The 30-day process provided the opportunity to trial new technology which will help with the removal of oversized rocks blocking the flow of material into a draw point.

When preparation loaders or rock breakers can't fix issue, some rocks require workers to place explosives in the area, but the MacLean's secondary break drill and blast system removes workers from the situation, with an Auto Explosive Loader (AEL) used instead.

Mr Brannigan said eliminating human exposure to major hazards associated with secondary break activities was crucial for Cadia.

"The partnership with MacLean and Orica has been mutually beneficial as it has enabled specialist contracting partners to bring together their devices to streamline an entire process in an underground mining environment."

MacLean Vice President of Product Management, Patrick Marshall, said finding safe and efficient ways to introduce remote or autonomous fleet operations is a key area of technology development.

"The combination of the MacLean Water Cannon mining vehicles, already in operation at Cadia East, along with the MacLean secondary break unit, provides the operation with a comprehensive Ore Flow Suite solution to release trapped reserves and keep operators out of harm's way," Mr Patrick said.

Orica Territory Manager Dennis Druve added partnering with Cadia and MacLean Engineering on this successful trial has been energising.

Mr Druve said using new wireless technology WebGenTM to eliminate major hazards for people working underground would open doors to the "wider mining community in the future".

The next step will be a more comprehensive trial in a real-life production environment to further assess the safety aspects and productivity of the secondary break system.