Sophisticated! Coal's Berau Utilizes AI To Detect Fatigue Mining Truck Drivers

The operator is monitoring the activities of mining truck drivers in Block 7 Site Binungan Mine Operation 2 (BMO) through DMS (Photo: Maria Trisnawati/VO)

BerAU - PT Berau Coal utilizes cutting-edge tools by utilizing artificial intelligence forces to monitor the behavior of dump trucks, excess speed, and fatigue operators to ensure safer travel in transporting coal.

Deputy Head of Mining Engineering Arintoko Saputro said that the application of AI-based technology implemented by Berau Coal is the Monitoring System (DMS) Supervision in mining areas that utilize various sensors and cameras to monitor driver activity or mining vehicle operators, as well as to detect unsafe actions such as less secure driving behavior, fatigue (fatique), and excessive driving speed.

"This DMS is to detect signs when the operator fatique, which is when the eyes are closed, evaporated, or the body is in response," said Arintoko when met in the Block 7 Site Binungan Mine Operation 2 area, Wednesday, December 6.

Arintoko added that in addition to detection of fatigue, DMS also detects other risky behavior such as the use of mobile devices or eating behind the wheel.

According to him, a good level of focus and stamina is needed by all workers in order to carry out their work to achieve the targets set by the company.

Through a sophisticated sensor and camera network, DMS closely tracks and analyzes driver behavior in real time such as path deviations, looking around, calling to smoking, "added Arintoko.

For this reason, fatigue management (fatique management) and behavior (behavior) must be done to support all workers to work safely, especially workers who work with high potential hazards such as heavy equipment operators. In addition, driving behavior is also a concern, so that workers who drive are prohibited from using cell phones and doing other activities that can interfere with their concentration.

He further added, through state-of-the-art sensor and camera networks, DMS closely tracks and analyzes driver behavior in real-time such as path & right deviations, looking around, calling, and smoking.

In addition to detecting fatigue, DMS also detects other risky behavior such as driving disorders, such as using mobile devices or eating behind the wheel. Currently, there are about 876 units that have been separated and using DMS spread across all locations in coal transport units and other transportation equipment.

"In mining operations, the number of workers and heavy equipment units as well as transportation facilities is very large to thousands. In mobility, of course, it has potential hazards that can result in incidents, so a strict and integrated monitoring system is needed so that this potential hazard can be managed and controlled," he said.

Arintoko said the surveillance system with DMS had been started since August 2020 and has now been implemented in all sites of PT Berau Coal.

"This innovation is transforming the running fatigue identification process," he added.

He added that previously the process of identifying fatigue was carried out manually through checking the condition of workers at the beginning of the shift, fatigue tests, even some of which were only known after the incident. Now, with the use of technology, the case of fatigue can be monitored in real-time and can be followed up directly by supervisors so that it can prevent incidents and reduce potential hazards to workers.

In addition, DMS innovation also produces data in real-time that is a dashboard (visual data) for further analysis, such as vulnerable locations where warnings often occur, fatigue-prone hours, critical days there is a fatigue, interventional suitability is carried out with the total number of violations that are included in the data, and the trend of increasing/decreasing cases weekly.

The data recorded on the DMS system can also be evaluated after the (post-event) activity of interventions that have been carried out by the control room supervisor in operation.

"The implementation of DMS in 2021 has succeeded in reducing the incidence rate on coal transportation roads (hauling). The development of DMS technology will continue to be carried out," concluded Arintoko.