CCTV for Mining Areas: Cameras, Network, Power, and Remote Monitoring

In mining areas CCTV is used for asset security, access monitoring, safety supervision, and evidence of incidents. Field conditions are harsh: thick dust, heavy rain, vibration from heavy equipment, frequent power cuts, and limited internet. A plan that suits an office building rarely survives here.

Points that are usually monitored

• Gates and guard posts: vehicles and people entering and leaving.
• Workshops, warehouses, and fuel tanks: valuable assets and sensitive areas.
• Messes and site offices.
• Haul roads and intersections: traffic safety.
• Risky work areas that the HSE team needs to watch.

Choosing cameras

• Dust and water resistant: look for IP66 or higher for outdoor cameras.
• Impact resistant: an IK10 rating helps in areas heavy equipment passes.
• Night vision: infrared is enough at short range, while wide areas need extra lighting.
• PTZ cameras for wide areas that need zooming, and fixed cameras for points that are always watched.
• Only the resolution you need: higher resolution uses more storage and bandwidth, so match it to the goal, such as reading plates or simply seeing activity.

Network in the field

• LAN cable with PoE is practical up to roughly 100 meters per segment.
• Fiber optic for long distances and areas with electrical interference.
• Point-to-point radio links connect towers or points that cannot be cabled.
• Grounding and lightning protection matter, because lightning is a frequent cause of equipment damage.

Power

If the generator stops at night, CCTV still has to run. Use a UPS for short gaps, and solar panels with batteries for points far from a power source. Calculate the load of every device at that point, including the switch and radio.

Recording storage

Capacity is calculated from each camera's bitrate, the number of cameras, and how many days of recording must be kept. Two common patterns:

• Record on site with an NVR or local server, and send only important clips to headquarters.
• Record at headquarters if the network is large enough, with a backup on site for when the link drops.

Monitoring from the head office

Many sites have no fiber, so remote monitoring depends on satellite or radio. Bandwidth is limited, so configure cameras to send a light stream for live viewing and keep full video locally. For connectivity options, see Starlink for mines.

From recording to alerting

Footage is usually opened only after an incident. Video analytics can flag events as they happen, such as a person entering a restricted area or a worker without a helmet and vest. Learn about CCTV Analytics and Safety AI.

Checklist before the survey

• A site map and the list of points to monitor.
• Power source and generator schedule at each point.
• Distances between points and terrain conditions for cable or radio.
• How many days of recording must be kept.
• Who monitors, from where, and over which network.

Sentra installs CCTV and its network from survey to handover. See the CCTV procurement and installation service and mining solutions.