Wearable technology in mining refers to electronic devices and smart sensing systems that are worn or integrated into personal protective equipment (PPE) by mine workers to monitor health and safety parameters, track worker locations, provide real-time alerts, facilitate communication, and enhance situational awareness in hazardous mining environments. In bauxite, gold, iron ore, and diamond mining, the adoption of wearable technology is rapidly increasing as part of broader digital transformation and zero-harm safety programs. Wearable devices currently deployed in mining include smart helmets with integrated proximity detection systems, fatigue monitoring glasses that track eye movement and blink patterns, physiological monitoring wristbands that measure heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen levels, gas detection badges that sense toxic or flammable atmospheric conditions, RFID and UWB-based personnel tracking tags, and exoskeletons designed to reduce musculoskeletal strain during manual handling tasks. In underground gold mining operations, wearable technology plays a critical role in emergency response, enabling rapid location of workers in the event of rockfalls, fires, or seismic events. In open-cut iron ore and bauxite mines, proximity detection systems worn by workers and installed on mobile equipment prevent collisions between pedestrians and heavy machinery — one of the most significant causes of fatality in surface mining. Wearable technology data is increasingly integrated with mine management systems, enabling real-time workforce health monitoring dashboards and predictive analytics to identify workers at elevated risk of heat stress, fatigue-related incidents, or exposure to hazardous substances.
