Mining Goes Digital – Mueller et al. (Eds)
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-367-33604-2
627
Evaluation of trackless mobile machine collision management
systems
H.A. Hamersma & P.S. Els
Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa
C.E. Doran
Mitacom Pty Ltd., Brisbane, Australia
ABSTRACT: Recent changes in the Mine Health and Safety Act in South Africa require
employers at any mine to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured due to collisions between Trackless Mobile Machines (TMMs) and
between TMMs and pedestrians. This has resulted in numerous suppliers of Collision Management Systems (CMS) entering the market, often with products that are not sufficiently
tested or developed to address the significant challenges associated with the practical implementation of such systems. As a result, a test methodology was developed in consultation
with the South African mining industry based on machine stopping performance. This paper
presents the test methodology, describing the specific test configurations, testing equipment,
success criteria and sample test results. To date, eighteen lab-scale tests have been conducted
on systems intended for implementation in all sectors of the mining industry in South Africa.
Finally, some key findings and recommendations are made. These findings are based on some
common challenges encountered by CMS suppliers during the evaluation tests and lessons
learnt by the test laboratory during the development of the evaluation procedure.
1 INTRODUCTION
Informal discussions between mining houses in 2004 proposed the idea of improving earth
moving equipment safety. As a result, the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table
(EMESRT) was established in 2006, facilitated by the University of Queensland (EMESRT,
2018). EMESRT took the initiative in accelerating the development and adoption of technology to minimise the health and safety risks associated with earth moving equipment. With
this objective, a performance requirement was developed (EMESRT, 2016). The performance
requirement sets out interaction scenarios between machines, machines and pedestrians, and
between machines and the environment.
The Minister of the South African Department of Mineral Resources amended the regulations relating to machinery and equipment, as documented in the Government Gazette
published on 27 February 2015 (South Africa., 2015). The amendments to the regulations
pertaining to machinery and equipment require that employers take reasonably practicable
measures to ensure that pedestrians are prevented from being involved in collisions with
TMMs. Where significant risks exist that TMMs may collide with pedestrians or with each
other, these measures must at least include the automatic detection of the presence of a
pedestrian or TMM within its vicinity. The operator of the TMM(s) and the pedestrian (if
applicable) must be warned. In the event where no action is taken to prevent such a collision,
the TMM(s) must be retarded to a safe speed where after the brakes of the TMM must be
automatically applied without human intervention (South Africa, 2015).
Recently, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) launched an initiative to eliminate fatalities on mining sites (ICMM, 2018). The ICMM reports that TMMs
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-367-33604-2
627
Evaluation of trackless mobile machine collision management
systems
H.A. Hamersma & P.S. Els
Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa
C.E. Doran
Mitacom Pty Ltd., Brisbane, Australia
ABSTRACT: Recent changes in the Mine Health and Safety Act in South Africa require
employers at any mine to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that persons are prevented from being injured due to collisions between Trackless Mobile Machines (TMMs) and
between TMMs and pedestrians. This has resulted in numerous suppliers of Collision Management Systems (CMS) entering the market, often with products that are not sufficiently
tested or developed to address the significant challenges associated with the practical implementation of such systems. As a result, a test methodology was developed in consultation
with the South African mining industry based on machine stopping performance. This paper
presents the test methodology, describing the specific test configurations, testing equipment,
success criteria and sample test results. To date, eighteen lab-scale tests have been conducted
on systems intended for implementation in all sectors of the mining industry in South Africa.
Finally, some key findings and recommendations are made. These findings are based on some
common challenges encountered by CMS suppliers during the evaluation tests and lessons
learnt by the test laboratory during the development of the evaluation procedure.
1 INTRODUCTION
Informal discussions between mining houses in 2004 proposed the idea of improving earth
moving equipment safety. As a result, the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table
(EMESRT) was established in 2006, facilitated by the University of Queensland (EMESRT,
2018). EMESRT took the initiative in accelerating the development and adoption of technology to minimise the health and safety risks associated with earth moving equipment. With
this objective, a performance requirement was developed (EMESRT, 2016). The performance
requirement sets out interaction scenarios between machines, machines and pedestrians, and
between machines and the environment.
The Minister of the South African Department of Mineral Resources amended the regulations relating to machinery and equipment, as documented in the Government Gazette
published on 27 February 2015 (South Africa., 2015). The amendments to the regulations
pertaining to machinery and equipment require that employers take reasonably practicable
measures to ensure that pedestrians are prevented from being involved in collisions with
TMMs. Where significant risks exist that TMMs may collide with pedestrians or with each
other, these measures must at least include the automatic detection of the presence of a
pedestrian or TMM within its vicinity. The operator of the TMM(s) and the pedestrian (if
applicable) must be warned. In the event where no action is taken to prevent such a collision,
the TMM(s) must be retarded to a safe speed where after the brakes of the TMM must be
automatically applied without human intervention (South Africa, 2015).
Recently, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) launched an initiative to eliminate fatalities on mining sites (ICMM, 2018). The ICMM reports that TMMs