The Ecuador Metals Exploration team has raised the bar with their persistent pursuit in identifying and delivering safety improvements. The mining industry in Ecuador is relatively new and most safety standards are yet to reach the levels of the more mature exploration environments. However, the team recognises the importance of leading in safety and striving to do better. So much so, they managed to influence a new design for a piece of equipment that along with many added safety benefits, it is the first in the world of its kind.In Ecuador, drill sites are required by law to be a maximum of 10 meters by 10 meters, as opposed to the average drill site that measures 20 meters by 20 meters. Moreover, the drill sites in Ecuador are in extremely steep, jungled terrain.This demands smaller, portable drill rigs and such rigs are generally very basic and lack the safety features seen on larger units that are autonomously powered. They also need to be easily dismantled into smaller pieces as they are often transported by helicopter, mules, or people, to the sites.Suppliers can often be hesitant to make significant changes to their equipment as it requires additional engineering, added initial costs, and may result in not being fit-for-purpose. However, in this case the team worked hard to build a relationship and establish a strong sense of purpose to improve safety, through designing and engineering an automated rod handler into a portable drill rig.Rod Handlers are a piece of equipment that minimise the interaction of the drilling personnel with the moving parts of the drill rig, removing risks of manual handling as well as removing people from the line of fire. They were introduced to the industry around 15 years ago on large rigs. Up until now, they have been considered too large for the smaller drill rigs that are used in Ecuador.
The Ecuador Metals Exploration team has raised the bar with their persistent pursuit in identifying and delivering safety improvements. The mining industry in Ecuador is relatively new and most safety standards are yet to reach the levels of the more mature exploration environments. However, the team recognises the importance of leading in safety and striving to do better. So much so, they managed to influence a new design for a piece of equipment that along with many added safety benefits, it is the first in the world of its kind.In Ecuador, drill sites are required by law to be a maximum of 10 meters by 10 meters, as opposed to the average drill site that measures 20 meters by 20 meters. Moreover, the drill sites in Ecuador are in extremely steep, jungled terrain.This demands smaller, portable drill rigs and such rigs are generally very basic and lack the safety features seen on larger units that are autonomously powered. They also need to be easily dismantled into smaller pieces as they are often transported by helicopter, mules, or people, to the sites.Suppliers can often be hesitant to make significant changes to their equipment as it requires additional engineering, added initial costs, and may result in not being fit-for-purpose. However, in this case the team worked hard to build a relationship and establish a strong sense of purpose to improve safety, through designing and engineering an automated rod handler into a portable drill rig.Rod Handlers are a piece of equipment that minimise the interaction of the drilling personnel with the moving parts of the drill rig, removing risks of manual handling as well as removing people from the line of fire. They were introduced to the industry around 15 years ago on large rigs. Up until now, they have been considered too large for the smaller drill rigs that are used in Ecuador.
