Posted on October 15, 2020
Within the mining industry, safety is incorporated into the mission statement and values of miners. From product selection, installation, and operational reliability, to ongoing maintenance and repair, the overarching miner goal is to operate an efficient and safe jobsite, with minimal environmental impact. The COVID-19 pandemic has added complexity to these miner goals. Mines now operate with more stringent safety standards and fewer personnel on site, showcasing the importance of both employee wellbeing and jobsite efficiency. Mine operators have been forced to do more with less, making mine downtime extremely costly, and product selection increasingly important.
Accommodate COVID safety guidelines while maintaining mine productivity
According to the MSHA guidelines, miners on-site should be avoiding close contact and maintaining a safe social distance, forcing mine operators to operate with fewer people on-site, and creating shorter shifts for mine workers. Therefore, accomplishing more work with fewer people in a shorter span of time becomes vital to keeping sites operational and profitable.
But the good news is that the challenges that these COVID-19 mining protocols present to mine operators can be seen as opportunities to explore innovation and discover alternative ways to accomplish their goals. At Victaulic, we are working hard to be part of the solution that mines turn to. Since being introduced to the world in 1919, Victaulic pipe joining technology has been changing the game by providing efficient and economical ways to assemble pipe quickly, safely, and over long distances. Victaulic mine solutions are installed with simple hand tools and work can be completed up to five times faster when compared with welding, and up to ten times faster than fusing pipe. What’s more is that installation can be completed using a single person, making it the pipe joining solution that operators can trust to promote MSHA’s COVID-19 social distancing procedures.
Additionally, mechanical pipe joining technology can also be installed without large equipment on site. When compared to welding, where welding bays, generators, and diesel trucks must be brought on-site, exposing communities to pollutants, Victaulic systems are installed using simple hand tools, dramatically reducing carbon emissions, and improving safety within the inherent confined space working environments required on a mine.
Safety for the life of the mine
Safety during installation is only a small portion of the requirements on a remote mine site. Mines utilizing Victaulic’s reliable piping solutions provide miners with confidence that the piping system is not just faster and easier to install but also just as easy to service and maintain. The ability to quickly service piping systems translates to faster completion times, and with less personnel, minimizing the risk of potential exposure to COVID-19, and protecting the health, safety, and productivity of the mine.
Learn more about Victaulic’s rich history of safe, efficient, and innovative mechanical joining solutions and the impact this technology can have on jobsite productivity.
