The lack of visibility near earthmoving equipment results in an average of five fatalities in U.S. surface mines each year. These accidents occur when equipment strikes another vehicle, strikes a worker or travels over the edge of an embankment. Researchers at the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health evaluated off-the-shelf proximity warning systems that sense obstacles near the equipment and provide an alarm to the operator. Limitations of existing systems have necessitated the development of new systems designed specifically for mining equipment, including a global positioning system-based proximity warning system and a computer-assisted stereovision system. A description of these two new systems and preliminary test results are discussed.
