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Mining sector security solutions

South Africa's mining industry, which earned R195,6 billion from mineral sales in 2006, according to the latest data from the Chamber of Mines, employs an estimated 450 000 workers.

A labour-intensive and potentially dangerous industry, it is a leading global source of gold, diamonds, coal and platinum. Unsurprisingly, the value of its ore presents the industry with numerous security challenges. The most critical of these, says Jack Edery, CEO of Elvey Security Technologies, include ensuring the safety of its employees; preventing theft of raw material and equipment; and keeping unauthorised people off the premises.

With unknown yields and a labour force that comprises not only locals but also a substantial number of migrant workers from other African countries, it is a unique industry with its own set of security requirements, says Edery. "There are huge challenges around monitoring the workforce and separating losses in terms of product theft and that lost during processing."

Internal crime is a major problem, continues Edery. Quoting Ben Coetzee and Riana Horn from the ISS (Institute for Security Studies) in their Monograph 133 (May 2007 - 'Theft of Precious Metals from South African Mines and Refineries'), he says 41% of offenders at gold mines were mine employees while the figure at platinum mines rose to 73%.

"These figures contextualise the material risk of the mining industry but they do not illustrate the potential for harm to employees, infrastructure and equipment," he adds. Horn and Coetzee say significant risk is added to the already-dangerous task of mining when criminals gain access to mines, either in the guise of employees or via abandoned mine shafts, which could bring about rock falls and cave-ins in the event that support structures are removed or damaged.

Their research has also revealed that a high percentage of offenders are found trespassing in apparently secure areas while committing theft. Further, they have found high levels of illegal activity among security personnel and contractors.

The solution in a complex operating environment such as a mine requires a well-planned, tailor-made system that combines guard monitoring with new technology CCTV and intelligent perimeter detection, believes Edery. This combination will not only dramatically enhance security levels, but will also improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

In support of this, he says new technology offers the mining sector a wide range of choice - from high-speed networks, broadband and wireless communications to video analytic software and IP cameras - which have come about on the back of spiralling need to enhance security, both at perimeters and internally.

Guarding and patrolling systems

Most sites face the challenges of monitoring and protecting security personnel, says Zane Greeff, Elvey's technical director, but not on the scale of high-value mines. "Here, guards often work in isolated areas where the threat of death or attack hangs over them constantly. The challenge for mines is to combine protection of security personnel while monitoring work performance and behaviour."

Realtime guard monitoring is finally a reality - and being done with a great degree of effectiveness using the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) communication network, he says. "This data transmission technology has huge cost-saving implications: it not only eliminates the need for multiple control centres but units can be programmed to answer calls only from defined phone numbers while simultaneously blocking direct calls, saving dramatically on telephone bills," he points out.

"Additional benefits include that it is easy to install and operate and it provides for two-way voice communication between control room and guards. Another major plus is that while monitoring costs are low, the level of security is high since guards remain permanently in contact with their monitoring stations."

Intelligent perimeter detection systems

Securing vast spaces, and particularly mines, has always been a challenge, says Greeff. He explains, "Traditional electric fencing systems do not allow for accurate pinpointing of intruders or breach attempts. The new technology, however, takes the game to another level."

For him, one of the most viable options on the market today is MicroPoint cabling. This is a system where cables are fitted as terrain-following sensors that follow the contours of the ground - even around corners. "The cables work on a pressure-sensitive basis and as soon as someone attempts to breach a perimeter, they pick up on the disturbance and send a data signal back to the central monitoring station, advising of the exact point of breach."

Alternatively, existing fences - including even basic diamond mesh - can be fitted with Intrepid cable systems, he continues. "These are integrated fence-mounted perimeter security systems that provide detection, location, communication and power distribution capabilities. Able to pick up any attempt to climb or cut the fence with an accuracy level of within one metre, the information will then immediately be communicated to the control centre, where it will be processed through the relevant software package to show up on a computer screen."

Francois Smuts, optical fibre specialist for Elvey, welcomes the technology, which he believes is the perfect replacement for copper wire. "Copper wire is regularly stolen, easily damaged and costly to maintain. Optical fibre, a single strand of glass smaller than a human hair, is impervious to these problems. Protected by a cladding interface that prevents damage to the core, it does not conduct lightning and it needs fewer boosting devices, making systems more reliable and cost-effective in the long-term."

Furthermore, he says the resale value of stolen fibre cable is minute when compared with copper. "Not only is the system more reliable that utilising optical fibre cable for video/data transmission but the downtime as a direct result of cable theft is significantly reduced. One also has to consider that in the mining environment, a high density of corrosive chemicals and gasses is present, which limits the lifetime of copper cable whereas optical fibre cable is constructed from non-corrosive material, assuring long-term reliability with minimal to no maintenance requirements."

CCTV

Interfaced with CCTV (closed circuit television) and auxiliary devices, mines now have the ultimate security solution at their fingertips, says Greeff. "CCTV has come a long way since the first system was installed in Germany in the early 1940s, where it was used to watch rocket launches. Fuzzy black and white visuals have been replaced with high-resolution colour images that can pick up intricate detail. Linked to computers with analytical software, CCTV can also identify and track people or objects, making it a vital component of security and productivity monitoring processes as well as emergency evacuation procedures."

South Africa need stand back for no country when it comes to being able to offer the complex and extremely demanding mining sector the latest in cutting-edge, solutions-based security systems, concludes Edery. "In terms of professionalism, product knowledge, distribution and installation, we are as good as anywhere in the world."

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