Digitalization and its Development in Industrial Safety at Kolmar Management Company LLC

Digitalization as a Response to Growing Production Risks

As mining operations go deeper, risks in the coal mining industry inevitably increase. Increasing the mining depth to 500 – 1000 meters leads to a higher probability of rock bursts and sudden gas outbursts. Under these conditions, traditional control methods become insufficient. Sergey Shiryaev, HSE Director at Kolmar Management Company LLC, uses specific examples to explain how digital tools and process automation help prevent accidents and manage safety at high-risk enterprises.

Unified Safety Ecosystem: From Work Order to Mine Descent

The speaker shows how disparate processes are combined into a single digital environment. The implementation of an electronic work order book allows managing the lifecycle of tasks and analyzing the quality of briefings. However, the integration of access control systems becomes the key element.

The comprehensive approach includes:

• Electronic medical examinations and breathalyzer tests: automatic denial of access to the enterprise territory for employees with signs of intoxication or health deviations.
• HSE knowledge check: the system blocks access in case of expired briefings or failed exams.
• Automatic control of PPE provision: checking the availability of necessary workwear and protective equipment.
• "Smart lamp room": the final frontier ensuring that only a prepared employee who has successfully passed all previous control stages will descend into the mine.

Unified Dispatch Center and Real-Time Monitoring

For the operational management of disparate facilities (underground mines, open-pit mining, processing plants) located tens of kilometers apart, the company is implementing the Unified Dispatch Center project. The presentation details how the incoming information allows dispatchers to see the whole picture and proactively respond to non-standard situations.

The unified network integrates:

• Positioning systems and mine transport: monitoring the location of personnel and equipment.
• Aerogas control (AGC): an autonomous system for monitoring methane, oxygen, and carbon monoxide levels. When permissible values are exceeded (e.g., methane up to 1%), the system automatically cuts off electricity and notifies all management levels, eliminating the human factor.
• Seismic monitoring: geophysical complexes allow assessing the stress state of the rock mass and timely conducting unloading measures to prevent rock bursts.

Innovative Solutions for Transport and Equipment

The speaker analyzes a number of highly specialized digital solutions that precisely address critical production risks:

• Conveyor belt condition analytics: video cameras evaluate the condition of the belt and joints in real time. If a tear of more than 20% is detected, a signal is sent for an automatic stop, preventing large-scale accidents and reducing downtime.
• Visualization of hazardous zones: light indication of the working boundaries of loading equipment (excavators) helps dump truck drivers maneuver safely in the dark.
• Driver fatigue monitoring system: video analytics track the driver's condition (sleep, distraction by phone) and help prevent accidents. The requirement to install such systems is also cascaded to contractors.
• "Smart helmet" (digital prompter): tablets for electricians with step-by-step instructions for diagnosing and repairing equipment, speeding up troubleshooting.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to link medical examinations, PPE issuance, and knowledge checks into a single automatic mine access filter?
• How autonomous aerogas control systems eliminate the human factor in the event of an explosion threat?
• What digital tools help prevent accidents on conveyor transport and reduce downtime?
• How to monitor the fatigue of mining dump truck drivers and extend these requirements to contractors?
• How to use drones to monitor the parameters of open-pit mine workings?