The reuse of containers on minesites is nothing new.

They can be turned into everything from toolsheds to an alternative to the old-style donga accommodation many minesites used.

Actually, while the thought of multiply-stacked containers with poor miners tucked inside seems somewhat Dickensian, they actually look quite comfortable and, surprisingly, spacious.

Royal Wolf, a moniker and howling wolf logo seen on many a seafreight container, was a leading light in this container for sleeper push.

It has pushed its container remodelling chops a bit further to accommodate teleremote operators underground or on the surface.

Chops may well be the operative word.

Instead of the standard containers being turned into accommodation, these teleremote “mini-cubes” are 2.3m by 2.3m.

Working with Remote Control Technologies, Royal Wolf has fitted these mini-cubes with heavy duty electronics, air conditioning and an inbuilt barrier system.

Royal Wolf WA regional sales manager Dion Clifford said the Royal Wolf mini-cube containers were all made out of steel, unlike its competitors that used wood-based flooring.

Clifford said this provided better protection for the operators controlling the digging machinery.

RCT national sales and marketing manager Craig Buchanan said it was important equipment operators felt safe and secure when working in the challenging conditions of the mines.

“The teleremote cabin made using Royal Wolf’s mini-cubes can withstand the harshest of mining conditions while providing the operator with the comfort of working in a station-style set up,” Buchanan said.

“Each control cabin can move up to one hundred times in its lifetime so the robust nature of the container and its ability to be relocated easily makes Royal Wolf’s mini-cubes the perfect solutions for the confined spaces we work in.”

These mini-cubes have to be robust.

Picture the difficulty of manoeuvring an object, even 2.3sq.m through underground workings. The chances of it clipping at least one wall on the way through are high.

Comfort also is becoming increasingly important. Not so long ago a cab was considered a luxury. Operators had to make do with heavy hydraulic controls. Actually some contract miners complained when drill makers started switching to fully electronic controls. The contractors felt their operators were not getting the full feel for how the drill was operating. As a solution, some drill makers started putting stiff steel springs behind the control levers to return that “feel”

These days a machine without a cab seems anomalous. That these cabs are air-conditioned is a given. If it does not have an appropriate dock for the operator’s iPod then one is soon fashioned for it.

Neither RCT nor Royal Wolf mention whether these mini-cubes have the necessary iPod amenities.

However, Buchanan said operator comfort had been a driver in their design.

“We believe it is essential to provide our workers with a comfortable environment,” he said.

“Control systems can be managed from the back of a four wheel drive but we’ve found operators prefer to work from the cabins as they tend to be more comfortable.”

Royal Wolf and RCT have been working together for more than 10 years.

Buchanan’s point about where these remote control systems can be operated from brings to mind a comment from Supply Side’ colleague Hogsback.

In the article titled Hogsback on the real problem with driverless equipment, said columnist takes issue with Rio Tinto’s remote operating centre. At the moment, that centre at Perth Airport is controlling equipment 1500km away in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Hogsback suggested this equipment could be controlled from London, should Rio Tinto so decide.

No arguments here, assuming the link can stretch that far.

However, and this a bigger concern for Australian workers, why stop at London?

Why not set up the centre in Bangalore or Bangladesh where the costs of labour are much lower?

This article first appeared in ILN's sister publication MiningNews.net.