Page 42 - Security Today, March 2019

Protecting Mining and Quarry Operations
Addressing challenges not typically found in other locations
BNy Dana Pruiett
atural resources being extracted at a mining or quarry operation not only have monetary value, but may also be critical components of medical, military, and industrial processes. Whether the mined products are diamonds, gold, uranium, or lead there’s
a need to protect them from theft or terrorism.
Mining and quarry operations also present challenges not typi-
cally found in other locations. Operations are often spread over vast areas and open to extreme weather conditions. They may be locat- ed at great distances from first responders. There are likely large ma- chines and vehicles on site. It’s hard to hear over all the noise and through frequently worn earplugs.
Visibility can be limited by piles of rocks and dust, as well as protec- tive eyewear employees must wear. Then there’s the possible use of ex- plosives and chemicals—all adding up to a dangerous environment for site visitors. Limiting access to visitors and unauthorized per- sons requires planning, and the use of physical security equipment.
Barriers
It is best to stop would-be terrorists or other criminals before they get near their target. Locked security gates and fences provide a good pe- rimeter barrier. Razor wire atop fences discourages climbing. Setting fencing in three-foot deep trenches filled with concrete deters dig- ging. Steel cable fencing can stop a 15,000-pound truck traveling at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. This type of fencing can be compared by its K-rating, a measure of how much kinetic energy, or speed plus weight, it can resist.
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Twisted pair cable buried just below the perimeter surface can de- tect anyone passing over it to signal an alarm. As prices have dropped, radar systems are increasingly being used to detect movement at perimeters of large critical sites such as mines and quarries. Gates should be fortified to resist impacts. Concrete bollards protect build- ings from taking a direct vehicular hit.
Accommodating Visitors
However, there is still a need for a fast and easy way to approve visi- tors for entry. Visitors might include truckers making deliveries or hauling away debris and valuable byproducts resulting from the mining processes. Here’s how one Southeastern U.S. quarry operator handles trucks coming onto its sites.
Dispatch officers needed a simple way to communicate with an almost endless line of trucks and their drivers stopping at scales to weigh vehicles before entering and leaving the quarry. A video inter- com, mounted at driver-window height, allows dispatchers to easily see and speak with drivers to verify identification before remotely open- ing gates. If the local dispatcher has stepped away from the desk, the networked-based system allows another office to handle the process.
The units can be heard over the noise of diesel engines and background mining operations, which eliminated the need for ad- ditional speakers. The stainless-steel clad intercoms have stood up to the rugged environment which includes limestone dust, extreme temperatures, and even occasional grazing from a truck’s sideview mirror. As an added benefit, dispatchers use the intercom system to communicate between offices, eliminating several telephone lines
CONSTRUCTION SECURITY
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