Job fears as Rio Tinto ramp up its autonomous operations in Pilbara
The West reported that Rio Tinto is continuing to ramp up its autonomous operations in the Pilbara with plans to double its fleet of production drill rigs in the Pilbara that are operated remotely. Four additional drills, retrofitted with autonomous drilling system technology, were recently deployed at Rio’s Yandicoogina mine, adding to the existing seven autonomous drills at the West Angelas mine. A further nine drills will be deployed by the end of the year, bringing the total fleet to 20.
The managing director of Rio’s planning, integration and assets for iron ore, Ms Kellie Parker, said the expansion of the fleet delivered significant productivity gains and enabled the company to drill more safely, accurately and consistently. She said that “The deployment of additional rigs, operated from our operations centre in Perth, offers significant advantages as part of our integrated system, which optimises our autonomous trains, trucks and drills and provides increased operability and flexibility."
She added that “As pioneers of automation and innovation, we continue exploring new technologies to ensure Rio Tinto remains a leader in the global mining industry.”
Few jobs are likely to be affected in the transition, but Ms Parker said Rio was committed to working closely with employees to provide opportunities for new roles, new skills, redeployment and retraining.
Rio said the autonomous drills provided a significant safety advantage by reducing the number of employees exposed to potential hazards and fatigue levels, as well as limiting exposure to dust, noise and vibration.
All drills are monitored remotely by operators in Rio’s operations centre in Perth, more than 1500km away, and to date have operated injury free, the company said.
The automation of drilling has increased productivity because of the increased number of hours the machines operate as well as the numbers of metres the drill achieves per hour.
Source : The West