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Posted: 9:48 PM Feb 15, 2010
Newest Technology Helps Keep Miners Alive
West Virginia has been known as one of the deadliest mining states in the country. Now, a new piece of equipment could help prevent these deaths.
Reporter: Brooks Jarosz Email Address: brooks.jarosz@wsaz.com |
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- West Virginia has been known as one of the deadliest mining states in the country.
Now, a new piece of equipment could help prevent these deaths.
To some this technology may look like a video game, but this piece of equipment could mean life or death for local coal miners. It's called Ironsyte and it's a monitoring system that collects data from equipment used in surface mining.
The GPS system installed on the vehicles upload information to a cell phone or radio then transmits the data to the software program.
"So the equipment's out in the field in the pit operating, and you're in the office with the ability to watch what's going on," Tom Lampert said.
The goal is not just to monitor progress but also increase safety and decrease the likelihood of fatalities.
"The incidents of what we've seen in jobs is that there's a much higher rate of compliance with operators wearing their seatbelts, and we think it's keeping them safer," Lampert said.
Another safety feature is having instant notification if a vehicle is in trouble or involved in an accident. Immediately, 911 is notified.
"Often times just those few minutes in having that emergency notification might be enough to save someone's life," Lampert said.
Kentucky, Pennsylvania and even areas of Canada already have started using this monitoring software, and Lampert hopes to get West Virginia coal miners to see the importance.
Mining officials in the Mountain State say the bottom line might keep them from jumping on board.
The equipment could cost $2,000 to $3,000 per vehicle.
"It depends on how many features we've included, whether it be safety features, production features or even maintenance features we can include," Lampert said.
While funding may be tough for mining companies, some say safety is worth the cost.
The new monitoring system was introduced at the West Virginia Coal Symposium last week in Charleston.
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