Vodacom’s wearable devices shown to improve miner safety

Mobile operator Vodacom has announced the success of its Connected Worker solution; a wearable device deployed in South Africa’s mines to help reduce accidents and fatalities in the industry.

The device, which resembles a smartwatch and can be clipped onto workers’ PPE, harnesses NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology to offer a more robust battery life. It also features a GPS location service that can be accessed even in the hard-to-reach coverage areas of a mine.

Hazardous gas sensors, a panic button, and fall or no-motion detection are also included in the device to enable real-time monitoring of worker safety.

“This means the device will log an alert … enabling a rapid emergency response that could save a life,” said Thando Sibindi, managing executive for mining resources and manufacturing at Vodacom. “Should the worker enter a hazardous or restricted area – these are geofenced on a digitized map by the company ahead of device deployment – it will trigger a notification so they can move back to safety.”

A technology trial was successfully completed in mid-2021, with 8,000 devices given to workers in operations across the country. According to Sibindi, the pilot project demonstrated the technology’s capacity to bring increased worker safety, team productivity and better managerial oversight.

To read the complete article, visit IoT World Today.