A cooling vest for KGHM employees - a prototype solution will be tested at the company’s divisions

Scientists have prepared a prototype, KGHM is considering introducing cooling vests for mine workers - protective clothing with an active cooling function using the thermoelectric phenomenon, developed in a project funded by the National Center for Research and Development.

The prototype of the vest is the result of cooperation between the Central Institute for Labor Protection - National Research Institute and the Department of Microelectronics and Information Technology at the Łódź University of Technology. A team of scientists have familiarized themselves with the working conditions in KGHM’s underground workings at the Rudna Mining Plant.

The cooling vest now weighs less than 1 kg and comes in the form of a body-fitting elastic harness. The temperature lowering function is performed by 6 integrated flexible thermoelectric modules. During a meeting with the researchers, KGHM representatives stressed that the vests must meet a number of conditions before they can be tested at selected mines. In addition to compliance with the legal requirements, the vest must be flame-retardant, anti-electrostatic, and non-toxic.

“Due to the climate hazards present in the underground mine workings of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., there is a constant need to seek modern solutions for improving the working conditions. We hope that thanks to this visit and subsequent consultations, the researchers will be able to adapt their idea to our requirements, which will make the vests useful for our employees,” said Adam Chyliński, the director of the OSH and Occupational Risk Department at KGHM Polska Miedź S.A.

The temperature in the mines is high, so KGHM uses a number of technologies to improve the working conditions, including coolers and a chilled water distribution system. Last year, a Surface Air Conditioning Station was put into operation at the Głogów Głęboki shaft.

Safety of the staff and the best possible working conditions are a priority for KGHM’s management. The company has been steadily reducing its accident rate, with a drop by almost 10% in 2022 compared to the previous year (from 165 incidents to 149). KGHM’s Occupational Safety Improvement Program, which has been in place for years, has been supplemented by the “Consider the Consequences” initiative.  It comprises, among other things, a package of measures aimed at changing the attitudes and habits of employees with regard to occupational safety and health, as well as a continuous improvement of the system.

KGHM’s long-term goal is to achieve the mining and smelting industry’s ambitious goal of implementing the bold vision of “Zero accidents due to personnel-related and technical causes and zero occupational diseases among our employees and contractors.”