printer friendly version

A mine of information, or not?

Trying to get information out of a mining house is not easy these days with so much crime, politically and financially motivated, facing security operations on a daily basis. To find out what was happening on the mines, without breaking any confidences, Hi-Tech Security Solutions reverted to chatting to some of the security service providers that deal with the mining industry. We wanted to find out whether there is information sharing between the various mining houses and whether they are integrating their various security solutions to create a better defence.

According to Gus Brecher, MD of Cathexis Africa: “The mines do communicate with one another regarding best practice security measures. This is apparent in the adoption of the technology by one mine after another mine has installed it in their facilities. However, it is not apparent to what extent they share information that is deemed sensitive to operations.”

Integration

Brecher believes that there is definitely room for improvement with regard to integration on the mines. “The major problem is that the different divisions within mines do not always communicate effectively with each other with respect to their security needs. We often find that they will have entirely different brand names with little or no standardisation on technology or systems.

“In addition, even within individual departments or divisions, there is little evidence that security systems are integrated with process systems. As an example, our client explained that they had experienced intentional tampering with the valves that release SO₂. In this instance, all employees were sent home for the day until the issue could be resolved, since SO₂ leakage is potentially very dangerous. If they had integrated the plant management system with the surveillance system, they would have had solid evidence of who was involved in the tampering incidents as well as an immediate event notification. In this instance it would not only have identified the perpetrators, but would have also deterred any future tampering by other employees.”

Johann Fourie, business development manager: mining for G4S, agrees with this sentiment. “In essence, the different divisions on the mine operate as micro environments. However, in the past two years we have seen a change in mindset as the management realised that the lack of teamwork in this regard was counter-productive. Nevertheless, the mines still remain slower than other industries to adopt new security technology.

“We looked at what security and risk assessment we were offering the mines and realised that the solutions were too compartmentalised. We suggested that they start integrating the systems in a loose structure to provide an holistic solution.”

Holistic solutions are not a new concept. Consider mediaeval times when the king and royal family lived in a castle surround by walls, turrets and a moat, with guards patrolling the walls and knights riding out into the villages to uncover any unrest and report it back to the king. This system has merely become more refined, with knights swapping their horses for vehicles and CCTV cameras replacing the lookouts.

“Adaptation of the holistic approach has changed from using the system retroactively, to proactively selecting systems that work together from the outset. This is apparent in the use of large access control systems, together with CCTV for the perimeter, and radar for situational awareness. No single one of these solutions works completely effectively alone; they should be combined for maximum effectiveness,” said Fourie.

He says the secret to successful security is automating as far as possible. By automating more of the processes, you not only remove human error, but you also eliminate labour unrest and strike action. Companies like Xstrata are very successfully moving to the automation route and seeing the benefits of automated information gathering, in conjunction with manual processes. On a very positive note, it seems that the industry is slowly changing the micro-component business model to a more holistic one.

According to Fourie, the top four risks for mine security are:

1) Unpreparedness to manage security.

2) Lack of process automation and allowing unauthorised people on site.

3) Labour unrest.

4) Reputational risk.

“An example of integration at work is the platinum mine we supply product to. Nickel is a by-product of platinum and is placed in bags, which are then weighed and the mass is manually recorded in a book. We suggested that the client integrate the weighing system with the surveillance system, recording the transactions and associating cameras with these transactions. This then provides a database with the transactions and the associated camera snapshots that can be used for verification,” said Brecher.

“We have successfully incorporated a solution at one mine that integrates weighing systems, access control and alarm panel monitoring systems. Another example of where integration is advantageous is on the weighbridge at an opencast quarry. When the trucks enter the weighbridge, they carry various products, which need to be offloaded and sent to customers. By utilising surveillance cameras, we are able to snapshot the truck’s contents and paste this image on to the invoice that is sent to the customers. In this way, falsifying data and collusion are eliminated, since video verification provides a chain of evidence.”

One can take action on the different types of events that occur if the systems are integrated. This allows programming for alarms and alerts. On one mine, we have a system that sends an alert when an employee enters the searching room. It also provides audio feedback from the room when the search is taking place and stores the data in a unique database for future reference, says Brecher.

Universal support required

Brecher asserts: “In all instances, it is important to have buy-in from all the parties in order to ensure the success and sustainability of the system. The importance placed on high-level integration depends on the user. One needs to think outside the box and you will see the benefits of integration. Proactive willingness is needed for the management of an integrated system. The results of well-orchestrated integrated systems include a return on investment and increased safety and security.

“Although every provider and mining operation preaches integration and automation, we believe that security functions fall within the following categories: administrative functions (all those functions that manage access control, stock control, visitor and sub-contractor verification, HSEC services and compliance); asset protection services (including surveillance and patrolling); loss prevention services (all those services that proactively prevent losses including Information services, labour unrest, syndication and crowd facilitation). Looking at an holistic approach, where you automate some or most of these processes as part of the larger security offering, is crucial in the drive to assist mining houses in enhancing or securing business performance,” Fourie added.

“The mines will obtain value from their technology if they coordinate the buying activities of all their divisions regarding security equipment. They need to integrate all systems for maximised benefit. Sophistication requires time and effort, which is why it is important to use the services of a reputable installer who sees the value in integration,” Brecher concluded.

In and out

Walter Rautenbach, neaMetrics

Walter Rautenbach, the owner of neaMetrics said: “It is 100% correct that the mining industry is a difficult one. Various factors contribute to this, including theft, collusion, health and safety regulations, and the environment itself. Standard access control systems do not solve the problem; they merely ensure that only authorised persons can enter but they cannot determine or control if persons have fraudulent motives, nor what the person will leave with.

“In order to control what leaves the mine, expensive equipment such as x-ray machines need to be used. To offer separate systems creates an issue with audit trails. Therefore, mines should look at system integrators providing systems that integrate access control with x-ray machines and related video data to be able to close all the loops and hold everyone accountable,” he added.

“With regard to fraudulent employees re-entering the same sector over and over, it is currently extremely difficult to do criminal vetting for each employee due to the size of the workforce. In a perfect environment, civil criminal clearance should be performed every time someone is employed. This check uses only electronically captured fingerprint data then scans it against the SAPS system to determine if a person has a previous criminal record. To make this effective, official criminal charges should be laid by employers when they occur – a process that might not be followed in all cases due to lengthy procedures. Performing an initial electronic clearance can now take as little as 48 hours today versus the previous four to six weeks.”

Having an industry-wide vetting system could also assist in the prevention of criminals re-entering the sector. To ensure such a system is effective, it needs to be an industry standard with buy-in from all organisations. It would also need to utilise biometrics, since one person can move around with several types of identity documents such as ID books, passport, driver’s licence and so forth. Due to the use of migrant workers, this is an even bigger need.

Rautenbach believes that integration plays a big role in ensuring health and safety compliance. Systems integrating RFID tags for personal safety equipment with access control systems, add more value. This ensures a person accessing a specific area will not be able to do so without the correct equipment. “These tags should also be linked to usable dates. If a torch has been used for one month, it needs to be sent in for a service before access is permitted. This requires intensive system integration by specialised system integrators.”

Share this article:

Further reading: