A new safety system that allows mining firms to monitor their security in real-time has been introduced at the Rustenburg Platinum mine.

Developed by GroundProbe, the pit alarm system operates on safety data generated by GroundProbe's slope stability radar (SSR) system.

It has been used in the mine in the last five years and has been expanded and further deployed on PPRust Platinums in Mokopane.

Greg Hull, Austrade senior commissioner, said the system was pioneering safety in mines.

He believes the system could be "extremely important for Africa's future".

Dr David Noon, Chief Operating Officer of GroundProbe, said that rockfalls can be dangerous and the new system would help to warn workers of any incidents.

"With this system, you can actually see the boundaries within which the rocks are moving, and can pick up the exact locations of any potential highwall failures," he explained.

The system is also used in the Letlhakane mine in Botswana and the KOV mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.



Source:

Platinum mine installs Aussie slope-monitoring system, 23/05/08
http://www.miningweekly.com/article.php?a_id=133506