Securing abandoned mines

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Not only do these abandoned mines have a potentially huge impact on the environment, they also pose a personal safety risk for anyone tempted to snoop around. And even though there is regulation governing post-mine closure rehabilitation, there are still practical security concerns.

Video surveillance

Security cameras, once positioned to monitor resource extraction, must be moved to cover vast, remote perimeters. The focus is now on intrusion detection. To this end, these cameras require thermal-based technology and must deliver high quality video analytics as false alarms in these remote areas can prove costly.

Other sophisticated features can include low-light, infra-red, and wide dynamic range (WDR) technology to ensure darkened mine shafts can be viewed properly.

Remaining connected

With mining executives focused on meeting their strategic objectives, abandoned mines should be the last of their concerns. This is where the importance of having trusted partners come in to play. By working with vendors and physical security professionals who specialise in mine security, less resources can be spent managing the protection of closed mines.

An example of this is how to ensure adequate bandwidth, power, and storage capacity remain at the closed mine when most of the infrastructure gets dismantled and repurposed at active operations. This is where specialised solutions are required that need less power and bandwidth than more traditional security offerings.

Bespoke design

This protection becomes as much a cost management exercise as it does a security one. Driven by regulatory guidelines, mines must ensure they do their part to ensure the integrity of abandoned operations.

Surveillance solutions most therefore be cognisant of limited network infrastructure availability and less manpower to manage perimeter defence. However, these solutions must also deliver a return on investment for the mine at a significantly marginal price given the focus on cost-cutting. Yet they must still be sufficiently advanced to ensure compliance with regulation.

Closing a mine can become an expensive undertaking even if it is designed to improve margins and profitability. But this does not mean corners can be cut especially when it comes to keeping those abandoned mines protected from unauthorised visitors.