Miners Use Active RFID Systems For Accountability Underground

Feb 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Miners working in Anglo American's Chilean copper mines have recently implemented active radio frequency identification (RFID) systems from VUANCE Ltd., Rockville, Md., to help increase safety and productivity.

In early 2007, the London-based mining company launched a four-month pilot program at its El Soldado site in central Chile. The miners began using VUANCE's AAID active RFID systems to relay real-time location information about miners working inside the tunnels. The systems were focused on identifying the whereabouts of miners following normal shift changes and when blasts or emergencies make evacuation necessary to ensure workers' safety. An anti-collision system was also tested. The system features a flashing light and buzzer that warns front-loader operators when people or vehicles are within a 65-ft. safety-zone radius.

After conducting the pilot program and reviewing the positive results, Anglo American decided to implement the systems permanently, reaping benefits of added safety and productivity as a result of having a constant inflow of data from RFID tags and reader

Also, because VUANCE's RFID tags have long read-ranges, workers at the mines do not have to get out of their vehicles to identify themselves, a process that normally causes delays. By relying on the accuracy of tag-reading as people enter a working area rather than the traditional system of having people check-in using a card identification system, the site was able to reduce the rate of check-in errors.

RFID Chile, VUANCE's local system integrator and business partner, helped Anglo American with the project and is currently installing the systems at the company's other Chilean mines.

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