Let’s imagine you are a miner who’s digging for precious minerals deep inside Mother Earth. You are now 200 feet inside our beloved “Mother”, and you are working in extremely hostile conditions. You have protective gear on and are wearing thick and bright orange gloves. You have a cellular phone in one pocket and a two-way radio in another. In your hands is a pick.
Suddenly, the ground beneath you gives away, and you get stuck. Your mining cap’s light goes out and you are swamped by darkness. There’s a whirlpool directly below you and if you are not extracted from the mud in time, you will fall and turn into mincemeat.
What do you do in this situation?
Let’s say you use your cellular phone. You remove it from your pocket, and scroll down the phone book to locate the emergency support’s number. But you cannot, because you’ve got those huge rubber gloves on your hands. The mud’s slowly giving in and you are slipping, and the darkness is overwhelming. Help!
Then you get an idea and pull out your two-way radio and push a rather large button. You discover that you can press the “push-to-talk” button easily even with your gloves on. “Heck,” you think, “I can even push this thing if I was blindfolded!”
Your colleague receives your transmission and sends help immediately. Hey presto, you are extracted from the ground and are now taking a well-deserved break, boasting about your exploits with your colleagues. Boy, if you didn’t have a two-way radio, Mother Earth would surely have consumed you.
This was just one example, but we’re sure you get the idea. Two-way radios are essential when it comes to mining safety and productivity.
Mines are complex places and mine managements must ensure that the workers stay safe and are not fatigued at the workplace. Hazards must be eliminated and emergencies must be attended to within no time. The rescue response must be instantaneous and the mining crew must be in alert-mode inside the ground and on it. All this can be made possible only with effective communication, and this is where radio systems step in to help.
The new-age digital two-way radios have increased mining safety and productivity, and are now considered absolutely essential in all mining operations.
Digital radios are very simple to use and are far more versatile than analogue radios. They also feature noise reduction technology and enhanced communication capabilities. Digital radios dole out crucial information such as unit ID, units’ status, text messages, and more.
These may look like simple features, but are very helpful in ensuring the safety of workers in the mining industry.
So, the next time you look at your diamond ring, spare a thought for the good old two-way radio system that played an important role in sourcing the raw material for creating this beautiful work of art.
Rodger Norman is a blogger and tech-guy who believes that using the rigth tools is essential to the success of any industry. He prefers using two-way radios for his outdoor adventures, and uses only the best batteries for his gear.