Xstrata Copper Ernest Henry Mine

 

• Environmental data monitoring system, 5 mine sites, (Australia and Argentina), 2 refineries (Australia and UK), 1 port (Australia)

• 25 users

• Multiple data types (groundwater, dust, weather, noise, surface water etc.)

• Mixture of centrally hosted & WAN (3 sites Australia), rest local SQL Servers

• Training on-site by EHS Data Ltd.

• Staged rollout.  Alumbrera most recent (April 2007).

Environmental monitoring data from many Xstrata Copper and Zinc sites across Australia and in the UK is managed using Monitor-Pro systems. Mount Isa Mines, Ernest Henry in Cloncurry and Copper Refineries Limited in Townsville share a central MP-5 database with MP-5 clients installed at local sites.

Ernest Henry Mine takes the environment extremely seriously. We have a comprehensive, ongoing monitoring programme. Statutory and ancillary monitoring data are collected throughout the year.

Jason Alexander, Environment Technician, Ernest Henry Mine Pty Ltd. Answers questions on their experiences with the system.

What types of data do you monitor?

• Groundwater quality

• Dust deposition

• Potable water quality

• Effluent discharge to irrigation water

• Soil sampling to measure elemental penetration.

This is all managed in MP-5.

Laboratory data is returned in a .csv format and transfers easily from email to database with little manipulation, greatly reducing margins for error.

What are the main benefits of MP-5?

Uniformity and accessibility: Like other members of the Xstrata copper and Zinc groups, our data is managed using a Monitor-Pro MP- 5 data management system. You don't have all of your data stuck in a hundred spreadsheets or access databases, which tend to be tucked away in obscure hard-drives, on floppies or CD's, or locked away under someone else's login.

We use the MP-5 auto-importer, and data can be accessed as soon as results are emailed from the labs.

The functionality of MP5 is such that an 'uber-user' can be created in the regional HQ to view all data entered, enabling report creation without lengthy delays.

The data is stored in a single, backed up database, and can be accessed by all onsite users and authorised users across the group. Across a large organisation such as ours, each site receives data from different laboratories, but the reported data is all sourced from MP5, making comparisons a breeze.

Furthermore, as each site uses the same database, were an operator to be absent for a prolonged period, there is no loss of functionality as staff from other sites can manage their data.

How do you rate the usability of MP-5?

I have found that MP5 is very similar to most other Windows based programmes, and someone who has had little experience with MP5 can quickly pick it up. The main view mimics Windows Explorer. The familiar way in which the menus and file trees are set up makes transitioning from Windows to MP5 quite easy.

Reports can be customised by the user using Crystal Reports. This was a bit daunting at first, but the support was great and enabled me to get across the major points very quickly.

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