Bird Gard has many products to help bird and pest control around mines.
Just
like every other industry the mining industry has problems with birds and other
fauna. Not only do birds and animals cause considerable OH&S issues and environmental
concerns, they have been known to halt production.
Bird
Gard Pty Ltd is an Australian company that has for 20 years specialized in
repelling unwanted birds and other species in an environmentally friendly
manner without harming them. To do this Bird Gard utilizes the latest
technological advances in acoustics, ultrasonics, lasers as well as some
lighting effects to repel birds. Bird
Gard has witnessed the spread of problem bird issues to virtually all aspects
of human society and infrastructure. What
was once just a farmer’s problem can now be anyone's problem and the Mining
industry is no exception. Every bird
and animal problem is unique as there are infinite environmental and human
factors to consider. The type and quantity of equipment needed can differ between
sites. Bird Gard specializes in designing systems to suit each individual circumstance. From a bird
control perspective the mining industry is unique, as no other industry has
such a diverse range of bird problem scenarios. On our website we have divided bird
problems into eight categories, Mining, Aviation, Commercial/Industrial
buildings, Domestic, Agricultural and Marine. The mining industry operates in
diverse range of environments with a complexity of infrastructure and can
experience bird and animal problems that are common with all those eight
categories. Many mine
sites have airstrips which are vital for ongoing operations, especially
isolated mines. It only takes one bird or kangaroo to strike an aircraft and
take out an engine and leave that aircraft grounded whilst undergoing repairs.
Vital supplies and the transportation of workers are delayed. The flow on effect
from Bird strikes can cost mining companies millions of dollars, often when they
least expect it. Having the latest bird control technology available to defend a
vital aviation asset makes good economic sense.
If you are operating a RPT
Airport you will already
be aware that you can be held legally liable for damage to aircraft or worse
personnel injury as result of a bird strike if it can be shown you have not
taken reasonable preventive measures. The
single biggest bird issue for mines is birds inside buildings. Not unlike a factory
in Melbourne or Sydney, pigeons, swallows, starlings, sparrows and Indian mynas
are drawn into buildings at mine sites. Any warehouse, workshop, equipment
shed, outside awning or even kitchens can have a bird problem. Any building can
attract birds. In the Eastern states Swallows have proven to be a regular bird
problem. The main problem is guano or more commonly known as bird poo...over
everything. Normally
such problems start with just few birds. But those three or four birds
gradually turn into thirty a hundred or even thousands of birds. According to
one workshop manager at a Coal mine, “The mess they create needs to be cleaned
everyday”. However the problem isn’t limited to the inconvenience and down time
in cleaning up the mess. Not only does
it damage plant and infrastructure but it also has serious health and wellbeing
implications that impact on workers morale. The build
up of nesting material can cause fires; bird guano can block gutters and
drains leading to water damage to buildings. Birds also carry more than sixty
diseases and mites etc, it is also understood that dried pigeon guano is
carcinogenic. Recent research now indicates that the Spanish Influenza that
killed millions people in the 1920s was in fact a bird flu virus. While we all
admire the beauty and the abilities of birds it is best to keep them out of the
workplace. By failing to respond quickly and appropriately to a bird
problem the greater the risk and potential harm and expense to management
and staff. Many mine
sites have townships that accommodate shift workers. If sleep is disturbed by
hundreds of corellas or cockatoos that compromises safety at any mine
site. Not only do these birds destroy
trees but they have been known to attack electrical wiring and anything else
they decide to chew on. As one gas company explained to us the corellas had on
several occasions brought their production to a standstill as the corellas had
chewed through yet another piece of crucial wiring This is
a fairly common problem and most Environmental officers are at lost to know
what to do about it. So not unlike a domestic bird problem you need a silent
non harmful form of control. Bird Gard has two products that we use in
combination that can quickly solve this problem. Mining
companies also have offshore marine assets such as exploration
vessels, floating fuel tankers, oil and gas platforms, unmanned
platforms and port facilities, all these infrastructure and
production assets can have bird problems. One Mining company explained
that they had an unmanned platform that was taken over by sea birds. These birds
were most reluctant to leave the helideck even when the helicopter was trying
to land. The helicopter risked being damaged out to sea or would have to return
to base without achieving routine maintenance and production work required. What
this company was looking for was a statically mounted device installed near the
helideck that could be remotely activated by the approaching helicopter.
Recently we developed a device that can do just that. It can be activated by a simple hand
held transmitter at ranges of up to four kilometres away or in areas with mobile
phone coverage the alternative is to simply call up the device on your
mobile to activate an electronic bird control device. Even manned
platforms can have issues with seagulls and other birds taking over the helideck. It’s all a question of safety; bird strikes
can affect helicopters as well. Birds
and animals that wander into some tailings dams can be devastating to wildlife. Several
freak occurrences had been recorded where large numbers of native birds descended
into tailings dams at the wrong time. This problem can then go through the food
chain as eagles, dingos even goannas feed on dead birds and roos. The last
thing any responsible company wants is tailings dam full of dead birds. One gold
company explained that even though they didn't have a bird problem, they wanted
to do something for the environment so they purchased electronic bird control
devices to protect their dams. Numerous duck and other water birds are at risk
but sometimes the role is reversed and the birds become a threat to us humans
when they turn a mine sites water supply into a duck pond. Some mine
sites inadvertently become a food source for birds and animals. Many companies
are involved in rehabilitating and re-vegetating land they once worked, only to
find kangaroos, wallabies and birds take advantage of this new food source and
undo those environmental efforts. Some mining camps are like a green
oasis; an irresistible target for kangaroos. This also increases the
frequency of roos in your area raising the likelihood of vehicle
accidents. Numerous products are available to repel kangaroos to suit most
circumstances One
underground site manager explained they had a large ventilation fan on the
surface and numerous types of bird species where attracted to it due to
concentration of insects in the area. The unsuspecting birds ended their
days when they where sucked into the fan. The purchase of an electronic device
soon solved that problem. Another
manager explained that he had a kangaroo problem, it was rutting season and the
female roos would often take refugee in his carport from aggressive males;
however that didn't stop the amorous attention of the bucks that soon joined
the females in his carport. The mine employee didn't mind the mating it was the
dents in his car which he could do without. Over the
last 20 years we have observed a general increase in problem birds and animals,
the effects of drought have definitely changed the behaviour of cockatoos and corellas
and driven them into closer proximity to humans. Other bird species have realized
that human habitation is a safe place to be as our presence decreases the likelihood
of predators. Other birds like crows have overcome their intelligent caution of
humans to take advantage of the easy food sources that we provide.
Issues with birds and other fauna will only increase and are yet another
challenge for the Mining industry.
Have a look at our product list below:
What our
customers say...
Soon after we installed the Bird Gard, our percentage of bird damaged
fruit dropped substantially to 2 - 3%. Read more »
Auburn University Fairhop, USA