There are several reasons why mines have a reputation for being unsafe work environments. In addition to machinery failure or the use of explosives, underground mines are threatened by sudden shaft collapses or rockfalls, mine flooding or ventilation defects, and then a lack of oxygen. Landslides can occur in quarries. A failure in one safety element leads to tragedy.
For this reason, mines often have trained personnel to maintain safety, as well as safety and security systems that monitor risks. Given the many hazards involved, these technologies in the mining industry must be very sophisticated.
In addition, they must have several specific features and functionality, such as:
- High-quality monitoring software that allows multiple hazards to be monitored simultaneously, and in many cases the monitoring system includes automatic sensors that indicate hazards, such as methane or other gas releases in underground mines)
- Automated, remotely operated, fast-acting safety and security features that take into account the large footprint of mining sites
- Powerful, audible warning sound equipment for noisy mine environments
- Monitoring, warning and alarms designed to make the individual components resistant to specific environmental conditions such as heavy dust or high temperatures.
Why mines are safer today
It can be said that the overall decline in deaths in the mining industry is largely due to technological advances in safety. There is not a single safety and security system in place here. However, mine safety can be achieved with a modern, flexible, adaptable system characterized by its scalability and modularity (individual devices operate independently or in cooperation with others), partial or full automation, simple operation from a central control center or on site, simple testing and maintenance procedures, increased longevity and overall reliability.
The most advanced products and state-of-the-art solutions can be found, fully functional even in very harsh environments such as mines. Electronic sirens such as Bono or Screamer (which can be used as mobile sirens in open mines and quarries) offer various settings, power supplies and horns. The sirens can be connected to a central command and control center, a remote control unit, and monitoring stations or software that allows personnel to control the entire system from one or more locations.