Invixium has announced that Eastern Platinum Limited (Eastplats) has deployed the IXM TITAN with its Enhancement Kit at the Crocodile River Mine. This deployment comes in response to a growing global need for touchless access control and temperature screening due to COVID-19.
The local deployment of IXM TITAN was handled by South African integration specialist, Bluewhale Digital. Bluewhale Digital has 35 years’ experience in the South African mining sector, and after assessing a number of products, chose IXM TITAN for its superior specifications, build quality and ability to handle the unique challenges posed at the mine.
Mining operations like Crocodile River Mine require extremely rugged security equipment. Invixium’s IXM TITAN is crafted with an all-aluminium body and a Corning Gorilla Glass LCD screen to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, from exposure to dust and sand to high impacts caused by nearby mine blasts. With an existing HRMS installed, Eastplats required full feature integration with its time-and-attendance access control hardware.
Shift schedules and breathalyser results need to be checked to enter the mine, and TITAN’s time-tracking data can be used to calculate payrolls. Further, Eastplats’s COVID-19 response demands that temperature screening and mask detection be added to its access control protocol for thousands of employees and visitors at every shift, adding complexity to an already intricate integration.
IXM TITAN with the Enhancement Kit was selected not only for its ruggedness and integration capabilities, but also for its high throughput. With the Enhancement Kit installed, the complete solution can authenticate and temperature-screen twelve to fifteen users per minute without requiring any person to touch a screen. Thousands of employees, and the overall business, risk monumental financial losses from delays in entry, thus speed is a top factor in biometric hardware selection.
“Our concern was for the safety and wellbeing of the Eastplats employees as well as addressing the large amount of time spent on collation and reporting for regulatory requirements,” said Matthew Simpson, director at Bluewhale Digital. “In the midst of a global pandemic, we needed a way to safely and reliably move 500 people through turnstiles during shift change. We needed to do it with no physical contact, and in line with South Africa’s lockdown regulations.”
Using the IXM TITAN, Bluewhale Digital was able to integrate employee identification and touchless core body temperature scanning, with Eastplats’ existing time-and-attendance system and its multi-layered security infrastructure. This, along with an automated system for restricting access until a COVID-19 declaration statement was signed by all those entering the mine, ensured Eastplats received a fully integrated solution that reduced paperwork and reporting time, and prioritised the health and safety of all mine employees.
Following a successful proof-of-concept trial with four IXM TITANs with Enhancement Kit units, Eastplats plans to add additional Invixium solutions at more entry points to Crocodile River Mine. Due to the ease of installation and integration with its existing system, Eastplats is highly satisfied with the increase in productivity and peace of mind provided by the Invixium solution.
“There has been a revolution when it comes to face recognition in the rugged industry of mining, as fingerprints have obvious issues with the time it takes to wash hands before touching a delicate sensor. Add that to the risk of COVID-19 lingering on surfaces, and face recognition becomes the obvious answer for access control,” said Hannelie Hanson, general manager at Eastplats. “Invixium’s products are quick and accurate, even in our mine, and the Enhancement Kit’s temperature screening reduces the number of steps it takes for a person to get to work safely and with ease. IXM TITAN’s integration with Crocodile River Mine’s current human resource management system and security software ensures managers have all the necessary documents and reports to manage staff and visitors in one location.”
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