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Assessing the Feasibility of a Commercially Available Wireless Internet of Things System to Improve Conveyor Safety

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Abstract

Conveyor systems persist in being a source of injuries and fatalities in the mining industry. To reduce these incidents, better methods are needed to enhance the monitoring of probable hazards and improve situational awareness during the normal operation and maintenance of conveyor systems. To address these issues, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) continue to investigate emerging technologies that show the potential to improve miner safety around conveyors. This paper presents a feasibility assessment by NIOSH researchers of a fully integrated, commercially available wireless Internet of Things (IoT) system to improve situational awareness around conveyor systems. Included are discussions of a full-scale laboratory test bed that was designed to simulate a working conveyor system as well as the challenges and successes of integrating the IoT system with the test bed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CDC/NIOSH/Spokane Mining Research Division, 315 E Montgomery Ave., Spokane, WA, 99207, USA

    R. Jacksha & K. V. Raj

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  1. R. Jacksha
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  2. K. V. Raj
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Correspondence to R. Jacksha.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mention of any company name or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

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Jacksha, R., Raj, K.V. Assessing the Feasibility of a Commercially Available Wireless Internet of Things System to Improve Conveyor Safety. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 38, 567–574 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00325-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00325-3

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