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November
14th
8:10 a.m.
Terry Taylor called the meeting to order and announced that technical
difficulties hampered the printing of nametags and receipts.
The printer, which was shipped from Dallas to the hotel,
disappeared. Terry
recognized Tim O’Neal’s efforts of securing another printer and
working through most of the night printing receipts and name tags.
The first evening’s hospitality room was set up for 90, with
112 attending. This
morning’s registration brings the total registered to 123.
Terry announced that Landis Bayless, current WMEA president, is
no longer employed by Texas Utilities.
WMEA bylaws state that officers must be employed by a users
group. Terry
Taylor, the 1st Vice President will act as President for this meeting.
Martin Reyes, the 2nd VP is responsible for securing
accommodations. Jim
Van Emmerik is the Secretary and Jerry Endrees, who is not in
attendance, is the Treasurer.
Unfortunately, due to Jerry’s absence, the treasury report is
not available. Jim
Van Emmerik read the Reno meeting minutes. A motion was moved and
seconded and the minutes were approved as read.
Martin
Reyes announced the following future meeting sites:
Spring
2003 in Edmonton from June
11 through June 13 at the Fantasyland Hotel
Fall
2003 in Tucson at the
Doubletree
Spring
2004 in Rapid City or
Casper
Fall
2004 in Salt Lake City,
Boise, or Seattle
Terry
related that Kennecott Utah Copper CEO recently spoke of a program called
Safety Share. Terry
mentioned he would like to start every meeting by talking about safety
ideas and or incidents. Terry
then shared an incident that unfortunately took the lives of two miners.
Terry
then announced the meeting’s agenda and described the group discussion
items.
8:40
AM
Group Discussion - Broke into 5 groups
- Safety
- Problems and Solutions
- Innovations/New Technology
- Agenda items for next meeting
- Future meeting sites
Technical
Presentations
9:35
a.m.
Power Management
Lew Brown, - G.E. Industrial
Systems
Introduced
Marilyn Self, Product Specialist, who presented a paper on power
management with wireless networking.
10:40
a.m.
Asset Utilization
Steve Armiger - Cordero Rho Mine
Presented
the gains achieved with the application of Rio Tinto’s Asset Utilization
process.
11:25
a.m.
Trail Cable Safety
Lynn Nelson - Kennecott Utah Copper
Presentation
on handling trail cable “Treat 'Em Like A Snake”
12:10
a.m.
Adjourn
for Lunch
1:15
p.m.
Overview of Reconditioned Switchgear
Bill Oxby and Lou York - Flanders Electric
Presented
results achieved by reconditioning switchgear as opposed to buying new.
2:15
p.m.
Vibration Analysis-Setting up and Maintaining a Predictive Maintenance
Program
Rich Hall and Michael Korf - National Electrical Carbon Inc.
Presentation
on how to utilize today communication tools to operate an effective
vibration program along with a top 10 list of how to maintain a vibration
program.
3:30
p.m.
Discussion of Wireless Ethernet Applications in the Mining Environment
Ted Lapis - Automation Electronics introduced Stuart Tanner and Bob
Davis
Presentation
on wireless Ethernet applications, problems and solutions.
4:05
p.m.
Wireless Integrated System
Tom McCormick - Barrick Goldstrike
Presentation
on their existing and future projects utilizing wireless systems
throughout their mining complex.
4:35
p.m.
Meeting
adjourned
November
15th
8:35
a.m.
Terry
Taylor called the meeting to order.
8:40
a.m.
Group discussion
Summary
of group discussions held the previous day.
9:40
a.m.
Continuous Improvement (Update)
Terry Taylor and Jeff Rosser - Barrick Goldstrike Mine
Follow up
from Continuous Improvement presentation in Reno.
11:00
a.m.
Open
Discussion
11:35
a.m.
Meeting
Adjourned
Topics Discussed
-
Power
Management
-
Overview
Of Reconditioned Switchgear
-
Trail
Cable Safety
-
Barrick
Goldstrike Wireless Presentation
-
Vibration
Analysis
-
Asset
Utilization
-
Continuous
Improvement - An Update
Group
Discussions
Group
1
Group
2
Group
3
Group
4
Group
5
Group
1 Discussion
Lead by Terry Taylor
Safety
-
Cordero
Mining discussed their “Got a Minute” program. It consists of Safety
Observations on someone else or on one’s self. Group leaders are assigned
in each work group to review the observations. This is all based around
Behavior Based Safety.
All
Rio Tinto properties, Kennecott included, does a corporate safety audit, or
safety standards compliance check, every two years.
-
Mississippi
Red Hills Mine, a North American Coal property, has reduced MG-set noise by
4db through the use of “blankets” around the MG sets. They
also mentioned a “Noise Reduction Helmet” that MSHA is working on
that will be an “administrative / engineering control” for noise.
-
GE
discussed a Vendor Safety Program in a paper mill. The paper mill conducted
a daily safety program for all vendors in the mill.
-
DCS
talked about in a certain region of Australia, the mining companies in
that region all went together to assemble a single safety program for their
vendors. So any vendor that had been through the 2 day safety program
could be allowed on any of the mines property in that region.
Innovations/New
Technology
-
Announced
the successful implementation of Shovel Bucket Weighing at Barrick –
possible program for the Edmonton meeting in June.
-
Rocky
Mountain Electric Motors discussed the technique of using dry-ice to clean
switchgear – advantage is no residue but also must use in a well
ventilated area. GE in Edmonton is doing this and there may be a live demo
at the Edmonton meeting.
-
DCS
now has a dragline boom raising and lowering PLC program that includes an
audible alarm for motor stall.
Problems
/ Solutions
-
Barrick
discussed the new Electro-Arc machine that is being utilized for wheel stud
removal.
-
DCS
mentioned that mining companies should be aware that older MG sets that are
stored for long periods of time may have glass banding that is hydroscopic
and subject to absorbing moisture. Motors and generators that fall in to
this should be rebanded prior to use.
Future
Presentations
-
Electrical
certification classes at WMEA meetings to help promote and justify
attendance.
-
Update
on driverless trucks.
-
Shovel
Bucket Weighing vs. Truck Load Weighing
-
Dragline
boom raising and lowering recommendations by OEM. (current procedures were
written in the 60’s.)
-
DCS
to present their remote X-Y recordings capability.
Group
2 Discussion
Lead by Martin Reyes
Safety
-
Operator
of pump controller was shocked while working on 4,160 volt pump. Turned off
the wrong pump. Took a shortcut.
-
Stan
Albers-Security for on site visits by vendors. Differ significantly between
mine sites. Vendors should also take on some of the responsibility and ask
if 5000-23 forms need updated. Haul trucks have blind spots. Rarely
demonstrated to vendors. Example cited where a vender parked in a
blind spot on a haul truck, was run over and killed.
Innovations/New
Technology
-
Product
on the market designed to determine megger values of dewatering pumps 24/78.
Eliminates need for manual testing.
-
David
Barrett-DCS-Synchronous monitoring. Product replaces SPM module communicates
with PLC.
-
Martin
BGMI-Shovel load weigh system. System improves accuracy within 2%, operators
like it, eliminates overloads, GPR location tool, also draglines another
application through Aquilla.
Problems
and Solutions
-
Martin-BGMI-Dipper
trip motors. Subjected to vibration. Bolts would back out of
mounting plate for the drum. Now using a through bolt and double nut,
eliminating problem.
-
Stan
Albers-MSHA wants to see Ground fault protection on all portable devices (3
phase and six feet or greater cable length). It hasn’t been enforced
constantly in the past. Starting to be enforced in the East. There
have been six electrical fatalities to September 2002. One of
the most recent was mechanic welding overhead, was in a wet area, laid the
stinger on his chest and was electrocuted. Another reminder to always
wear proper clothing and use proper protection, rubber mats, etc.
Future
Topics
Future
Meeting Locations
Group
3 Discussion
Lead
by
Jim Van Emmerik
Safety
-
Glen
Fosmo related an incident at North Anelope where a cable tree was being
relocated with a forklift that came into contact with the 69KV power line,
causing the mine to loose power. Approximately 20 minutes has passed,
during which time efforts were being made to determine the cause of the
power failure. The electrician was just getting ready to close the
re-closure when he heard a faint voice on the radio calling for an
electrician. It turned out that the faint voice was the fork lift
driver.
-
Wade
Hart of Cordero told of an explosion near a pickup that was parked nearby a
dewatering hole. The technicians were preparing to lower a submersible pump,
when an explosion occurred at the borehole. The fuel source was
methane from the borehole and the ignition source was the running pickup.
Since the mine has developed safe work procedures while working in and
around dewatering wells. Also at this mine is a safety program called
“Got a Minute” where prior to any job everyone is supposed to discuss
the hazard associated with the job and take steps to either minimize or
eliminate the hazards.
-
An
incident was related regarding a supervisor who chastised his crew for being
in an unsafe area and then proceed into the area himself.
Unfortunately, he never came out as a chain broke and crushed him.
-
Two
major areas, failure to adhere to procedure and pressure to get the job
done, have been identified as reasons that cause airplane accidents. These
causes are no different than what we all are faced with on a daily basis
with our jobs. We all have procedures to follow along with the
pressure to complete the job.
-
Another
incident involved a substation being commissioned. Two technicians
were performing electrical testing, one of which had his hot gloves on and
was connecting the test leads. His partner was holding the digital
volt meter, which probably exploded when the leads were applied to 25KV.
-
An
inspector, wearing hot gloves, was performing testing in a prep plant.
His partner, wearing no protection, was holding the meter. Just a reminder
to wear you protective equipment when live testing.
-
One
technician was changing a light bulb on an extension ladder when the legs of
the ladder slipped causing the technician to fall. Sustained a broken
wrist.
Innovations/New
Technology
-
Tracey
Fetter told the group of a dragline production monitor from
-
Aquilla.
It depicts the overburden in a 3D image that changes colors when grade is
achieved. Three systems are currently operating at Bridger Coal.
-
Glen
Fosmo of North Antelope upgraded their batch train load-out system. They had
experienced hydraulic cylinder and gate limit switch failures on a fairly
regular basis. The cause was attributed to forces applied to the
hydraulic system when the gat valve was opened or closed. The valves
were either fully open or fully closed. The system was retrofitted
with proportioning valves, which eliminated slamming of the gates.
They system has been in operation for 9 months and they have experienced no
failures to date. Also loading time was decreased 1 second per car.
-
Everyone
struggles with convincing production to give up a piece of equipment to do
electrical testing. More and more, the trend is to do testing with the
equipment on line. An example given was to test cable on line with
partial corona discharge. This is a none destructive alternative to hy-potting.
On line doctor testing is also available.
-
Some
insurance companies offer thermography imaging services. Also reported
that some mining companies have solicited insurance rate reductions based
upon their predictive and on line testing programs.
-
Tracy
Fetter related that they have been working on a remote XY system for
draglines. They system basically uses wireless Ethernet communication
from the dragline, interfaces with the mine site server, allowing real time
XY’s to be viewed in the office. The system is approximately 98%
complete.
-
John
Parkes told of an application of fiber optic cables imbedded in power
cables. It has been widely used in Europe and are now seeing
applications on draglines, bucket wheels. The Port of Los Angeles is
using this technology in their overhead cranes that handle shipping
containers. Six, twelve or eighteen fiber optic cables can be installed in
the power cable.
-
National
Electric Carbon is developing a remote brush wear indicator. Sensors
are imbedded into the brush providing vibration, temperature and wear
indications. The information is monitored by a software application
and the operator is alerted to a particular condition based upon a green,
yellow or red indicator.
Problems/Solutions
-
Jim
Schackleford mentioned that some of the Marion machines that are 15 to 20
years of service have experience armature cable failures within the cable
trays. Also, he has experienced problems on BI machines on the 480
volt bus with primary protection only. The problems encountered had to do
with faults on the smaller wires tapped from the main buss.
-
Amercable
indicated that they have documented cable handling procedures which they are
willing to share if anyone is interested.
Future
Topics
-
Fiber
optics in power cable
-
Remote
brush wear indicator
-
Train
loadout proportioning retrofit
Future
Meeting Locations
Group
4 Discussion
Lead by
Ken Olan
Safety
-
Vivian
Fadewich commented that usually miners are not sent into a shaft without
air-flow.
-
Phil
Grabrick with Antelope Coal stated that they started doing risk assessments
to access the hazards associated with tasks and addressing the hazards prior
to performing them. Gone 200 days without an LTA
-
Allen
Randolph with G.E. related that G.E. documents safety issues via an audit
team that inspects, assesses and documents findings.
-
Bob
Tracy asked why there is such a variance from mine site to mine site for
contractors/vendors regarding admittance requirements, in addition to MSHA
requirements.
-
MSDS-
Must be available & approved for everything used at the mine site. A
hint for contractors, some fine it better to not take any chemicals on site
and let the mine provide the chemicals.
Innovations/New
Technology
-
Allen
Randolph with G.E. followed up on his Reno meeting presentation on noise
suppression on haul trucks. They have installed the suppression system
on a haul truck at Barrick and have seen a 12db reduction on the deck and a
4db reduction in the cab.
-
G.E.
also has a new hand held interface for alarms & trouble shooting on A.C.
haul trucks.
Problems/Solutions
Future
Topics
Group
5 Discussion
Lead by
Jack Easton
Safety
Innovations/New
Technology
Future
Topics
Future
Meeting Locations
Return to Meeting
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