Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs on eTag Board smart mine tag board and personnel tracking.
eTag Board
The eTag Board is a smart, physical tagboard which uses TopVu’s Q7 software and RFID technology to report and record the presence or absence of a miner’s tag.
The TopVu eTag Board collects, stores, and organizes all mine tag board activity, creating a digital log that can be quickly viewed and printed from the software. It also provides historical records.
Conventional tag boards reflect only a moment in time and there is no record of previous activity. The TopVu eTag Board digitally records, timestamps, and stores all tagboard activity. It is therefore possible to determine who was in the mine and when they left; yesterday, last week, or last year; in an instant.
When you combine TopVu’s smart eTag Board with a TopVu checkpoint at the entrance to the cage or mine portal, workers who fail to tag/brass in before entering the mine will receive an alert from the TopVu watchdog. The watchdog enforces safety procedures based on rules which are set by managers. TopVu’s Q7 software uses data from the checkpoint to tell the watchdog when the rules are being broken. The watchdog then sends out alerts, which usually appear as a message on TopVu’s electronic message board. Audible alerts may also be added such as a bell, buzzer, or horn.
A checkpoint is a gate or zone of RFID detection within the mine where TopVu antennas are mounted.
Yes. The eTag Board keeps a digital log of who has entered the mine and who has left. All this information is time stamped and stored on the database where it can be easily viewed and exported.
The TopVu’s smart tag board features eTags which contain miniature RFID antennae that are detected by the eTag Board.
Yes. TopVu’s Q7 software utilizes data from the eTag Board to provide sophisticated property access and access control solutions.
Yes. Incorporating eTag Board into a personnel tracking system allows for greater accountability and simplicity.
eTag Board & Personnel Tracking
TopVu has developed a line of products that eliminate tagboard incidents and help locate personnel, by zone, in an emergency. The eTag Board is a smart tagboard which records all tag/brass in/out activity. When combined with a checkpoint at the cage or portal entrance, workers are alerted when they forget to tag/brass-in. Managers can also receive email alerts. TopVu turnstiles will lock if a worker attempts to leave the mine site without tagging/brassing-out. The TopVu Muster Tap Station can instantly tell managers when a worker has arrived at a refuge station.
The Muster Tap Station (MTS) is designed to record refuge station attendance in an emergency. Workers entering the refuge station tap the MTS with their hard hat. Paper thin tracking tags inside the hard hat are detected by the MTS which provides data to TopVu’s Q7 software. Managers will be able to view real-time data of who has made it to the refuge station, and who has not.
The eTag Board becomes a verified tagboard when combined with a TopVu RFID checkpoint at the cage or entrance of the mine portal.
Every second counts in an emergency. TheTag Board gives mine rescue teams clarity and confidence about the location of their miners. A complete list containing the names of everyone who has not tagged/brassed-out, as well as the zone they were working in, can be printed in an instant. Learn more about eTag Board’s emergency list here.
The TopVu eTag Board is a verified tagboard when used with a mine entrance checkpoint. When an emergency occurs, managers can quickly see who is in the mine and who is not.
The Muster Tap Station is an instantaneous verification tool so managers can see who has made it to the refuge station. TopVu’s Q7 software makes this information available to mine rescue teams quickly, and in real-time.
Mine managers need to be confident that all personnel have left the mine before detonating the central blast. One of the most common causes for central blast delays are workers who have left the property but have failed to properly tag/brass-out. The eTag Board reinforces mine safety procedures. Turnstile integration will prevent miners who have not properly tagged/brassed-out, from leaving the site. Learn more about TopVu’s checkpoint tracking here.
Special RFID antennae stickers are affixed to the inside of the worker’s hard hat. For visitors, TopVu provides re-useable RFID fabric bands which are wrapped around the exterior of the hard hat.
TopVu’s smart tag board uses eTags which contain RFID chips that are detected by the eTag Board.
TopVu checkpoints use proven RFID technology and combine it with our Q7 state of the art software to deliver a low-cost solution that can be deployed quickly and easily. It’s simple and it works.
TopVu’s Q7 software provides a live, easy-to-read list of mine personnel locations. This can save time when production has been interrupted for an emergency response or a drill. No pens, no paper, and no phone calls. The faster everyone is accounted for, the faster they can get back to work. The eTag Board also significantly reduces central blast delays due to tagboard incidents. One Nevada mine manager estimates to have gained an extra 2-3 hours of production time each month since installing the TopVu personnel tracking system