Mining is vital to the economy of Africa, which has the biggest producer of platinum, one of the largest producers of gold in the world as well as being home to coal and diamond mines. Security is paramount to provide safe working conditions, to protect valuable commodities, machinery, buildings, transportation and other assets. The security challenge for these organisations includes maintaining the security of personnel, buildings and facilities, engineering structures, storage tanks, pipes, generators, transport systems, heavy machinery, equipment and accessories often located over vast geographical areas both above and underground.

Anglo American Platinum, Gold Fields and Anglogold Ashanti, along with other top mines in Africa will be engaging in discussions surrounding Mine Site Security in Africa. The event will generate discussions on crisis management, preventing personnel security breaches, recognising African threat levels and determining a control framework.

“Security managers in mining organisations face the same types of logistical and technological challenges as those in the energy, oil and gas arena for example,” explains Wolfgang Engling, Managing Director of E-Thele SQD Networks. “Protecting staff and assets is a major task when taking into account the vast areas that these sites cover, the different terrains and environmental conditions as well as threats from terrorists and protestor groups.”

“IPsecuritycenter connects and manages disparate security and safety intelligence systems such as video surveillance, zone detection, structural monitoring, ventilation systems, incident reporting, waste management and personnel systems from anywhere across the organisation’s site or sites,” says James Condron, VP Sales - CNL Software. “IPsecuritycenter ensures that threats are verified and real-time situation data is delivered immediately from the control room using a number of channels, such as VoIP, telephony, SMS and/or e-mail to the appropriate response teams and stakeholders; initiating the fastest possible reaction to a situation."