November 2, 2021
(Reading time: 2 minutes)
- Mining is a major activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the same time, safety risks are a major concern.
- Accidents and landslides are reported in large numbers, costing precious lives.
- To overcome these recurring accidents, a local entrepreneur has created an app that allows mine managers to track the movements of those working in the pit.
- The app is connected to the worker’s belt.
The app sends signals to the monitoring team on the surface, which would facilitate rapid rescue operations to save workers caught in accidents or similar incidents. The system integrates GPS tracking technology. The device can also measure other variables such as temperature and oxygen levels. Variations in underground temperature can be monitored by the mine manager. Areas with the greatest temperature variation can be easily identified. This would allow the manager to send oxygen to rescue people trapped underground in that part of the mine.
Although mine accidents are frequent in the country, safety is often not a priority, leading to disastrous consequences. Miners believe the system offers new hope for tackling a problem that has cost thousands of lives.