Document Type
Conference Paper
Publication Date
2005
Abstract
Controlling the access of equipment, and people, has become more critical
over the last few years for improving productivity and to meet safety
responsibilities imposed by legislated obligations to have safety
management systems. Hence Mine Site Technologies (MST) has spent the
last three years completing the development of the tagging system to meet
the mining industry’s requirements, particularly streamlining access
control. The basic tagging system tracks active Tags carried by personnel,
or attached to vehicles and equipment, within underground zones.
These Tags are detected (read) by Beacons placed strategically
throughout the mine. As a Tag, or Tags, go past a Beacon they are read
and the information transmitted back to the main database PC. This
allows the current whereabouts of personnel and equipment to be known,
as well as the history of their movements.
The objectives of implementing the TRACKER Tagging System at
Oaky No 1 Coal Mine were to:
• maintain a count of personnel inbye a particular point, and can
alarm when a pre-set number is reached (eg the limit imposed by
availability of SCSR’s, etc);
• maintain a count of vehicles (and vehicle type) inbye a point, and can
alarm if when a pre-set number is reached (eg when rated diesel units
exceeds the limit for the ventilation present in that zone);
• manage the vehicle fleet, by keeping track of various vehicles
underground better control and dispatch management of the
equipment is achieved;
• keep track of equipment, knowing the location of equipment (such as
forks, baskets, pumps, fans, etc) where last used or stored will
minimise the risk of losing gear and assist in keeping inventory to a
minimum; and
• locate personnel in emergency situations, by placing read Beacons
throughout the mine the location of all personnel can be known in
real time so that in the event of an emergency, their withdrawal can
be monitored.
Publication Details
This conference paper was originally published as Marlborough, L, Barrow, S and Kent, D, Application of Tagging Systems for Personnel and Vehicle Access Control, in Aziz, N (ed), Coal 2005: Coal Operators' Conference, University of Wollongong & the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2005, 107-112.