pump industry over the past few years supported by infrastructure projects within the mining,

power generation, water and waste water industries, seems to have hit a brick wall and slowed-down. This is partly because the industry’s 85- 90% business relies heavily on the mining sector which is currently facing a number of challenges - from declining commodity prices, projects being put on hold, new mineral tax laws as well as the strikes in the case of South Africa, explains Harry Steyn, BU Dewatering Manager at Xylem Water Solutions South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

Considering the above challenges as well as financial constraints, mine operators are compelled to keep costs down and – the type of pumps used can impact on operational costs, especially considering that pumping slurry, i.e. a liquid containing solid particles raises

different requirements for a pump compared to just water. Pumps wear hard and fast, it is therefore important to choose a pump that will impact positively on the balance sheet,taking into consideration that pumps need servicing as well as maintenance between intervals. Submersible slurry pumps since they are heavy and robustversion of centrifugal pumps, capable of handling tough and abrasive duties can be the ideal solution for mines.

Submersible Slurry PumpsSome slurry pump users may have limited knowledge of submersible slurry pumps. It is therefore imperative to examine the benefits offered by submersible pumps over dry and especially semi-dry mounted pumps (cantilever):When operating directly in the slurry, the submersible slurry pump requires no support structure. It therefore

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Pamodzi Unique Engineering, established in 1971, has recently become a proud member of the Pamodzi Group. The BBBEE, 100% Black Ownership, cements the company’s

commitment to growth in Southern Africa and beyond. The company will now carry the name of Pamodzi Unique Engineering and will draw its primary strength from its diverse engineering expertise. Locally designed, engineered and manufactured products, reaching almost every sector of industry, forms the foundation of its operations. Market areas range from mining and rail to chemical, hygienic and agricultural.

Established brands are Eco and Wilflo Pumps, Unique Blast Barricades and BES Pantographs, which are distributed through an extensive network of local and international distributors. The company is renowned for its pump range and one of the mining industry’s work-horse is the DD 25 and DD 50 Wilflo double diaphragm range, which are locally designed and manufactured. The units have been successfully pumping sludge, slurry, water and sewage for more than 35 years and are easy to operate.

‘Lube free’ units are a big feature, making it environmentally friendly, non-hazardous and suitable for general industry in numerous applications. Another accomplishment is the ECO range of ‘PD’ positive displacement, helical rotor pumps, which are 100% South African manufactured to ISO 9001:2008 quality standards. They are used for various applications such as gold mining, explosive, chemical, pulp, paper and hygienic food transfer applications.

The Eco positive displacement pump replacement components were introduced to the mining and general industry in 2007.

Since inception, it has proven its worth.The locally manufactured generic spares perform equally well and in some instances, better than imported products, thus bringing about enormous savings to the market. In line with the company’s local manufacture policy, it has been servicing the Southern African rail industry and open cast mines with a specialist range of pantographs for more than 25 years.

The local production aspect makes the BES pantograph highly cost effective, from installation and through to maintenance. All components are manufactured at Pamodzi Unique Engineering’s facility, which is ISO 9001:2008 accredited. The range comprises of railway, high speed railway and off-road pantographs.

A full complement of spares is available, thus keeping Southern Africa on track at all times. To complete the company’s product portfolio, durable and cost effective blast barricades are manufactured from high-density natural virgin white polyethylene (HDPE), to ensure a far longer life than reground material.

The Pamodzi Group, is a black owned enterprise that supports an entrepreneurial approach. It is the Group’s responsibility to ensure that its companies comply or exceed all relevant employment, training and financial statutory requirements. Its essence is to locally design, engineer, manufacture and supply a diverse range of branded products.

Pamodzi Unique Engineering acquired its ISO 9001:2008 accreditation in 1992 and has continued to manufacture in strict accordance with the specifications, thus achieving excellence and quality for its customer base. They would welcome enquires from established and experienced agencies in African countries.

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occupies less space. The motor and volute are one integrated unit, compact and easy to install.

Submersible pump is operatedunderwater, it produces low noise or even silent operation. Motor cooled by surrounding liquid allows for up to 30 starts/ hour, resulting in smaller and more efficient sumps. In addition, it allows for flexible installation with several installation modes, all of which are either portable or semi-permanent, as well as the possibility to practice clean pump technology.

Steyn explains the main difference between slurry and waste water pumps,“it is in the parts that are in direct contact with the slurry and thus subject to wear by the slurry’s solid particles. Slurry pumps possess important factors for instance the Flygt slurry pumps possess a motor, cooling jacket, seal, impeller, inspection chamber, strainer, agitator as well as stand, making it unique and superior to other pumps”.

Effective coolingWater cooling is superior to air cooling and gives the submerged motor a high power density and comparatively low temperature. The pump can be cooled in three ways depending on the slurry temperature and other circumstances:• Pumps that work fully submerged in slurry, cooled

by the ambient liquid. The slurry temperature may not exceed 40˚C.

• Pumps that work at times with the motor partially or totally un-submerged, can be equipped with a cooling jacket for internal cooling, where a cooling medium (glycol mixture) circulates (5100/ 5150).

• Pumps that often work in a low level, in hot slurry or are dry installed can be cooled using external supply of cooling liquid, connected to the cooling jacket.

Submersible Pump Seals- leakage and wear resistanceIn conjunction with leakage rate, the most important feature for seals in slurry applications is the ability to resist wear from abrasive particles.

The seals for the slurry pumps are designed to cope with highly abrasive pump media. Only the seal rings are exposed to the media. Other parts of the seal, such as springs and torque locks are protected from wear, clogging and corrosion inside the seal housing.

In addition, an isolation zone takes the pressure of the mechanical seal.

Agitator- an important factor for submersible pump hydraulic parts.

The pump can be equipped with an agitator. The unique design of Flygt agitators create a strong vertical thrust, which forces settled solids into suspension. This makes the particles easier to transport and ensures a cleaner sump at the end of the pumping cycle.

When selecting a slurry pump, it is imperative that the characteristics of the slurry of the system including certain parameters are known, adds Harry Steyn.

Understanding the slurry parameters is key- for instance the following parameters must be determined when calculating a slurry pump application. The particle size and distribution; mass fraction of small particles; concentration of solids; density gravity; as well as the particle shape.

Slurry characteristicsSlurries can be divided into settling and non-settling types, depending on the slurry parameters.

Competitive pricing for pumps, availability as well as aftermarket service is important if pump manufacturers areto survive and add value in these tough times. For instance Xylem’s Flygt slurry pump is easily available at competitive pricing without compromising quality, you can rent or buy from Xylem in over 150 countries around the globe. In addition, the company is represented in every corner of the country to assist clients, and also supported by the rental division which offers a 50% discount rental discount if the pump problem cannot be fixed on site as well as for testing purposes before making a purchase or choosing the right product for your problem,explains Jonathan Höll, Application Engineer at Xylem Water Solutions South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

Mine operators should go forpremier products that are well known in the market, and that will improve their turnaroundtime, that’s impacting positively on their operation costs, notes Jonathan Höll.

Despite the currently slump, the future looks bright and in 2017 as an organisation, with our RD continuously improving our product offering – we are certain that industry will also improve, concludes Harry Steyn.

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Structured slope monitoring

Forestalling disaster

It is easy to nonchalantly dismiss the significance of structured slope monitoring, not until one encounters harrowing statistics of rock fall accidents. Precisely, the

severity of the problem on an African mine can be mirrored from an observation that South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources made about the situation in the country which states:“The majority of accidents occurring at mines are a result of rockfalls, either seismically or gravitationally induced.” If that is not a crisis, then what it is?

Mariska de Lange, 3D Laser Mapping, a specialist from 3D Mapping in a paper she presented at the Geomatics Indaba early in 2015 Africa,The importance of structured slope monitoring in the mining industry, provides the background information which suggests that the occurrence of an accident on an open-pit mine is a matter of when and not if at all times.

Lamentably, with reference to the situation in South Africa, she notes: “Over the last few years the fatality rate pertaining to rockfall and rock burst-related accidents has reached a plateau and no real or meaningful improvement has been attained.” To say the least, this alarming fact implies that open pit mine is catastrophe-prone.

It’s a fallacy to claim that slope failure occurs without a warning, according to de Lange. There is a scientific explanation behind each failure. In fact, more often than not, rockfalls could be or should be regarded as a harbinger of a larger slope failure. Slope failure may also be precipitated by environmental factor. Ultimately, the buck stops with mines themselves.

Obligatory exerciseFortunately, mines cannot do as they wish. Legislation obliges them to prioritise the working conditions of their employees. In

South Africa, the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA): The MHSA, 1996 (Act No. 29 of 1996), provides for the protection of the health and safety of employees and other persons affected by the South African mining industry. If this is too general, then Section two of the Act is more explicit about the significance of mines taking bold action. It stresses that they should be equipped with effective systems to ensure safety. Thus, dealing with slope movement is a very critical safety aspect which mines have to deal with.

Monitoring in slope management However, you can only manage what you know very well. Hence, de Lange underlines the importance of incorporating monitoring in slope management. She points out that, through slope monitoring a mine can detect potential unstable ground and assess the performance of slope design.

Through monitoring correct measures can be put into place to prevent major slope failures whose consequences can be too ghastly to contemplate. de Lange’sargument is that by gatheringaccurate data, risks can be mitigated, saving lives, loss of expensive capital equipment and (who knows even preventing the premature closure of a mine).

Moreover, structured monitoring can be an integral part of the slope design process, specifically ascertaining whether the behaviour of the designed structure is good and right.

Not an exact science Empirical evidence indicates that accidents have still occurred in open-pit mines where supposedly “fail-safe” monitoring systems were applied. That’s why it has to be noted that slope monitoring is as effective as the quality of the systems utilised. This is the fact mines have consider.

At any given time, it is safe for open-pit mines to regard the risk of slope failure as high at all times. Thus, effective structured slope monitoring systems should be adopted as part of slope management.As the saying goes: “You can’t manage what you don’t know”, the right information is point of departure

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IDS Australasia Pty Ltd, PerthLevel 3, 267 St George’s Terrace, Perth, WA, Au-stralia, 6000Tel. +61 7 3205 [email protected]

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IBIS RADARSReal-Time Mine Wall and Tailings Dam Monitoring

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Full pit coverage with FPM360

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IDS Brasil Engenharia de Sistemas Ltda.Av. Prof. Mario Werneck, 26 Conjto 503 Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil CEP 30455-610Tel. + 55 31 3286 [email protected]

IDSNA, Inc.14828 W 6th Ave., Suite 12-B, Golden, CO 80401, USATel. +1 303 232 [email protected]

IDS Australasia Unit 5, 3-5 Hinkler Court, Brendale, Queensland, Australia, 4500 Tel. +61 732 055 [email protected]

IDS HeadquartersVia E. Calabresi 24 56121 Pisa (PI) ItalyTel. [email protected]

IDS Australasia Pty Ltd, PerthLevel 3, 267 St George’s Terrace, Perth, WA, Au-stralia, 6000Tel. +61 7 3205 [email protected]

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It has to be acknowledged that there are no clear cut solutions for slope monitoring in open pit mines. All the more what makes a time-consuming exercise is that a number of objectives must be met, as de Lange points out. The main ones she cites are safety operational systems to protect personnel and equipment, provide vital geotechnical information, assessing the performance of the implemented slope design and determine the pattern of rock behaviour.

Effective solution? Even a tried and tested product can underperform when not used properly, sometimes. However, de Lange says holistic approach to slope monitoring would entail the use of right deformation monitoring in addition to geotechnical and surveying applications such as characterising rockfall, three dimensional (3D) rock mass structure and delineating features.

Monitoring made easyThankfully, increasingly used by mine surveyors and geotechnical engineers, slope monitoring software fills the gap. It identifies significant movement and report any potential areas of slope failure. In essence, it has eliminated guess work and costly defective estimations from slope monitoring.

A matter of urgency While reading from statistics they might be a high probability of slope failure in South Africa, the situation in other African countries could be worse. What heightens the risk is that no information is available to measure the scale of slope failure disaster exposure. This makes structured slope monitoring a relevant intervention.

Synthetic Aperture Radar for Real-time Slope Monitoring in Open Pit MinesIn 2009 IDS was the first company to introduce to the mining market an innovative slope monitoring radar based on SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology which had already been successfully applied to landslide and dam monitoring.

Replacing the previous Real Aperture Radar (RAR) technology with SAR, IDS allowed mine slope monitoring systems to move from monitoring focused areas of pit walls to the whole pit at a high resolution. In 2012 IDS took another step forward, adding a new dimension with the FPM360 system for full pit slope monitoring, which enables a mine to integrate data from multiple IBIS radars through a single user interface to provide full coverage of an entire pit.

Currently the IBIS radar family offers the right solution for every mine slope monitoring need: the IBIS-FM long-range solution up to 4.5 km; the IBIS-FMT mobile long-range version which is easily towable by a light vehicle; and the latest product, the IBIS-Rover mobile medium-range radar for broad area slope monitoring. The only Synthetic Aperture Radar with a rotating antenna capability, the IBIS-Rover provides a 270° field of view with a scan time of just 4 minutes.

IDS’s IBIS slope monitoring radars have been designed specifically for real-time monitoring of slope stability in mining and every detail has been finely tuned with constant improvement through collaboration with customers from over 100 mines across five continents. IBIS radars are the perfect tool for both strategic and tactical monitoring.

Most radar products on the market focus on coverage and space. IDS sees this as a limited viewpoint, we see time as an equally important variable. IBIS radar systems can cover as much of the time window as possible thanks to the unique proprietary multi-scale processing engine. They are capable of continuously measuring mine wall/slope movements ranging from sub-bench to overall slope movements, fast accelerations associated with the risk of collapse (cm/h) and very slow movements (mm/months) in support of mine planning and geotechnical analysis in risk mitigation.

IDS also recently introduced new solutions to further support mine slope monitoring: the Eagle-Vision camera provides visual support to the radar systems, offering panoramic views of the pit wall or the ability to zoom in on a specific area; and IBIS Dispatch, a brand new software application that allows dispatch operators to make critical and timely decisions without interfering with radar data.

It is better to assume that every slope is prone to failure at all times, hence, monitoring should be standard practice

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Audiometry

The hidden hazards of high decibelsMine workers are likely to lose their hearing ability by the time they retire, given the poor noise management practices in mines.

One of the areas in which it is feared African mines might be tempted to sacrifice as they frantically struggle to cope with the effects of the

commodities price slump expenditure on their bottom-lineis on Occupational Health and Safety initiatives, especially Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL).

Understandably, as mines leap from one occupation health and safety calamity to another as a result of laxity (according to credible press reports), NIHL initiatives could be overshadowed by other equally pressing concerns. But it is a burden which mines can only neglect at their own peril, as regulations are unequivocal about compliance.

Legislation in different countriesobliges mines to uphold occupational and health practices religiously. A classic case is in South Africa, where in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act (Department of Minerals and Energy, 1996), Instruction 171 (COIDA, 2001) and South Africa National Standards (SANS10083:2007, 2007) the employer is obliged to establish and maintain a system of medical surveillance for all employees in any working place where the equivalent, continuous A-weighted sound pressure level, normalised to an 8 hour working day or a 40 hour working week exceeds 85 dB (A).

Additionally, Legislation (Instruction 171) makes it compulsory that a baseline audiogram is conducted for all individuals within two years after this legislation had been published and within 30 days for new employees who had not worked previously.Short term gains, long term lossesIt is evident that the price of non-compliance could be much higher than it is usually imagined. Mines may face challenge on two fronts. First, there could be a long-term cost of short-term gains accrued from cutting down on noise management initiatives.

Affected employees might not be as productive as they once were, unwittingly resulting in low revenue. Secondly, there even could be the possibility of costly litigation from authorities and bad publicity. Indeed, the stakes couldn’t have been higher!

The enormity Why is there much ado on NHIL? The enormity of NIHL is not exaggerated. The World Health Organisation (WHO), under its Programme for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment, after carrying out an assessment of the global disease burden from occupational noise, found that noisy workplaces have a heavy impact on health around the world. In addition, occupational noise contributes 22 per cent of disabling hearing loss in men.

Hearing loss gives rise to speech recognition problemsin difficult environments, results in the reduction of ability to detect and identify sounds. And good hearing is critical in the mining environment. Imagine what could happen to an employee with impaired hearing in the event of failing to respond to alarm signals during an accident!

An overlooked hazardNoise-related worker practices and audiometric testing done at various mine sites corroborate that noise induced hearing loss is one of the most prevalent occupational illnesses in mines across the continent.This fact was highlighted by astudy (published in African Health Science 2013 Dec; 13(4): 899–906)carried out at mine sites in Zimbabwe to establish the extent of NIHL by three researchers, A. Chadambuka, F. Musasa and S. Muteti found that the majority attributed NIHL to noisy work environment. Levels of noise which could be described as “excessive” was identified in Plant Processing(94 dBA), underground mining (102 dBA) and underground workshop (103 dBA). It has to be noted that the threshold in mines is around 85 dBA.

A more or less similar pattern emerged in study the University of Pretoria set out to determine the prevalence and nature of NIHL and to evaluate the criteria for determining hearing impairment in South African gold miners.

Intriguingly, though not entirely surprising, the level of compliance with noise exposure monitoring in African mines is disparate (noticeably, it is better in big miners than in junior miners). This is due to the fact that big miners have money to burn while junior miners have limited financial resources. Even in some bigger mines, programmes are only run half-heartedly, being adopted merely to be on good books with relevant authorities. One of the oversightsthat emerges is lack of engineering control measures in place to reduce noise levels.

A NecessityIn view of the above mentioned conditions, hearing conservation programmes to protect employees against NIHL should be a pre-requisite. The conclusion of the study conducted in Zimbabwe suggests how mines could approach this challenge: “The hearing conservation must begin by providing each individual with information. The mine management should install engineering controls in areas exceeding permissible noise levels. Alternatively management may meanwhile use administrative controls and adhere to permissible exposure limits according to the noise regulations.”


Despite two decades of regulation and best efforts by mining companies, NIHL continues to be recognised as one of the major occupational

health risks in the South African mining industry. Nearly three out of four South African miners are overexposed to hazardous noise levels , and one study of coal miners over age 50 found that up to 90% have debilitating hearing loss.

We spoke with several companies that have successfully reduced the rates of hearing loss among their noise-exposed workers. Here are several common denominators these successful companies cited in their Hearing Conservation efforts.

1) Variety Ear canals come in different sizes and shapes, affecting both fit and protection levels, as well as comfort. A mine site that offers only one size or style of earplug sabotages its own hearing conservation efforts. Few workers will be adequately protected.

2) Communication In a noisy mine filled with warning signals and moving equipment, the common excuse heard from workers for not wearing hearing protection is “I would rather lose my hearing than lose my life”. But it is a myth to assume critical communication and hearing protection cannot co-exist. Studies show that communication levels improve for most workers wearing protectors in loud noise.

3) Training Studies repeatedly show that for fitting hearing protection, the best training format is individual training. One-on-one training far exceeds group training in effectiveness of hearing protector fit, even if just a one-minute explanation of how to fit earplugs at the time of new hire orientation.

4) Fit-testing Fit-testing of hearing protection, now adopted by many mining companies as a best practice, provides the one-on-one training so critical to proper protection. A short test can be administered in the field under headphones, using the worker's own earplugs, to measure the protection levels of the earplug, just the way they were inserted by the worker. If protection levels are found to be inadequate (as they often are), the worker can be immediately trained in how to achieve a good fit, or a different size/style of earplug can be tried.

Noise is indeed one of the inherent by-products of mining operations. But noise-induced hearing loss is not; it can be prevented with adequate protection and training, as demonstrated by several mining companies who have adopted best practices.

Department of Mineral Resources, Mine Health & Safety, http://www.dmr.gov.za/mine-health-a-safety.html, accessed December 2015. Edwards, A.L. et al, Profiles of noise exposure levels in South African Mining, Journal of The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 111, May 2011.

Preventing HearingLoss in Mining:Four Tips from Experts

Brad Witt is the Director of Hearing Conservation, Honeywell Safety Products

Through the right approach rates of hearing loss can be successfully reduced, BRAD WITT Writes.

Insist on Howard LeightYour people deserve the best hearing protection available and Honeywell’s comprehensive, innovative and comfort-engineered range of Howard Leight hearing protection offers premium quality products that workers want to wear. Trusted by health and safety officers, procurement managers and workers worldwide, Howard Leight/Honeywell products help foster a culture of compliance.

From technical innovations to educational initiatives to field verification, Howard Leight offers an unmatched suite of resources to make hearing conservation happen in your company.

When it comes to hearing protection, Howard Leight does it best.

HSE Solutions is proud to be an authorised distributor for Howard Leight and Honeywell Safety Products.

T: + 27 (0) 11 971 8040 | F: + 27 (0) 11 971 8065E: [email protected] | www.hsesolutions.co.za

Put an end tohearing loss

Why Choose Howard Leight?

Howard Leight has the widest choice of in-ear hearing protection.

Howard Leight is the leader in innovation through the development of new designs, technologies and materials that take comfort and protection to the next level.

Howard Leight is a leading global provider of passive and intelligent hearing protection solutions, and the founder of the HearForever™ initiative.

For over 30 years, Howard Leight has pursued the prevention of occupational hearing loss through innovation in hearing protection design, technology, performance and comfort, and the promotion of progressive Hearing Conservation Programmes.

Leading solutions include the highest attenuating Max® single use earplug; patented Air Flow Control™ technology for optimal earmuff attenuation; QuietDose™ personal in-ear dosimetry; and the industry-changing VeriPRO® earplug fit testing system.

Insist on Howard LeightYour people deserve the best hearing protection available and Honeywell’s comprehensive, innovative and comfort-engineered range of Howard Leight hearing protection offers premium quality products that workers want to wear. Trusted by health and safety officers, procurement managers and workers worldwide, Howard Leight/Honeywell products help foster a culture of compliance.

From technical innovations to educational initiatives to field verification, Howard Leight offers an unmatched suite of resources to make hearing conservation happen in your company.

When it comes to hearing protection, Howard Leight does it best.

HSE Solutions is proud to be an authorised distributor for Howard Leight and Honeywell Safety Products.

T: + 27 (0) 11 971 8040 | F: + 27 (0) 11 971 8065E: [email protected] | www.hsesolutions.co.za

Put an end tohearing loss

Why Choose Howard Leight?

Howard Leight has the widest choice of in-ear hearing protection.

Howard Leight is the leader in innovation through the development of new designs, technologies and materials that take comfort and protection to the next level.

Howard Leight is a leading global provider of passive and intelligent hearing protection solutions, and the founder of the HearForever™ initiative.

For over 30 years, Howard Leight has pursued the prevention of occupational hearing loss through innovation in hearing protection design, technology, performance and comfort, and the promotion of progressive Hearing Conservation Programmes.

Leading solutions include the highest attenuating Max® single use earplug; patented Air Flow Control™ technology for optimal earmuff attenuation; QuietDose™ personal in-ear dosimetry; and the industry-changing VeriPRO® earplug fit testing system.

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