In a bid to combat some of the fatigue issues plaguing the industry, the operations are trialling MetroNaps’ EnergyPods.

The company’s Brendan Torazzi said the new concept beds could help the mining industry with issues such as fatigue and staff attraction and retention. He said while there was no hard data on the subject it may also help in road accidents and fatalities related to fatigue issues.

The mines will install the beds in the surface crib rooms, available to staff on their short breaks when on shift or to administration staff.

Torazzi said research had found a 15-minute power nap can give three hours of extra alertness.

The beds work on three basic principles. They put the user in a zero gravity position to give the person a sense of weightlessness. There is a timer to allow the user only 15 to 20 minutes use – longer naps can lead to sleep inertia.

There is a speaker in the unit which feeds in music especially written to slow brain waves from beta (awake) to theta (sleep at the onset of dreaming, or stage two of non-REM sleep). There is also a visor to give a sense of privacy.

Torazzi and his business partner originally came up with the concept from the beds’ use in Japan and then seeing the beds in action at the Empire State Building in New York. The team secured the rights for the units in Australia and New Zealand in March last year and have been importing the units from the US.

Currently MetroNaps has nine companies on board and hopes to build up its mining clientele. It will be trialling the beds in the Qantas Club lounge soon – hoping to capture the Diggers and Dealers contingent on their way through to Kalgoorlie.

The beds can be bought outright or rented on a 12-month contract.