In everyday people management procedures and policies, one needs to comply to various requirements that differ from Organization to Organization. When we speak of Access Control, with the AI technology found in the market, this requirement can be used for multiple features as the industry progressed and having one piece of equipment performing multiple functions is cost efficient.

In the Mining environment, there are a lot of challenges that hinder successful roll out of a working access control solution. This is mainly due to working conditions. Employees lose their biometric features on their person because of hard labor over the years. Illegal miners gain access by the use of duplicate employee cards or by faking a “lost card” scenario.

Taking a look into our products, which Dahua Technology, can offer out to the market, we can accommodate most of the industry challenges. The AI technology, developed in our access control units, we can provide the correct piece of technology to assist you to overcome your access control dilemmas.

We offer to the industry facial access control units that has an “anti-fake” feature that does not grant anyone access by means of a video, image or printed facial copy of a person on the database. Our units can accommodate a large quantity of users onboard our facial access control units, which can be used as a stand-alone system or integrated system. What is the advantage of this, well if the units are equipped with a database and on a network, any transaction of access control will still be allowed if and when connection to server database is lost. This is due to database being stored on the unit.

Other features we offer, is access into a premises or work environment, with multiple verification options: Facial, Card, Biometric, Access Code or a combination thereof.

For visitors, we can generate QR codes from a central point onto these units on the network for ease of access. We have developed our units in such a way to accommodate all race types and have an accuracy rate of 95% accurate identification. This is due to our dual camera lay out, one camera will pin point various facial features and the second is used as confirmation. In low light conditions, we have added a white light that will illuminate the environment up to 1,2m from the device.

Dahua Technology also takes in consideration, that there are different Access Control software on the market. With this in mind, 3^rd party integration is possible by use of our Wiegand and 485 data outputs, which are built in. With our detection distance of up to 2m and a transactions rate of 3m/s per transaction, we can minimize queue build up in any organization.

With the technology out on the market, we can ensure that organizations can minimize their investigation time into fraudulent clocking, absenteeism and abundantly more as the technology given, is fast, accurate and secure.

Why do you still find it difficult to manage your access control when you have technology at your fingertips?  Use the correct access control that will best suit your business needs.

When a level or pressure sensor is taken out of service and replaced, it takes countless important sensor settings and data with it into retirement. However, the settings and measured values are not lost, because a new VEGA software tool saves everything that matters.

Smartphones and tablets are now standard equipment in industrial plants. Almost 40% of all VEGA sensors for level, point level and pressure are parameterised, read out and serviced via Bluetooth and the VEGA Tools app. To be sure, lots of “real work” still has to be done on site, but the adjustment of sensors in hazardous zones or hard-to-reach measuring points is made considerably easier with these wireless tools, as it can be performed from a safe distance of up to 50 metres.

Wireless is now the standard

But even in less demanding “standard applications”, wireless operation via app is increasingly gaining acceptance. VEGA product manager Philipp Ketterer knows the reasons: “For Industry 4.0, there has to be fast, continuous data communication.” Besides continuous transmission as required by IIoT, it includes above all an increase in convenience and speed. “Actually, the same arguments for Bluetooth in industry apply to the private use of wireless: It saves an enormous amount of wiring and time, and ultimately, costs.”

Backup & restore for better processes

Universally accessible process data is one of the most important prerequisites for reliable, cost-effective production. Sensors monitor the status and quality of the individual production steps and store important information on settings, diagnostics and the status of machines and systems. The users of these sensors, in turn, need the certainty that they have access to all sensor parameters at all times and that backup solutions are available if a worst-case scenario occurs.

To provide the best possible support for users, VEGA offers an innovative cloud solution. “Backup & Restore” is the name of a new software tool that VEGA customers can now use permanently free of charge and, as the name implies, offers them the option of backing up and restoring their sensor data.

No limits on security

Convenient access to this service is provided by both the instrument DTMs and the VEGA Tools app. With the app, VEGA sensors can be directly controlled and adjusted via smartphone or tablet. New here under “Instrument adjustment” is the function “Backup & Restore”. Behind the serial numbers, which appear listed here via mouse click, the available backup data can be called up and – if you so choose – reinstalled.

“Our customers can access all the data ever collected, because the number of backups is not limited,” says Ketterer. “We thus offer a unique free service that brings significantly more efficiency to automated processes.”

Far more than just storage

In the industrial environment, too, data backup now means much more than just storage. Flexible backups and quick restores are important for ensuring that valuable process data are available for immediate reinstatement of device settings, diagnostics or process analysis. With the software tool “Backup & Restore”, VEGA has solved the problem many companies have, namely, keeping enough storage space available for ever larger quantities of data. All parameters can be saved securely in the VEGA cloud at regular intervals. For medium-sized and small companies, as well as others, this is an ideal option for permanently securing their complex, ever-growing data flow.

Three nations have agreed with the help of Russian troops to secure a gold-rich region in the Central African Republic rife with armed rebel groups, the latest sign of Moscow’s expanding influence on the continent.

A deal struck last month between the CAR, Chad and Sudan aims to fight armed groups operating along the mineral-rich borders with the two neighboring states, Hassan Bouba, a powerful ex-rebel leader who now serves as CAR’s livestock minister, said in a phone interview. During a trip to Chad on Sunday, Sudanese General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan said both countries agreed to “achieve security and stability” in CAR.

The agreement further embeds Russia in the politics and security of the region at a time when the West is trying desperately to curtail Moscow’s growing footprint. The Kremlin has in recent years strengthened ties to African nations including Libya, Sudan, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Western governments including the European Union and the US, United Nations officials, humanitarians and rebel fighters say that the Wagner Group, a private mercenary firm with close ties to the Kremlin that was hired by CAR’s government in 2018 to fight a decade-long rebel insurgency, has concentrated on securing diamond and gold mines across the country. CAR’s government maintains that the only Russian forces in the country are unarmed trainers.

Most of the CAR has been outside of state control for the past decade, subject instead to the power of various rebel factions fighting for access to the country’s vast gold and diamond reserves.

Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov didn’t respond to a request for comment sent by text message. A Chadian presidency official declined to comment.

Last year, government forces backed by Russian troops attempted to take control of resource-rich areas in northeastern CAR, according to Enrica Picco, Central Africa project director for the International Crisis Group and a former member of the UN panel of experts on CAR.

“This really sparked tensions between the armed groups that were trying to protect their last source of revenue in the north of the country and the government forces and Russian allies,” Picco said. The deal struck this month will destabilize the region even further, she said.

Abdu Buda, a spokesman for the rebel UPC, said fighting has begun intensifying in northeastern CAR.

“There are many resources in this area and our enemies have come to leave their businesses and machinery in our territory,” he said.

The president of Burkina Faso’s mines chamber said on Monday extra measures would be taken to increase security and help to avoid further suspensions after Russia’s Nordgold shut down a gold mine in the insurgent-hit country earlier this month.

Nordgold called force majeure on its Taparko mine on April 9, citing the deteriorating security situation in the West African nation where Islamist militants have gained ground and escalated attacks in recent years.

Taparko’s closure prompted a meeting on April 14 between the head of army and the mines chamber.

“Measures will be taken and strengthened on all aspects, to give us even more security,” the chamber’s president Adama Soro said in an interview, refusing to detail strategies discussed.

Improved security was the way to avoid a “spiral of suspensions,” he said and urged investors to stay in the country, noting 16 gold and one zinc mine felt protected enough by the army to continue their operations.

Soro said Burkina Faso’s insecurity had increased operational costs for mines run by international companies, as staff needed to be flown in or heavily escorted when travelling by road.

Mining sites and their supply chains also require additional protection, most of which is provided by state security, while exploration for new sites has declined, he said, citing the 2019 abduction and killing of a Canadian geologist.

Burkina Faso‘s mining industry was scarred by a November 2019 attack on a convoy transporting workers of Canadian gold miner Semafo that killed 37 civilians and wounded dozens.

When Nordgold announced Taparko’s closure, it said access to the site had become “quasi-impossible” and was putting staff in danger.

The forced shutdown is another blow for Nordgold as it navigates disruptions linked to Western sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine.

Although not under sanctions, Nordgold, like other Russian miners, has faced disruptions because of the sanctions regime and counterparties self-sanctioning.

Taparko is close to the tri-border area of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, where violent militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State control territory.

A state security vehicle headed to Taparko for a change of duties hit an improvised explosive device on Saturday, leaving two passengers dead and three injured, the government said.

Burkina Faso’s army said in a monthly bulletin on Monday that security had “slightly improved” between March 15 and April 15.

In terms of tough working environments, there aren’t many that are as challenging as mining. And the overriding priority for the operators of mines is the safety of their employees. Considering that South Africa has some of the deepest mines in the world, and a historically poor safety record, many mine operators have become increasingly focused on the goal of zero loss of life or injury. While mining fatalities in South Africa have declined steadily to record lows over the last decade, the country saw an 18% increase in 2020 driven by accidents related to falling rocks and transportation, and 2021 may prove even worse.

As well as affecting employee safety, incidents can also be costly as they initiate operation stoppages. Mining operations can also be disrupted by equipment failure, with post-incident repairs and replacements again causing costly downtime. Thus, any opportunity for proactive maintenance should be welcomed.

Video surveillance – and evermore intelligent related technologies – is now being applied to every aspect of mining safety, while also being used to improve operational efficiency and enhance the security of mining operations from the perimeter to the rock face.

Poor visibility in mining: dealing with darkness and dust

Poor visibility can be a common mining challenge, but technologies designed to deal with low-light or even near darkness are now commonplace in surveillance cameras.

For example, advance IR solutions allow images to be captured in complete darkness, with cameras using integrated IR illumination. Technologies that provide full-colour, high-resolution video in extremely low light also exist – and a wide dynamic range can deliver detailed images in challenging lighting conditions where scenes include both very bright and dark areas.

In the context of mining, light isn’t the only thing that can affect visibility. With tonnes of earth being excavated, moved and processed, an inevitable by-product of the mining process is dust. This affects visibility and has implications for the mining operation as a whole.

Monitoring dust clouds is important for a number of reasons. Mining operations have a responsibility to surrounding communities. Dust clouds created and blown towards houses, schools and businesses cause more than simply annoyance – they pose a genuine risk to the community’s health and the environment. And, in an environment where heavy machinery and vehicles are commonplace, the effect of dust on operators’ visibility can create an additional hazard.

Cameras equipped with deep learning-based analytic applications can now detect and monitor a much greater variety of objects, including dust clouds, allowing remedial action to be taken, or the proactive warning of local communities and workers.

Managing the risks of mining machines

An additional safety risk posed in the mining industry, which can be compounded by poor visibility, comes from the sheer size of the machinery used in mining operations. The risks of operating such huge machinery relate to both the safety of mine employees and the implications of accidents between vehicles and machinery – which could cost millions of rands and bring mining operations to a halt.

As such, the use of onboard cameras – ruggedised to deal with the nature of mining – is increasingly common to aid operators and drivers with awareness and safety. In addition to visual cameras, onboard cameras equipped with thermal imaging can be an invaluable aid when visibility is obscured by dust. Body-worn cameras also have potential here, particularly for training and post-incident investigation.

Innovative applications of video analytics in mining

Recent years have seen an explosion in the capabilities of video surveillance analytics, with use cases in almost every industry sector, including mining. With deep learning now available in surveillance cameras, object recognition capabilities are becoming more accurate. In mining, these could be employed to ensure that workers are wearing the correct personal protective equipment before entering the mine or when moving around the site.

In addition, people counting analytics shows great potential in ensuring that certain areas of the mine don’t become dangerously overcrowded, with ruggedised door stations, intercoms and network audio speakers used for communication and alerts.

Beyond safety: operational efficiency and security in mining

While safety is, rightly, the number one priority for mine operators, video surveillance has an important role to play in two other key areas: operational efficiency and security.

Mining is a connected process, and any interruption will have costly knock-on effects. Prevention is always better than cure, and proactive maintenance ahead of failure is optimal. For instance, conveyor belts are critical for removing soil, rock and minerals from the mining face, and any belt failure will immediately stop operations. Video cameras placed at key points along conveyor belts can be linked to load sensors – an overloaded conveyor belt is more prone to tearing – alerting operators when load levels exceed limits and allowing visual verification. However, creating high-quality images in situations with the movement of structures and vibrations can be a real challenge. In these conditions, image stabilisation technology will ensure consistently clear video. Temperature reading cameras can also be used to monitor, for example, electrical cables and substations, giving early warning of issues and even automatically tripping the system and shutting equipment down before a catastrophic failure occurs.

While perhaps regarded as the more traditional role of surveillance cameras, security remains a critical area of focus for mining operators. Mining sites can be huge, with perimeters that are impossible to monitor physically. Powerful pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) video surveillance and thermal cameras play an essential role in accurately identifying breaches of the perimeter, reducing false alarms and prompting an appropriate response. When combined with network audio speakers, the ability of operators to engage intruders directly with live audio warnings (even if operators are kilometres away) is a highly effective deterrent to criminal activity.

The right camera in the right place at the right time, with no barriers

The multiple functions and formats of modern video surveillance cameras, allied to thermal, low-light capabilities and smart analytics, means that there’s a solution for every aspect of a mine’s operations. And it’s not only the functionality that is designed for the unique demands of the mining sector. Ruggedised cameras and those using stainless steel casings can withstand both the rigours of mining operations themselves and the harsh weather conditions often found in locations where mining takes place.

Finally, in specifying a solution, it’s important that potential issues with technical infrastructure don’t prohibit mining operators from seeing the benefits of modern surveillance technology. In environments where bandwidth and storage are limited, video compression technology come to the fore, preserving the detail of video footage while lowering bandwidth and storage needs by an average of 50%. And where integration between devices and control systems is critical, using products based on open standards delivers additional advantages.

Ultimately, in meeting the safety, operational and security needs of the mining sector, video surveillance plays a more comprehensive and connected role than ever before. Are you extracting its full potential?

By Marcel Bruyns, Sales Manager, Axis Communications Africa

South African coal producers are battling to contain theft and using drones to help ensure the safety of staff and mines, according to some of the industry’s biggest companies and consumers.

“We’re flying drones almost every night at every operation” to provide security, Seriti Resources Holdings Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Mike Teke said in an online conference Tuesday. He called on the government to work with producers to control the problem.

Africa’s most industrialized nation uses coal to generate the bulk of its electricity and to produce liquid fuels. About 30% of annual output is exported. Power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. can’t meet demand and has had to implement rolling outages to protect the grid.

“There is a significant amount of coal that’s being stolen” from Eskom, which is prioritizing security at sites, according to Sandile Siyaya, general manager of primary energy at the state-owned company. It’s in the process of calculating how much has gone missing.