Surface-Level Smarts: Tackling Tracking Challenges in Above-Ground Mining

Mining on the surface looks simple from a distance. Up close it is a shifting maze of haul roads, benches, mobile staging yards, and contractors coming and going. Assets like pumps, tanks, generators, trailers, and haul trucks move constantly. Many of them still go untracked even though they are critical to production timelines and safety plans.

Why Surface Mining Still Gets Lost

Manual methods struggle to keep up with the speed of surface operations. Terrain changes, dust, and temporary laydown areas make whiteboards and radio calls unreliable. Equipment is staged for a shift, then pushed to a different bench or yard by morning. Turnover and shift changes create gaps in communication, so teams waste time hunting for the right tool instead of running the plan.

The stakes are real. Surface mining operations average roughly three equipment-related fatalities per year. Improving visibility and situational awareness is a key prevention strategy, according to the CDC.

Built for the Blast Zone

If devices can’t survive the blast zone, they’ll never deliver the visibility you need. Geoforce trackers are rated IP68/IP69K and are built and certified for extreme environments. They handle water, mud, dust, vibration, and high-pressure washdowns without blinking. Long battery life means you can install and forget on remote sites where charging is not practical. Devices wake and report on a schedule or when motion or other conditions trigger an update, so field teams see where assets are without creating more work.

Digitizing safety and operational tracking has real human impact. Industry research suggests that better digital visibility in mining could save 1,000 lives and prevent 44,000 injuries each year.

From Location to Optimization

Knowing where something is solves today’s problem. Knowing how it moves unlocks tomorrow’s gains.

• Smarter allocation: GPS data shows which pumps, tanks, or light towers are sitting idle and which benches are starved. Dispatch can rebalance quickly and reduce unnecessary rentals.
• Faster turns: Staging yards and load-out areas run cleaner when teams can see what arrived, what is waiting, and what is ready to move.
• Cycle-time insights: Location history and motion events reveal bottlenecks on haul roads and at dumps or crushers. Small changes to queueing or routing can save hours per shift.
• Maintenance with proof: Run-time and movement patterns feed into maintenance logs, helping planners schedule service and extend useful life.
• Compliance support: Location trails and activity records help satisfy inspections and reporting requirements, while improving incident investigations and near-miss reviews.

The Bottom Line

Smarter allocation: GPS data shows which pumps, tanks, or light towers are sitting idle and which benches are starved. Dispatch can rebalance quickly and reduce unnecessary rentals.
Faster turns: Staging yards and load-out areas run cleaner when teams can see what arrived, what is waiting, and what is ready to move.
Cycle-time insights: Location history and motion events reveal bottlenecks on haul roads and at dumps or crushers. Small changes to queueing or routing can save hours per shift.
Maintenance with proof: Run-time and movement patterns feed into maintenance logs, helping planners schedule service and extend useful life.
Compliance support: Location trails and activity records help satisfy inspections and reporting requirements, while improving incident investigations and near-miss reviews.

Ready to see it in action? Learn how rugged GPS helps surface operations stay productive and safe.

References

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). “Mining and Machinery Struck-by Injuries.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Oct. 2024, www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/machinery-struck-by-injuries.html. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025. CDC

Wingham, Mike. “How Rugged Hardware Can Help Improve Mining Operations.” Roaming Technologies, 16 July 2020, www.roamingtech.com.au/blog/how-rugged-hardware-can-help-improve-mining-operations. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.