Abstract
Introduction: Energy isolation is understood as the procedure or procedures to interrupt the flow of energies to a machine before safely performing maintenance or operation tasks. This procedure is commonly called lockout/tagout, LOTO, or LOTOTO, and represents one of the most important and widely used safety controls in the mining industry.
An energy isolation process involves a large number of the actors of a mining operation, such as operators, maintainers, contractors, electricians, supervisors, and security personnel, who must be each be aware and perform tasks in a coordinated manner. This has historically been done by preparing the work and procedure in advance, coordinating in meetings, and using means of communication such as radios and cell phones for coordination during the execution of isolation processes.
Process coordination is of vital importance, as discoordination can result in serious safety incidents. For example, energizing a machine with people working in contact with or within it.
This article presents the development of a physical and digital energy isolation system connected to information systems used in a mining operation. This novel methodology for performing energy isolation increases safety levels while reducing the time required in the procedures, integrating, and identifying all actors. Therefore it improves both the safety and productivity of the asset.
Methodology: Use cases where high frequency maintenance requirements and lengthy isolation processes occur within mining are shared. These include complex lockouts involving SAG mills, and long-distance lockouts involving overland conveyors.
Subsequently, the proposed SafeBox remote energy isolation system, its architecture, characteristics and design and operation philosophy are presented.
A qualitative assessment of the safety of people, the time required, the tasks and resources necessary in each case is carried out, analyzing the complexities of the process, the benefits in the digital integration of the systems.
Results and Conclusions: Examples of remote connected energy isolation systems within Canada and Chile will be shared from among several active system implementations. These examples will include both complex and long-distance lockouts.
The application of a remote connected energy isolation system clearly improves the performance of energy isolation processes in these applications, making them safer for people and more efficient and faster for industry.
A remote energy isolation system allows for increased safety levels in power isolation procedures because of eliminating risks to people through the implementation of an engineering solution and not a paper procedure or PPE.
The use of a connected remote energy isolation system allows to reduce the time required in an energy isolation procedure from hours to seconds.
In addition, the simplification of the procedure to the user allows to release the valuable technical and human resources required to perform isolation and energy blocking procedures. This relieves electricians on duty, along with specialized and other maintainers.
Remote connected energy isolation systems minimize operation and maintenance costs and maximizes the time spent on the production of assets and keeping all actors coordinated during the process.