MineGlow em-Control interoperable emergency lighting system

Hazardous area and emergency lighting specialist MineGlow has launched an interoperable emergency lighting system, em-Control, to improve miner safety and preparedness in the event of emergency evacuations. em-Control is an intelligent, network-based solution that warns and directs an underground workforce to safety with multi-directional light pulses and colours. The system comprises em-Lighting, the LED light strip; em-View, a web interface; and em-Controller, a network-based controller that integrates with third-party systems via an open API.

Installed throughout a mine’s underground tunnel network, em-Control alerts workers of an emergency and directs the best way to designated exits, rescue chambers or other safe areas. The emergency LED strip lighting system is also fully configurable, giving mine sites greater flexibility for different applications and the type of safety warning needed. The system uses high illumination to communicate information to underground teams, thereby bolstering safety in high-stress, dangerous environments.

Designed and engineered by MineGlow for tough industrial conditions, the IP65-rated, shock-proof em-Controller integrates with third-party systems used in hazardous and industrial applications such as traffic management, zone identification, vehicle awareness and seismic activity. Featuring built-in network capability and open architecture, multiple safety systems can communicate with em-Control to provide an additional layer of safety.

When a safety event or incident occurs, the em-Controller receives the information and triggers the em-Lighting LED strip to emit a pre-programmed colour, direction and pulse sequence. One control unit can control up to 500 m of LED strip lighting. The em-Control system can be configured to work with a mine’s existing network infrastructure or activated manually where network connectivity is not available, through activation points throughout the mine. The flexibility of the em-Lighting LED strip lights enables miners to install them onto any fixed or mobile surface, at any height.