Lomas Bayas Level 9 collision avoidance: tyre handler safety lessons for mines
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Chilean copper mine Compañía Minera Lomas Bayas has deployed a Level 9 collision avoidance system on its tyre handlers that can autonomously stop the manipulator when a person enters a predefined danger zone. The system protects crews working in close proximity to suspended loads during transport, installation, removal and stockpiling of large mining tyres, where confined spaces and limited visibility create high crush and pinch risks. For mine operators, this signals growing interest in engineered controls on tyre handling, a task that remains a leading cause of serious maintenance incidents.
Technical Brief
- Level 9 system is integrated directly with the tyre handler’s hydraulic and drive controls for automatic intervention.
- Collision avoidance relies on predefined virtual zones around the manipulator rather than fixed physical barriers.
- System logic distinguishes between personnel and other obstacles to avoid unnecessary stops during tyre movements.
- Protection is targeted at maintenance phases: tyre change-out, storage yard handling and in-pit tyre movements.
- Design focus is on crush and pinch points created between the tyre, manipulator arms and nearby structures.
- Safety function is an engineered control layered above procedural controls and operator line-of-sight.
- Deployment signals movement towards Level 9 machine-intervention systems for high-risk maintenance tasks across large mines.
Our Take
Glencore’s copper portfolio has featured repeatedly in recent coverage, from the Anthill agreement termination with Austral Resources to a US$250 million Caterpillar truck order, suggesting a coordinated push to both expand fleet capacity and tighten safety systems across its operations rather than at Lomas Bayas alone.
Chile’s Lomas Bayas sits in a mature copper jurisdiction where regulators and communities scrutinise haulage and maintenance safety; deploying a Level 9 collision avoidance system on tyre handlers is likely to strengthen Glencore’s position in future permitting or expansion dialogues compared with peers still relying on lower-level controls.
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.
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