Xstrata Copper's Mount Isa Mines in Australia operates one of the largest underground mines in the world. The company's mining and smelting complex at Mount Isa produces copper anode and lead bullion containing silver and zinc concentrate.
Handling explosives, operating machinery and working as deep as 1800 meters below ground require first class safety and security systems. Sjeff Klaassen,...
Xstrata Copper's Mount Isa Mines in Australia operates one of the largest underground mines in the world. The company's mining and smelting complex at Mount Isa produces copper anode and lead bullion containing silver and zinc concentrate.
Handling explosives, operating machinery and working as deep as 1800 meters below ground require first class safety and security systems. Sjeff Klaassen, from Xstrata Copper's security partner ADT Queensland said ongoing security reviews and upgrades had become an integral part of the business planning process with a range of safety management and improvement systems being implemented in line with Xstrata Copper's safety and health policies.
The complex mix of mining, processing and smelting at Mount Isa presented numerous challenges when it came to ensuring the safety of employees and the general public. “We must allow for movement of authorized personnel with a minimum of effort, while ensuring all the necessary training, induction and other entry requirements are current,” said Darren Bracey, Emergency and Protective Services Superintendent at Mount Isa Mines.
Collection and management of all the associated data was a significant issue in itself – and aligning this with access requests complicated it even more. Today, the site deploys Gallagher security systems, a Microsoft Windows-based security system. Ten workstations enable the system to be used as an efficient tool by authorized staff on site, each of whom is assigned operator privileges to report and perform a multitude of functions. The Gallagher system employed at Mount Isa Mines has several integration applications including an interface with the CCTV management system. It is integrated with reporter software packaged to provide a customized reporting tool to monitor the whereabouts of underground staff.
As well as being interfaced to the Mount Isa's HR management system, the Gallagher system also monitors alarms, including environmental, fire, intrusion and production alarms and domestic site associated alarm systems. In addition to on-site alarms management, the system's field controllers support dial-up to a remote alarm monitoring company for backup.
Cardholder import feature enables cardholder data to be imported from other systems using an XML interface. There's also a photo ID feature to capture images, design cards and to print photo ID cards. The challenge feature enables a cardholder's image from their CCTV system to be checked against the cardholder image in the Gallagher system.
Gallagher's security software enables business managers to directly control the access periods given to each contractor for specific areas. This helps ensure contractor compliance for site access and generate reports on times spent in a defined area by a person, contract company or other defined unit.