OneThe operation
An iron ore deposit of a public-sector producer.
Workers moving between faces, haul roads and plant through each shift.
The network survey came before any hardware was chosen.
The problem
Presence in working areas was confirmed by roll call at the start and end of each shift, with nothing in between and no automatic alert if a worker fell.
How the work is phased
SurveyGSM and Wi-Fi coverage measured across the working area. LoRaWAN was dropped from the design as unnecessary.
EquipWearable bands issued to workers in active zones.
RouteAlerts sent to the control room with the worker’s position.
In detail
- Network
- Existing GSM and Wi-Fi, confirmed by survey
- Device
- Wrist band with location, SOS button and man-down detection
- Alerts
- Control room, with position on the site map
- Records
- Location history kept for incident investigation
What changes on site
Today: Roll call at shift start and end
Presence by zone through the shift
Today: Falls reported by colleagues
Man-down and SOS raised by the band
Today: No movement record
Location history for investigation
Today: A separate network assumed
Existing coverage used where the survey confirmed it