COMPANY INSIGHT

Be safe, not sorry

Safety is one of the biggest topics in the mining industries. Although great progress has been made over the last decades, there is still room for improvement. Find out, how Endress+Hauser can help you make your mining operation safer and more efficient

7,751 injuries caused by accidents were recorded in 2018 by the members of the International Council on Mining & Metals. While still an impressive number, it actually shows the progress that has been during the last years. For example, in 2012 the number of recordable injuries was almost twice as high at 13,895.

More than half of the country’s coal mines are managed by pro-Russian separatist militia.Credit: DmyTo/Shutterstock.

More than half of the country’s coal mines are managed by pro-Russian separatist militia.

Credit: DmyTo/Shutterstock.

“There are two main reasons, why safety is such an important topic for the industry. First, any accident often results in a production stop. And in the competitive landscape the mining industry is operating in today, no company can afford this”, analyses Andrew Reese Global Industry Manager for mining at Endress+Hauser. “Second, any mining company always has a social responsibility towards their employees and the people living close by. As the industry is already under heavy scrutiny by the public, any major accident could result in a PR disaster.”

AusProof is celebrating 25 years of business in Australia in 2019.

But why is mining so risky? The answer is simple. Mining involves various hazardous materials: from explosives and fuel up to different chemicals. These materials have to be carefully monitored. Plus, the more time the employees spend in close proximity to these materials, the higher the risk of an accident or injury. Last. But not least, the degree of automation in mining is rising to achieve an overall higher efficiency. But to safely control these automated processes you need reliable process information.

Endress+Hauser can help you with all of these three issues. For safely monitoring dangerous substances, you must use a whole set of parameters like flow, pressure and temperature to detect any potential losses. Endress+Hauser has a whole portfolio for these tasks with different measuring technologies and automated solutions.

Plus, as many of our instruments and solutions offer various possibilities for digital communication from communication protocols like WirelessHart up to our own IIoT solution Netilion, we can help you to limit the time your employees spend in hazardous areas.

Finally, Endress+Hauser offers the most comprehensive range of Safety Integrated Level (SIL) instruments for all critical measuring tasks. Our instruments can achieve up to SlL level 3.

“When people’s lives and the reputation of a whole company are concerned, it is better to be safe, than sorry. As a company with more than 60 years of experience in the mining industry, we understand this and we have developed our offering according to the industry’s special requirements and challenges”. explains Andrew Reese.