Company Announcement - The ability to react to industry needs provides companies with a sustainable growth strategy potential. When Booyco Ya Batho was founded in May 2010 as the black-owned subsidiary of Booyco Electronics, its focus was on providing high quality network and infrastructure installations in the market. The emphasis on reliable installations continues but is now complemented by a targeted product base. “Not only have we built a solid reputation for deploying fibre optics and ancillary services, but we have added a basket of products that directly address specific problem areas in the mining industry. The emphasis in all instances is on a cost effective solution that retains high quality levels,” says Elvis Mandiwana of Booyco Ya Batho.

The company’s Speed Braking Interlock system was developed for installation on all trackless mobile equipment, including utility vehicles and light delivery vehicles. The device provides operators with an audible and visible warning when they exceed predetermined speed limits. It can be configured in such a manner to automatically apply the vehicle’s brakes should the operator ignore the first and second warnings.

Other features of the SBI system include measurement of the inclination of the vehicle, with programmed responses to specific scenarios such as travelling down a mine’s decline shaft. Calibration and commissioning of all parameters is undertaken in accordance with the individual requirements of each customer.

The Siza Mina System (Help Me) provides mines with a tool to easily and quickly locate miners and for miners to send out distress calls. “It is critical to minimise the risk of exposing underground employees to situations where endangerment of their lives is possible or where there is a limited or non-existent opportunity to raise an alarm. This system allows miners to send out a distress signal to a control room, for immediate action,” says Mandiwana

By adding Siza Mina Readers to the system, it can also be deployed as an underground personnel locator. The system will determine the approximate location of a specific employee within the radius of the readers, depending on conditions and infrastructure, and feed this information back to the control room.

In addition, Booyco software, which monitors and reports on Siza Mina activations and locations for various employees, is also able to interface with a client’s time and attendance and lamp room management system for allocation of assets.

“We will continue to seek new ways of improving working conditions underground through monitoring and control of specific safety systems. In conjunction with these developments, we also remain focused on the installation and splicing of new fibre optic cables and servicing of existing cables. By providing a services that encapsulates repairs, testing of splicing integrity and the issuing of certificates that verify splicing integrity on both surface and underground systems, mines are given the assurance that the communication element of their underground systems is fully operational,” Mandiwana concludes.