Innovative mining technology provider Guardvant will install its OpGuard, Operator Fatigue and Alertness Monitoring System products at the Toromocho mine in Peru. Safety is a core value to Toromocho mine operator, Minera Chinalco Peru, and the deployment of Guardvant technology supports Chinalco’s efforts to fulfill this. Toromocho is anticipated to be one of the largest copper projects in South America, and is expected to boost Peru’s copper output by 17% this year.

During a three month validation and comparison trial, the Toromocho operation validated the reliable performance of the OpGuard system on selected equipment, and will now deploy the systems on the entire haul truck fleet. The less intrusive monitoring design and Guardvant’s service and support helped to secure the order. OpGuard uses an infrared camera mounted in the cab to monitor facial and 3D head movements and percentage eyelid closure (PERCLOS). Sophisticated algorithms are applied to identify fatigue or distracted driving events, and monitoring tools such as a real-time alertness score may be displayed for each operator.

Guardvant CEO Sergio Blacutt said: "Guardvant is committed to providing reliable technology to support our mining customers’ safety goals, and we look forward to continuing our work with Chinalco as they grow."

"Implementation of operator-based safety systems requires training and acceptance from mine managers and operators. OpGuard’s non-obtrusive technology has proven itself again to be a significant advantage when compared to technologies that require the operator to wear a device."

Operator fatigue is widely recognised as a leading cause of mining accidents involving mining equipment. OpGuard’s fatigue monitoring technology is the technical foundation that enables mine managers to prevent accidents before they happen and to gain a comprehensive view of fatigue-related events over time. Fatigue event data captured by OpGuard provides mine managers with verifiable information to be used as part of their fatigue risk management programme.

Suite of Mining Technology Solutions
Guardvant’s suite of products improves safety in the mining environment while increasing productivity of operators and includes on-board applications for fatigue monitoring, collision avoidance and universal computing and communications. When OpGuard and ProxGuard are installed together on heavy equipment and light vehicle fleets, they provide fatigue monitoring and improve the equipment operator’s situational awareness. The Guardvant universal computing and communications platform provides flexible options to streamline installation and use of multiple on-board applications regardless of the application brand. Each of these solutions help give mines situational data that is needed to enhance their decision-making process on safety-related protocols.