Modern Quarrying Q4 2019

SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS – PROXIMITY DETECTION

Booyco Electronics at the cutting edge of proximity detection

vehicle to create fields within a danger zone around the vehicle. The size of each field can be determined by the customer, to suit their specific oper- ating environment and addressing identified risk. An RFID tag installed on the pedestri- an’s cap lamp alerts them – through a light and sound alarm – when they enter this zone. The light changes colour from green to orange and then red, the closer the pedestrian is to the vehicle. The vehicle itself also receives a warning from the PDS, with the operator being alerted that a pedestrian is in the proximity. If equipped and configured appropriately, the vehicle can also be automatically slowed down at a certain distance from the pedestrian, and simi- larly brought to a safe stop. One of the most significant advan- tages of the Booyco Electronics PDS is that it can effectively detect as many as seven TMMs and 20 pedestrians

With mine safety legislation getting progressively tighter, Booyco Electronics continues to ensure compliance with its proudly South African proximity detection system (PDS). One of the most significant advantages of the Booyco Electronics PDS is that it can effectively detect as many as seven TMMs and 20 pedestrians within one field, in the underground environment. According to Pieter Janse van Rensburg, Booyco Electronics area manager for Mpumalanga, legislation coming into force in 2020 will mean the extended application of Level 9 safety standards. This level requires ‘full inter- vention’ from a PDS on trackless mining machines (TMMs) to avoid man and machine related incidents. Booyco Electronics’ PDS can facilitate such collision avoidance, with automatic slow-down and even safe-stop of mining machines. The system uses VLF antennae on a

within one field, in the underground environment. “Our technology prioritises the safety of the pedestrian in mines, whether underground or opencast,” says Janse van Rensburg. “Our mission is to save lives, and to ensure that every worker returns home safely every day.” l With 13 years of experience in PDS, Booyco Electronics has supplied in excess of 5 000 sets of mining vehicle equipment around southern Africa, as well as 50 000 pedestrian sets of equipment.

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QUARTER 4 - 2019 MODERN QUARRYING