How viAct is Transforming South American Mining with AIoT: Lessons from the Chile Mine Disaster
- Shoyab Ali
- Apr 7
- 6 min read
Express Overview🚀 No More Lost Miners! viAct’s advanced AIoT solutions keep track of every worker in real-time with no more disappearing acts underground. Mining accidents in South America have highlighted critical safety gaps, from gas leaks to structural failures and poor emergency response.
Explore the blog in detail to find out more! |
A disaster once defined it—today, intelligent technology is redefining it.
On August 5, 2010, the world stood still as 33 miners were trapped underground in Chile’s Copiapó mine for 69 harrowing days. What began as a catastrophe turned into a global wake-up call for mining safety.
But while the rescue was miraculous, the question remained: How do we make sure this never happens again?
In this blog, we delve into the key challenges across South America and uncover how AIoT for mining safety are revolutionizing risk mitigation and operational safety underground.
Key Mining Safety Challenges in South America
Latin America holds 48% of the world’s copper reserves, 60% of lithium, 20% of gold, and 50% of silver, making it a global mining powerhouse.
But as operations scale, so do the risks.
The Copiapó Mine Disaster (2010) is not the only accounted disaster showing a compromised state of mining safety in South America. The 2007 gold mine collapse in Colombia (24 deaths, 30 injuries) and the 2006 coal mine explosion in Mexico (65 fatalities) reassures the severity of the situation even before.
The repeated accidents in the mining operations are majorly due to the below most common challenges –
Exposure to Hazardous Environments :Miners often work in extreme temperatures with risks of fires and explosions, and confined spaces making toxic gases, dust, and poor ventilation very common issues.
Frequent Accidents Due to Heavy Machinery: Collisions with haul trucks, wheel loaders, drills, excavators and conveyors are a leading cause of injury and fatality.
Lack of Real-Time Incident Response: In remote sites, delays in detecting incidents like falls, power haulage, equipment failures, or gas leaks increase the severity of injuries.
Improper Use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): Non-compliance with helmet, vest, or safety gear usage continues to be a critical issue.
Fatigue and Human Error: Long shifts and repetitive tasks often lead to worker fatigue, increasing the risk of operational mistakes.
Limited Visibility in Underground Operations: Poor lighting and blind spots hinder supervision and safety enforcement.
A New Era for South American Mining Safety
In the post 2010 era of South American mining industry, an increased number of inspections and adoption of technologies like sensors, GPS, RFID, and real-time tracking, are seen. But the question remains – Is it enough to ensure miners safety in the future?
viAct’s AI in mining safety is driving this transformation further to address mining safety challenges in South America with advanced AIoT solutions.
Transforming South American Mining Safety with viAct’s AIoT Safety Solutions
Here we tackle each of the challenges in mining safety with implementation of the best AIoT solution fit:
Problem 1: High-Risk Areas of Work
Scenario: Carlos, an underground maintenance worker in Chile, enters a confined space in a tunnel to inspect the ventilation system. Temperatures soar, air becomes toxic, and his vision blurs.
AIoT-Powered Solution
viAct’s mobile Edge AI device viMOV can be carried by workers like Carlos who can establish communication in real-time without relying on internet or power connectivity.
IoT-enabled smart watches continuously track vitals (oxygen, heart rate) along with their location in the mine.
AI-based gas leak detector monitor air quality (e.g., methane, CO) and send alerts to EHS teams when thresholds are crossed.
Computer Vision instantly detects abnormal signs such as worker collapse, or gas fog, to trigger automated alerts.
✅ Result: Response time is reduced from 40 minutes to 4 seconds — thereby saving lives! |
Problem 2: Accidents with Heavy Vehicles and Machinery
Scenario: Miguel, a shift operator in a Peruvian mine, is guiding a haul truck through a tight pathway in a mine. Another truck, unable to see him due to a blind spot, narrowly avoids a fatal collision. There are no automated alerts or visibility tools — it's all manual.
AIoT-Powered Solution
viMAC is a GPS-based monitoring device with downward vision upto 900 and detects humans and machinery proximity in real time.
Computer vision recognizes unsafe practices by operators like mobile phone use or smoking and alerts before potential collisions.
Danger zones are automatically marked for pedestrians where trucks and equipment are currently working.
Problem 3: Lack of Real-Time Incident Response
Scenario: On May 6, 2023, a tragic fire broke out in the La Esperanza gold mine in Yanaquihua District, Condesuyos Province, Peru, resulting in the loss of at least 27 lives. The fire was reportedly caused by a power haulage failure, which if reported on time could have been prevented.
AIoT-Powered Solution
Computer vision technology and sensors continuously monitor power haulage systems and mining equipment, ensuring real-time hazard detection and reporting.
The AIoT solutions track overheating machinery, and irregularities in power systems, identifying warning signs before they escalate.
Continuous analysis of atmospheric conditions using previous data helps detect risks of accidents and send real-time reports from time to time.
Problem 4: PPE Non-Compliance
Scenario: Javier enters a work zone without his helmet, assuming he’ll only be there for a few minutes. The safety officer doesn’t notice because it’s a large site with multiple shifts.
AIoT-Powered Solution
AI-powered PPE detection system uses Computer Vision to automatically verify helmet, vest, gloves, and more — 24/7.
Real-time alerts are sent if PPE is missing or incorrectly worn.
With Edge AI solutions, the cameras can operate even in low bandwidth areas to ensure continuous compliance monitoring.
Compliance dashboards help supervisors track who is consistently non-compliant, making safety enforcement data-driven.
Problem 5: Lack of Behaviour Based Safety System
Scenario: After a 12-hour night shift, Daniela struggles to stay alert. She mistakenly operates a panel that shuts down a conveyor belt — costing the mine hours of delay. Fatigue is the silent enemy.
AIoT-Powered Solution
An AI-powered behaviour based safety system analyzes worker behavior through video feeds to identify signs of drowsiness, inattention, or risky behaviour such as anger or violence.
Smart watches include advance AIoT solution that can detect fatigue patterns via vitals and micro-movements, significant to report a deviation from normal routine.
The conversational AI chatbot viGent, collects data across all solutions and pings a worker instantly to recommend breaks or rotation based on fatigue data or suggests preventive protocols, alerting supervisors when workers show signs of mental or physical exhaustion.
Problem 6: Poor Visibility in Underground Operations
Scenario: José works in deep underground tunnels in Brazil. The lighting is patchy, and supervisors can’t always monitor activities. A misstep causes him to fall into an open trench, hidden in the shadows.
AIoT-Powered Solution
Computer Vision in low-light cameras sees what human eyes can’t, identifying obstructions, hazards, or human presence.
AI-based area mapping gives supervisors real-time visibility into all underground zones.
The Edge AI solution viMOV when carried by the miner can detect movement in blind spots and alert teams of unauthorized access or inactivity.
Conclusion
The tragic mining accidents in South America have prompted a major shift in how mining safety is approached. In response to these incidents, viAct is using AI, IoT, and Edge AI technologies to transform the mining safety landscape by providing real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and proactive hazard detection.
In a region that has witnessed too many disasters, these innovations offer a brighter, safer future for miners across South America.
Quick FAQs
1. Why are viAct’s AIoT solutions the best for mining safety in South America?
viAct’s AIoT in mining safety provides real-time hazard detection, predictive analytics, and computer vision-powered monitoring, ensuring proactive risk management. With Edge AI, it operates even in remote underground mines, making it ideal for workplace safety in South America’s challenging mining environments.
2. How do AI-powered gas leak detectors improve workplace safety?
viAct’s AI in mining safety uses IoT-enabled gas detection systems to monitor air quality and detect toxic gases. It sends real-time alerts, predicts risks through data analytics, and guides workers to safety, preventing gas exposure incidents in mines.
3. How does AI-driven emergency response enhance mining safety?
viAct’s AIoT in mining safety includes viGent, an AI-powered safety chatbot that ensures instant communication during emergencies. It provides real-time worker tracking, multilingual alerts, and quick access to safety protocols, improving workplace safety and rescue operations.
Let’s make South American mining safer with viAct’s AIoT safety solutions!
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