Driving each other to safety

Mining is a business that will always have inherent risks, but improved safety practices and technology have been reducing these risks significantly over many years. Still, transport and mobile equipment accidents accounted for 22 percent of fatalities at major mines in 2017, making this the second-highest cause of fatalities in the sector after fall-of ground accidents. The industry leaders took note, and last autumn a new, ambitious plan to make mining vehicles safer and cleaner was announced at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne, Australia.

“In this forum, companies that would otherwise view each other as customers and suppliers, and in some cases direct competitors, are sitting down together at the same table to discuss their visions and goals,” she says. “This proves just how important the issue of safety is – when competitors are willing to join forces to develop the technologies that will shape the future of the industry.” The Steering Group is the operational branch of the programme, responsible for planning the work and carrying out the activities. Meanwhile, each of the three objectives has been assigned a working group to oversee it, while the CEO advisory board is the executive decision-making branch of the programme.

The timing of the ICSV initiative is no accident. Not only have sustainability and environmental issues never been higher on the international political agenda, but this has also coincided with major technology shifts in digitalization and automation. It is thanks to these technological advancements that OEMs such as Sandvik will be able to deliver the product enhancements needed to make the ICSV objectives feasible in the years to come. On the automation side, one of the principal objectives of the programme is to promote the innovation of collision avoidance technology for mining vehicles, with a view to seeing this kind of automated technology introduced by 2025. Sandvik has already developed technology with the capability to automate an entire mine, and it currently offers the most advanced automation and tele-operation systems in the industry. Its AutoMine product family covers all aspects of automation, from the autonomous operation of single pieces of equipment to full-fleet automation.

“The ICSV programme allows us to work with our customers, bringing our research and development activities closer to them and finding out exactly what the industry needs and wants for the years to come,” Kautiainen says. The first formal meeting of the ICSV CEO advisory board took place in October 2018, and in January 2019 the three working groups started their activities. In the next phase, the working groups met for more detailed planning and execution of the programme. “I’m convinced the work we do here will benefit the entire mining sector, not just ICMM members,” she says. “Even though Sandvik’s equipment is only one aspect of the mine, we’re here to do our part, to work with the mines to achieve our mission statements and secure access to cleaner, safer mining vehicles in the future.”