Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In
Built byBoxcut Studio

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Safety

    ESS fugitive material controls: conveyor design and safety notes for mines

    March 11, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    ESS fugitive material controls: conveyor design and safety notes for mines

    First reported on Australian Mining

    30 Second Briefing

    ESS Engineering is rolling out practical conveyor control strategies to cut fugitive material loss and unplanned downtime on high‑throughput belt systems. The company is focusing on correctly sized and positioned primary and secondary belt cleaners, skirting and sealing systems, and improved transfer‑chute design to reduce carryback, spillage and dust at loading and discharge points. For mine operators, the approach targets lower maintenance at height, reduced clean‑up around conveyor structures, and more stable belt tracking and idler life.

    Technical Brief

    • ESS is targeting fugitive material specifically at loading, transfer and discharge zones where impact is highest.
    • Strategies are being deployed on high-throughput mine conveyors where any stoppage rapidly affects production schedules.
    • Belt cleaner maintenance at height is a key safety focus, reducing technician exposure on elevated gantries.
    • Reduced spillage around structures lowers manual clean-up, cutting interaction with mobile equipment and slip hazards.
    • Improved control of carryback and dust is intended to keep walkways, platforms and pull-wire routes clear.
    • ESS is positioning solutions as a way to stabilise conveyor availability, supporting planned rather than reactive maintenance.
    • For similar large-scale mining conveyors, comparable control of fugitive material can materially reduce housekeeping man-hours.

    Our Take

    Within the 1104 Mining stories in our coverage, Australia features heavily in Safety-tagged pieces, signalling that regulators and operators there are under sustained pressure to reduce dust, spillage and other fugitive material exposures around conveyors and transfer points.

    ESS Engineering’s focus on fugitive material control in Australia is likely to intersect with the same project capex buckets as belt upgrades and dust suppression systems, which in other Safety/Projects items often come from operational budgets rather than discrete expansion funding, making early whole-of-life cost arguments important for adoption.

    For Australian Mining readers, fugitive material solutions are increasingly framed not just as housekeeping but as a productivity and asset-life issue, with other Safety-tagged project coverage showing that uncontrolled spillage tends to correlate with higher unplanned downtime and accelerated wear on idlers and skirting hardware.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Buffalo Potash permit at Disley: design, risk and process notes for mine engineers
    Mining
    1 day ago

    Buffalo Potash permit at Disley: design, risk and process notes for mine engineers

    Buffalo Potash has secured Saskatchewan approval to complete construction and operate its Disley initial production module, a 125,000 t/y soluble-grade potash facility 50 km northwest of Regina using a patented horizontal line-drive brine circulation method through parallel horizontal wells. The C$41.5 million module will test selective underground dissolution of potassium chloride with sodium-chloride-saturated brine and supply local agriculture, drilling-fluid markets and potassium-chloride brine for regional oilfields, ahead of planned 500,000 t/y Disley East and West expansions to about 1.13 Mt/y. The permit, which runs to 30 April and excludes future modules, requires groundwater characterisation, air-quality compliance and financial assurance, while the project proceeds without a feasibility study or declared reserves, elevating technical and economic risk.

    Exiro-led takeover of Vale’s Manitoba nickel complex: key points for mine planners
    Mining
    1 day ago

    Exiro-led takeover of Vale’s Manitoba nickel complex: key points for mine planners

    Exiro Minerals, Orion Resource Partners and Canada Growth Fund have acquired an 81.1% stake in Vale’s Thompson nickel operations in northern Manitoba, committing up to US$200 million to sustain and develop the six-decade-old complex. The new vehicle, Exiro Nickel, takes over day-to-day control of two operating underground mines, the adjacent concentrator and exploration ground along the 135 km Thompson Nickel Belt, while Vale Base Metals retains an 18.9% interest. A multi-year offtake agreement keeps Vale buying nickel concentrate from the Thompson mill, providing a defined outlet for future production.

    Mining
    1 day ago

    Moeve–Emerita 100% renewable diesel deal in Spain: decarbonisation notes for mines

    Moeve and Emerita Resources have signed Spain’s first mining-sector agreement to deploy 100% renewable diesel (HVO) at industrial scale, designating Moeve as preferred supplier of this second-generation biofuel. The HVO, derived from waste and residue feedstocks rather than food crops, is claimed to cut lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared with conventional diesel. For mine operators, the drop-in fuel compatibility with existing diesel engines offers a near-term route to decarbonise haul trucks and auxiliary fleets without major equipment changes.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental