Abstract
Through numerous international customer partnerships over the past eight years of WebGen™ wireless initiation service globally, Orica has assisted operations in mining more safely and productively through safer blasting sequences. This blast initiation technology aids in reducing exposure to hazards for both workers and equipment. With over 9,000 WebGen™ wireless blasts fired globally to date, the applications have advanced in underground bulk mining, underground tunneling, and surface mining in ways in which conventional wired products could not have been safely or effectively applied.
This paper will summarize the initiation system safety features, as well as enhanced mining safety and productivity benefits demonstrated by using Orica’s WebGen™ through the earth wireless initiation systems across underground and surface mining applications. Further, the paper will highlight benefits of WebGen™ technology in single pass loading, eliminating exposure of personnel to open holes, decreasing exposure for mine equipment, reducing or eliminating hole cleaning usually required for taking multiple conventional lifts, eliminating exposure of personnel to development and/or tunnel face loading, managing lightning risk for open cut, and the ability to safely drive equipment over loaded holes.
Through the use of Orica’s WebGen™ system, our customer partnerships have significantly reduced the safety risk to workers and equipment while simultaneously increasing mine productivity by expanding available mining methods within the industry. Ongoing research and development continues to refine the technology to further increase user safety, cost reduction for customers, and flexible system applications.