New technology allowing people to be identified by their veins can save South African mines millions of rands each year. Vein scanners are not only faster and more effective than taking fingerprints - they are also impossible to cheat.
The scanners 'read' a person's veins through a photo and heat process. Just as every individual's fingerprints are unique, their heat emission and vein patterns are similarly unique.
"The greatest advantage of these highly sophisticated and affordable systems is the speed and accuracy with which people can be identified," says DexGroup Informatix executive, Jans Wessels. It is possible to identify a person in less than half a second, and the system is 99,9% accurate, even more accurate than fingerprint scanners.
The new technology is already available in South Africa and is expected to save the mining industry millions of rands, among others by eliminating the practice of 'ghost working'. "Further", says Wessels, "there are the advantages in time-saving introduced by the new technology with determining the number of people underground in cases of mine accidents or earth tremors.
"It is vital that accurate information on workers underground are available if mine accidents occur so rescue teams can immediately ascertain who is trapped underground, who has been saved and in what sectors of the mine people are still trapped," says Wessels. "Rescue teams can waste valuable time in finding out who is trapped underground or by looking for people who have already been brought to the surface."
A lack of speedy, positive and accurate identification of mineworkers can also have catastrophic consequences, as it is necessary at mines for all responsible teams to work as a unit in one shift, including the leader, a security official, the drill operator and assistant. For teams working with explosives, the need for positive identification speaks for itself.
Vein scanners can also be used to ensure that miners have undergone medical examinations. Due to the nature of their working conditions, miners are expected to undergo medical tests on a regular basis. When integrating the systems, a miner can be denied access to the canteen or a shaft if he has not gone for a medical examination.
Biometric or fingerprint technology is not only slower in identifying workers, but in the mining environment it is also difficult to apply due to 'damaged' fingerprints or grimy fingers. Miners doing manual labour underground often have their fingerprints damaged to such an extent that the taking of fingerprints becomes impossible.
"Miners also have very negative perceptions about the taking of fingerprints as it is associated with criminal databases. The new vein technology completely eliminates this problem," says Wessels.
As far as cost savings go, the new technology can play an important role in the mining industry. Losses and fraud occur in different ways at mines. Fraud committed by wages paid to ghost workers, unauthorised use of mine canteens and the management of equipment and clothing handed out for free by the mine, often create huge problems. Because mines have to deal with huge numbers of workers there is no time for effective control of individuals without the necessary technology, says Wessels. It often happens that workers fraudulently clock in friends by using their access cards. The system then shows that the miner was at work and he receives pay for a day that he did not work. This practice also results in enormous security risks as unauthorised people can easily enter danger zones.
Although most mines in South Africa exercise relatively strict first phase access control, they are often vulnerable when the first point of control has been passed. Industrial espionage is also possible due to unauthorised entry, says Wessels. Vein scanners prevent 'buddy clocking' and can be applied in conjunction with conventional clock-in systems. The technology is also highly effective in conjunction with card access systems.
Eliminating fraud coupled with more effective worker identification and management can save mines millions of rands, resulting in cost savings and job protection.
Although the losses at a single mine can run to millions, the real impact can only be determined once the new technology is introduced.
The system is currently being tested at some of the largest mines in the country.
For more infomation contact Jans Wessels, DexSecurity Solutions, 011 644 6500.
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