Electricity and Control January 2021

SAFETY OF PLANT, EQUIPMENT + PEOPLE

Leading the way in proximity detection systems South African company Booyco Electronics pioneered electronic proximity detection systems in the country some 15 years ago, primarily for the mining industry. Leigh Darroll spoke to GM Engineering, Bennie Smith, to understand how the technology has evolved to meet increasingly stringent safety standards in mining – and to serve other sectors where people and big mobile machines work in proximity to each other.

S mith says, for Booyco, since it started on this journey, its focus has always been ‘Zero Harm and Safety First’; and within that overarching focus, it is people first, then vehicles, then on-site infrastructure. “Our PDS systems are designed to prevent collisions between people and vehicles, or between vehicles, and in some instances also to protect on-site infrastructure from big moving equipment. For example, gensets and/or control panels on mine sites are often substantial investments that need to be protected. “In a mining environment, operators of big mobile machines are usually working in very harsh, often dark, and dusty environments, and on such big machines there are inevitably blind spots. The electronic PDS system raises the alert, lets the operator know if there are people nearby, or even around the corner (in our systems that incorporate rock penetration), if there is another vehicle approaching, or if the operator is close to protected infrastructure.” Booyco developed the technology originally for the mining industry. It is also now used in quarrying and is adaptable to other industries such as forestry, agriculture,

or materials handling – anywhere that big mobile machines present a hazard to people working on the same site.

Home-grown technology When Booyco started out in 2006, it began using German technology which it adapted and modified to suit South African conditions. However, Smith points out that the mining environment in South Africa differs in many ways from that in Germany or much of Europe, and Booyco began developing its own electronics, audio and visual systems to meet local industry needs. He highlights that different communications technologies apply for surface and underground mines. “PDS based on satellite technology can be used in many surface applications where satellite communications can be easily accessed. This is a well-established technology; most of us are familiar with GPS systems that use satellite access; the technology is quite stable, reasonably accurate for the purpose, and cost-effective. “However, as soon as we go into a building or underground, we lose access to satellite communications. In underground mining, a different technology is required for detection and protection. This operates as effectively in harsh and dusty surface mining, collieries, quarrying and similar rough environments.” Booyco has taken the lead in developing technology that now meets Levels 7, 8, and 9 of the EMESRT safety protocols set out by the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table. (Initiated in Australia, the EMESRT is a global organisation involving major mining companies. It engages with key original equipment manufacturers in the mining industry to advance the design of equipment to improve safety in mining operations and maintenance.) Smith highlights that Booyco has developed its technology in-house, through its own investments in research and development, and the latest PDS system is mostly South African. How does the technology work? He outlines in simple terms how the technology works, con- sidering a typical mining site as an example.

South Africa is a global leader in safety regulations as they relate to proximity detection and collision avoidance.

22 Electricity + Control JANUARY 2021