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Major Drilling Group International completed an 8-month test of Fordia’s Easy Rod Lift. In that test, and safety and productivity prevailed. In fact, the driller refused to surrender the device when the testing period was complete.
As a global leader in the international market for production and distribution of diamond mining exploration products, Fordia Group has become well known as an innovator when it comes to products that enhance safety and productivity. This product hits the mark in both areas.
Major Drilling Group International conducted this product test in 2005 with an experienced driller – 24 years in the business – using a L.S.-10 small drill rig. The test conclusions were divided into two key categories – safety and productivity.
With recent accident stats showing that from 1999 to 2004, 30 per cent of bodily injuries in the Ontario mining industry were traumatic back injuries, mining companies are looking for ways to make their drilling environments safer and encourage employment in this booming industry.
After the 8-month testing period, Major Drilling Group International concluded that by using Fordia’s Easy Rod Lift the test subject was able to avoid serious back injuries and the all-too-common sprains and swelling to both the wrist and back that are associated with drilling. The driller was also spared from dropping rods on his feet, an injury that constitutes six per cent of the accidents in the Ontario mining industry.
The driller and the company found that the Easy Rod Lift was safe and easy to manipulate making a 10-12 hour drilling shift less fatiguing to the driller and allowing him to be alert when performing other duties – thus enhancing the safety of himself and the whole operation.
The test subject went so far as to insist that as an experienced driller, he now believed that using the Easy Rod Lift device was a must, particularly when working with H.Q. rods and B.Q. holes over 500m.
To put the link between safety and productivity into perspective, every minute worked costs the Canadian economy ,500 in compensation payments and almost 14 million work days are lost in Canada due to accident or injury. That is the equivalent of over 62,000 full time jobs each year.
Always considered a dangerous industry to work in, mining companies are constantly looking for the latest in safety technology and equipment – hoping to turn the statistics around and debunk the perception of mining work as dangerous.
From a productivity perspective, the test results concluded that employing Fordia’s Easy Rod Lift, essentially a hydraulic arm that never tires, to assist the test driller with his tasks, resulted in an increase in productivity as the driller’s work was more efficient. He was faster putting the rods into the hole, was able to maintain the same rhythm throughout the task, was less fatigued at the end of his shift and the company experienced a reduction in lost time.
By improving safety and productivity in this highly competitive industry, drilling companies are able to lure a good, stable workforce and produce better results. Boosting the efficiency, safety and morale of staff is a key factor in the resulting bottom line and for The Major Drilling Group International this 8-month test garnered both. By the end of the testing period the test subject – the seasoned driller – refused to return his new work partner, Fordia’s Easy Rod Lift.
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