Capital Equipment News September 2016

ELECTRA MINING PREVIEW

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Proximity Detection Systems to draw a lot of attention following legislation.

Communication and automation solutions in the limelight.

Several safety equipment suppliers to showcase latest offerings.

Suppliers believe mining will rebound despite current difficulties

Electra Mining Africa 2016 will see a total of 850 local and international exhibitors showcasing their products, services, technologies and trends.

than their African peers, primarily because of legislation compelling the obligatory use of the technology. This is complemented by the fact that South African miners have also been following the development of these technologies for a while now. Focus on safety Mining and construction are two indus- tries renowned for their stringent focus on safety. In today’s operating conditions where fatalities and injuries are definite- ly out of question, safety is probably the most important aspect on any mining and construction site. With that in mind, sev- eral safety equipment suppliers will use Electra Mining Africa 2016 to showcase their latest offerings available for these safety-conscious industries. North Safety Products Africa (NSPA), one of South Africa’s leading makers of person- al protection and safety equipment – rang- ing from respiratory and hearing protection to general protective clothing and footwear – will showcase its full range of products designed to mitigate various hazards mining workers are exposed to. “Electra Mining is a platform which gives any personal protection or mining supplier the opportunity to meet operational person- nel and decision makers. It also gives us

the platform to showcase our broad product spectrum,” says Lizette Kasselman, head of marketing at NSPA. A particular focus for NSPA at this year’s Electra Mining is the addition of critical engineering and consumable products to its current range of safety protective apparel. “The decision was based on our customers requesting a one-stop solution to their needs,” says Kasselman. Meanwhile, MSA Africa, an international manufacturer of safety products, will be using Electra Mining to introduce several of its new technologies as part of its total solutions approach. Product marketing manager Suraksha Mohun says the exhibition will be an invaluable platform for MSA Africa to introduce the latest technology to the mining industry, where health and safety are of paramount importance. A key example of MSA Africa’s latest developments is the integration of its new Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) technology into the G1 Self-Contained-Breathing Appa- ratus (SCBA) control module. This means that every firefighter can now have TIC on hand, which represents a significant boost in per- sonnel safety, says Mohun. MSA Africa will also display the latest products and technologies from its newest acquisition, Latchways, a UK specialist in the

manufacture of horizontal lifelines and verti- cal fall arrest systems. “Another innovation that we will be featuring at Electra Mining is our latest Bluetooth technology which allows for gas-detection equipment to be monitored via a smartphone, for example,” says Mohun. “Our whole approach is based on being a holistic solutions provider, as opposed to being perceived as a traditional supplier of standalone products. We want to showcase how the company has grown and evolved in being able to meet all the requirements of our diverse customer base,” adds Mohun. is need to be sure that the system applied is fit for a particular purpose, reliable and will perform in accordance with the prescribed performance parameters.” “When it comes to something as critical as the safety of people, there

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