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Q&A with Neil Cameron of Johnson Controls

Q. What are the security threats/issues facing mines, and why?

A. Mines are located in isolated areas where opportunities for theft and collusion are high. Mines also make use of advanced technology, which attracts a more sophisticated criminal, increasing the risks faced at the mines today. This is exacerbated by South Africa's high rate of poverty and unemployment.

Q. Have these threats always been the same or have the security issues changed in any way over time?

Criminals are perpetually looking for loopholes in security systems and the sophistication of crime continuously increases. As the tactics and methods used by the perpetrators have evolved, mines have been forced to 'leapfrog' technology to ensure their security solutions are effective. Since people learn how to bypass systems, these systems need to become increasingly 'smarter'. Driven by an increase in crime and the need for operational improvement, manufacturers of security solutions, access control and CCTV systems must continually improve their solutions. For example, new technology currently assists to reduce the number of physical guards needed while improving overall safety at the mines. This impacts positively on operational improvements, safety and security.

Q. What measures are typically in place to prevent and/or control these situations?

A. Access control is usually fundamental to preventing crime in mining environments yet this must be bolstered by additional functionality and security measures. It is key that the access control solution offers integration with, for example, surveillance systems (verifying the authenticity of the person swiping his/her card at the access control point) and X-ray machines where random searches are done based on algorithms to ensure employees are not able to 'calculate' the probability of a search.

Integration also provides the ability to interface with alarm systems and time and attendance (T&A) solutions. Mines employ large numbers of staff and managing and controlling employees is simplified with a T&A solution. It also increases the profitability of the workforce. For example, one of our mining clients extracts reports from their T&A system to establish which employees worked in which location and, based on this information, the system determines if they qualify for meals.

It is important to note that mines report profits to their shareholders and any system that improves efficiency is usually an important consideration.

Q. Generally speaking, is the security handled by the mines or is it outsourced?

A. Security is a core function of a mine. It is rarely outsourced. On some mines the security guarding in low-risk areas is outsourced, however the management, risks and control is never outsourced.

Q. Does South Africa follow international trends or is the country seen as a leader in this field?

A. South Africa is definitely a trendsetter in the mining market as we are a mineral-rich country with many mines that face unique challenges. However, our security solutions are based on technology that is sourced internationally and customised for South African needs and requirements. For example, functionality to perform random check and searches with rules-based management and interfacing with X-ray machines are some of the unique features that international manufacturers have developed for the South African market. Another good example is the development of a low-bandwidth satellite solution to accommodate our local challenge of costly bandwidth.

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