As Zambia accelerates investment in mechanisation, automation and digitally enabled mining operations, ensuring effective safety control across large and complex worksites is becoming a growing priority—particularly across the Copperbelt.
Fort Robotics, a specialist in safe control systems for robots and mobile machines, has launched its Wireless E-Stop Pro, a safety-certified wearable device designed to enhance operator safety and minimise downtime in demanding industrial environments such as mines, processing plants and logistics facilities.
In many Zambian operations, mobile equipment and automated systems operate over wide areas where traditional fixed emergency stop buttons are not always practical or accessible. As a result, legacy safety solutions can slow response times and increase operational risk, especially in fast-moving or congested production zones.
The Wireless E-Stop Pro places certified emergency stop control directly in the hands of operators, allowing them to send a fail-safe stop command to connected machines from up to 200 metres away. This enables faster intervention and improved situational awareness, helping safety systems keep pace with modern, high-productivity worksites.
Amod Damle, head of product at Fort Robotics, says the technology is designed to support both safety and efficiency. “Safety shouldn’t be a restraint on productivity; it should be the catalyst for it,” he says. “By giving operators flexible, reliable control, we’re enabling safer and more confident interaction between people and machines.”
The device is engineered for harsh and signal-dense environments typical of Zambian mining and industrial sites. Using advanced long-range Bluetooth communication, the Wireless E-Stop Pro maintains reliable connections even in facilities crowded with radio signals, such as concentrators, workshops and warehouses.
Certified to Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3) under IEC 61508, the device delivers a high level of validated safety for mission-critical operations. Its rugged IP65-rated enclosure ensures dependable performance in dusty, wet and high-impact conditions, while an integrated status display provides operators with instant visual feedback on system health and connectivity.
The Wireless E-Stop Pro is part of Fort Robotics’ Pro Series ecosystem, which supports the safe deployment of smart and mobile machines. It communicates with Fort’s Endpoint Controller receiver and integrates with the Safe Remote Control Pro, as well as the Fort Manager cloud platform for device configuration and management.
As Zambia’s mining and industrial sectors continue to adopt automation and advanced machinery, similar safety challenges are emerging in neighbouring markets such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Technologies that provide real-time, wireless safety control are expected to play a key role in supporting productivity, regulatory compliance and workforce protection across the region.
