CREATING A CADENCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE BLAST OPERATION

As a market leading explosives manufacturer, AEL Mining Services partners with their customers and in doing so creates a joint responsibility to deliver safe, efficient blasting solutions. One of the most important aspects of this is instilling confidence in all blasting team members to prioritise safety. Whether on senior or junior level, each and every employee must adhere to industry safety best practices, legislation and carry out their work efficiently and safely. “Often we see the key safety decision making process disrupted or even over-powered by a need to meet production targets. Our role is to intervene in this respect, and stress the importance of safety to all staff and help them deliver on a promise of zero harm,” says Colin Wilson, Executive of Technical and Compliance at AEL Mining Services. This puts into sharp focus the importance of allowing time for responsible and clear decision making in the mining environment. For teams to act as they are trained to do and understand the magnitude of their responsibility. This means, all blasting teams assume full responsibility and adopt a zero tolerance for non-compliance or unsafe situations. Continuous awareness and training is also an important tool to contribute to the decision making process. “We have a programme in place for blasting teams on our customers’ sites to help them operate with confidence, and to do only what is right from a safety perspective and without any compromise,” says Wilson. “Working in conjunction with the senior management of the mine, our blasting teams place safety above production demands at all times.” How AEL is Addressing Safety Issues in the Industry AEL Mining Services is moving away from being solely a product purveyor to being a value added service provider. The key shift is into the consulting services realm, for better collaboration which ensures safer operations and ultimately greater efficiency without the risk factor. By creating an emphasis on training and a cadence for accountability, companies can mitigate risks to property, people and communities in close proximity to the blast site. When explosions are managed more effectively, it is possible to ensure a good control blast and to secure the blast area correctly. Often, a lack of technically skilled employees has implications for this sector. AEL Mining Services has established expert training for blasters and supervisors: • The Blasting Competency Programme is offered for surface as well as underground operations. • The Explosive Handler, Blast Assistant and Rock Breaking courses are the basis for certification through the MQA to become a licensed blaster and meet statutory laws. • The Explosive Engineer’s course is a graduate level course given to train technical blasting and field staff, with a focus on advanced blasting applications. Another objective is for AEL Mining Services to continually evolve and remain relevant to their customers and the broader community of stakeholders. The business’ intelliBlast™ approach, which is a culmination of over 100 years of market leadership in Africa, provides a flexible and holistic approach for blasting that is appropriate, optimal and safe. Whether providing customers with the products and services they need to perform their own blast or full integration into their daily operations with planning, execution, measurement and tracking, intelliBlast™ has a solution for every requirement. Through the diligent application of AEL Mining Services’ products and services, underscored by experience, intelligence and research and development, AEL Mining Services have developed a blasting solution that enables enhanced efficiencies across the mining value chain. AEL Mining Services has utilised intelliBlast™ to sstablishing long-lasting partnerships, by adding value that is beneficial to all stakeholders. intelliBlast™ is a significant differentiator in a space traditionally defined by silos, and is made possible by means of four enablers, namely: • DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCTS All of AEL Mining Services’ products are researched and designed with the safety of the explosives handler in mind. Each products is made to comply with the most stringent safety rules, regulations and legislation. • ADAPTIVE DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES An in-house engineering division designs and builds Mobile Manufacturing Units (MMUs) for surface and underground mining, bulk emulsion manufacturing plants and modular initiating systems assembly plants. In addition, AEL Mining Services offers underground mobile and fixed emulsion pumping systems. The innovation inherent in these solutions is not only about realising value, but making sure all activities are conducted safely. • PREDICTIVE SOFTWARE An important aspect of providing safe blasting solutions is AEL Mining Services’ Blasting Science and Software Development division that carries out face velocity measurement, 3D blast face survey, high speed videography, rock mass motion study, fragmentation analysis, blast modelling and efficiency measurement and monitoring in order to ensure that blasted rock suits and complements the design of equipment and plant. • BLAST CONSULT AEL Mining Services’ Optimisation division offers technical services like blast monitoring, design, timing, fragmentation analysis, technology conversion, i-Mining productivity programmes, blasting consulting and training in basic blasting principles. All of these have critical, far-reaching effects on the safety of people and equipment on a mining site. “Collaboration with our clients, combined with decades of experience and expertise can be the cause of waves of change the mining industry needs. We want to help our customers improve safety, and preserve cash in a turbulent economic climate,” Wilson concludes.