New Gold’s contact-tracing device helping mine reduce COVID-19 spread on site

KAMLOOPS — New Gold mine west of Kamloops has implemented a unique contact-tracing device that is already paying dividends as it deals with a small number of COVID-19 cases.

There have been seven COVID cases at the New Afton site in the last three months. Since December, every employee has had their own fob-like device that beeps when they get within six feet of each other. The device was developed by Triax Technologies in April, tracing close contacts if and when someone has contracted the virus.

“We really identified a gap and really wanted to assess every single high-risk case we had, so that’s why we went to the contact-tracing wearables,” said New Gold’s fire chief and emergency response coordinator Jared Moe. “They allow us to identify every single high-risk contact that a positive confirmed COVID case has on site, then isolate those people to prevent any spread we would have on site.”

Data related to the proximity of their interaction is collected throughout their shift and uploaded to the system.

“Once we have a confirmed COVID case, we log into the Cloud-based software. We run the person’s name, we set a date range, and then we can see every single employee that person’s been in contact with, and then the duration they’ve been in contact with them,” noted Moe.

New Gold says with spikes in the Interior, it was time to invest in such technology to keep employees and their families safe, as well as to keep the mine operating.

“When we see an opportunity for an investment like this, a technology that’s going to make the act of tracing so much quicker,” said New Afton’s manager of environment, lands and permitting Scott Davidson. “It was pretty easy for the management team to get behind this and support the New Afton mine site acquiring this.”

The company says contact-tracing from the COVID-19 case revealed on Monday was made much easier with all the data.

“It basically allowed us to identify 30 to 40 per cent more high-risk close contact than we would’ve by manual contact-tracing,” noted Moe. “We had to go back a few days and the employee’s memory was a little foggy, so this really showed its value.”

New Gold has shared their knowledge to other local mines like Highland Valley Copper. If any other COVID cases crop up, the company will be ready to address it quickly.