There is an increased focus on rolling out proximity detection systems (PDS) as surface mines seek to comply with gazetted regulations, notes PDS specialist Booyco Electronics.

Company CEO Anton Lourens asserts that maintaining a focus on ‘the people aspect’ of the technology will ensure effective change management and a smoother transition.

The change management process, says Lourens, should involve not only those at the ‘coal face’ but also other key stakeholders such as management and executives to ensure understanding and seamless integration across the whole organisation.

“Employees’ willingness to adopt new tools in their day-to-day operations plays a key role in the overall success of the technology. It is important for people who use the technology to understand its purpose, benefits, capabilities and expected outcomes, as this increases buy-in and user adoption, which are key to overall project success,” says Lourens.

Booyco Electronics says its change management process helps mines get the most value out of their PDS investments, keeping personnel engaged and motivated. The first step, explains Lourens, entails a technical-readiness assessment to understand how the technology will impact the mine in question. This often involves wide-ranging engagement with the engineering and mining departments to explain the capabilities of the technology – what it can and what it cannot do.

Once the technological capabilities have been defined, aligned to the mine’s Risk Assessments, the company starts with the provision of detailed training for employees to grasp why the mine is investing in the technology and how it works.

“In addition, Booyco Electronics offers continuous refresher training courses in line with the identified needs of the mine. Based on the feedback from the mine, there is also a continuous optimisation process which helps support the ongoing success of the technology,” concludes Lourens.