Integrating Safety Data to Cut Mining Fatalities: DEEPROC

Q: What is DEEPROC’s role in Mexico’s mining sector, and what is the company’s main differentiator?

A: DEEPROC develops advanced operational safety technologies for the mining industry. Our portfolio is built around three core technologies that work together as part of a single ecosystem.

DR PRX is our operational safety and situational awareness system, designed for haul trucks and other heavy equipment such as shovels and dozers. Using a combination of radar, cameras, artificial intelligence, and edge computing, it provides operators with enhanced awareness of their surroundings while generating valuable operational safety data.

DR CAS is our Collision Awareness and Risk Management System, which enables vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure awareness through peer-to-peer communications and GPS-based positioning. It can operate as a standalone system or integrate seamlessly with DR PRX.

DR FTG is our fatigue monitoring system, which combines artificial intelligence with proprietary machine learning algorithms to detect fatigue-related behaviors and micro-sleep events in real time, helping mining operations proactively manage fatigue-related risk.

All three technologies are part of what we call DR OSS (Deeproc Operational Safety Systems). That ecosystem is our biggest differentiator. While many providers offer individual technologies, we integrate multiple operational safety systems into a single platform, allowing mines to correlate data, generate more meaningful insights, and manage safety from one unified environment.

Q: In your experience, which specific operational scenario carries the highest unmanaged risk, and why does it remain difficult to control through conventional technology alone?

A: Mining presents risks throughout the operation, from processing plants to open pits, but some of the highest unmanaged risk exists around heavy mobile equipment. Haul trucks, shovels, loaders, and dozers operate continuously in complex environments where limited visibility, operator fatigue, distraction, excessive speed, or simple human error can quickly lead to serious incidents.

Technology certainly helps reduce that risk, but it is not a complete solution. Sustainable improvements come from combining technology with well-defined operational procedures, effective training, and a strong safety culture.

Our philosophy is to provide operations with accurate, actionable data that allows supervisors to identify unsafe behaviors early and intervene before those behaviors become incidents. Technology provides visibility; people and processes drive long-term improvement.

Q: What results have companies seen following the implementation of your systems?

A: Operational safety reporting is not consistent across the global mining industry. Some companies operate in jurisdictions where detailed safety metrics are publicly available, while others consider that information confidential. Our approach is to respect our customers’ confidentiality while focusing on the measurable operational value our operational safety solutions deliver.

What we consistently see, however, is improved operational visibility. Mines gain access to objective data on operator behavior, proximity events, speeding, fatigue events, and other leading indicators that were previously difficult to measure.

From an economic perspective, the value proposition is clear. Today’s haul trucks typically represent investments of between US$7 million and US$10 million, and a single serious incident can result in equipment damage, production losses, regulatory investigations, and, most importantly, the potential loss of human life. Preventing even one major incident can justify the investment many times over.

Q: Could you walk us through how the fatigue monitoring system functions in practice, from the moment a micro-sleep event is detected to how mine operators respond, and what measurable impact has it had on operations?

A: Night shift haul cycles are highly repetitive, making fatigue one of the most significant operational risks.

When DR FTG detects fatigue-related behavior or a potential micro-sleep event, the operator immediately receives an in-cab audible alert and, where configured, a seat vibration to regain attention. At the same time, the system records the event and securely transmits it to the mine’s central reporting platform for review.

From there, each mining company follows its own fatigue management protocols. Depending on the frequency and severity of the events, supervisors may provide additional breaks, temporarily reassign the operator, or initiate a medical evaluation.

We have seen situations where the technology helped identify underlying medical conditions, including sleep disorders that otherwise may have remained undiagnosed.

Across deployments, we have documented reductions of 80% to 90% in fatigue-related events, demonstrating that the combination of real-time intervention and proactive fatigue management can significantly improve operational safety.

Q: For a mine manager, what does a unified data view change about how they make operational decisions on a daily basis, and what insights are most acted upon?

A:The biggest benefit is moving from reactive safety management to proactive decision-making.

Instead of waiting for incidents to occur, supervisors can identify trends early. For example, fatigue reports allow operations to recognize operators who consistently generate fatigue events, while speeding reports highlight individuals or areas where unsafe driving behaviors are becoming common.

Rather than relying on assumptions, managers have objective data that supports coaching, retraining, and operational improvements.

Because every mining operation has different priorities, our reporting platform is highly configurable, allowing each customer to focus on the operational metrics that matter most to their business.

Q: What do you think is driving the industry’s growing investment in safety technology, beyond the immediate goal of protecting workers?

A: Protecting people will always be the primary objective, but safety and productivity are closely linked.

A serious incident affects far more than the individuals involved. It can stop production, trigger regulatory investigations, damage equipment, increase insurance costs, and significantly impact a company’s reputation.

Following a fatal incident, many operations temporarily suspend activities while investigations are conducted. The resulting production losses can be substantial.

Mining companies increasingly recognize that investing in operational safety is not simply a compliance requirement, it is a business decision that improves operational continuity, reduces financial risk, and strengthens long-term performance.

Q: Federal authorities have signaled a more pragmatic stance on mining permits in 2026. Where does DEEPROC see the most immediate commercial opportunity in Mexico this year, and what is the outlook for the rest of the year?

A: We are very optimistic about Mexico.

There are numerous world-class mining operations where we see immediate opportunities, including sites that currently operate competing technologies. Mining companies continually evaluate new solutions that deliver stronger performance, greater operational insight, and better long-term value, and we believe our technology is well positioned in that environment.

Beyond existing operations, several new mining projects are progressing through development and will represent future opportunities as they move into production.

The more constructive approach toward mining that we are seeing today is also encouraging. A healthy mining industry creates opportunities for innovation, investment, and technology adoption, and we believe DEEPROC is well positioned to contribute to that growth.

DEEPROC is a Tucson-based mining safety technology company delivering AI-driven proximity detection, collision awareness, and fatigue monitoring solutions for surface mining operations.