hortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the words ‘social distancing’ entered the global lexicon. The effects on the public of social distancing, lockdowns and travel bans are well documented. They also present unique challenges to the mining industry.
For Hexagon’s Mining division, this posed a significant challenge. We have built our business – our reputation – on regional, customer-focused service and support. True to Hexagon’s values of being professional, engaged and customer-focused, we innovated to overcome the distance dilemma.
Making automation a reality for our customers by implementing and supporting technology projects from a distance has helped deepen partnerships by making it easier to tap into our global experts’ knowledge.
For example:
• Body cameras were at the heart of a successful safety installation at a mine in Ghana. Despite the pandemic lockdown preventing travel by our South Africa staff into Ghana, the project was completed with minimal delays.
• Traditionally, implementation and training for our Blast Movement Technology solution is done physically at the mine site. With COVID-19 travel restrictions in place, we have developed and successfully employed a remote deployment methodology.
• Using RealWearTM headsets in the field and utilising the knowledge management platform from HINDSITE, Hexagon workshop technicians have been able to support hardware repairs in local offices, which once would have been undertaken in our overseas offices.
• The same headset is being utilised to provide clients with remote mentoring sessions by our skilled team members who are based in our regional locations and unable to travel to their site without extensive quarantine commitments.
• In instances where our team members have had to travel to site, we have provided consumer technology such as VR headsets to help them cope with long periods of quarantine to and from site.
Post-pandemic, Hexagon will continue to refine and improve this method of working.
INTRODUCTION
Shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 (COVID) a pandemic, the words ‘social distancing’ entered the global lexicon. As governments, healthcare organisations and the public scrambled to respond to the crisis, one thing became abundantly clear: isolation was and, for most of us, still is the key to maintaining our health.
Hexagon, a leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions, was well positioned to pivot and assist in the global response to the crisis. From simulations of the effects of social distancing to mapping the spread of COVID in real time, to drone technology delivering COVID tests, to providing communities with transparent geospatial information, Hexagon solutions continue to help ensure that innovation is readily available to those who need it most during uncertain times.
The effects on the public of social distancing, lockdowns and travel bans are well documented. They also present unique challenges to the mining industry.