Mick Storch – Managing Director, 4PS Software
Dr Joel Spencer – Chief Executive Officer, The Institute for Drone Technology
The mining industry has been one of the great adopters of drone technology. The combination of clear use cases, the legal ability to operate drones around mines, the development of easily deployable systems, and the character of mine locations and the kinds of work undertaken, has seen drone use increase rapidly. Safety, cost efficiency and the ability more accurately capture actionable data (and new data) has underpinned this growth.
However, as in other industries, the deployment of drones in larger numbers has lead to a number of challenges for the safe operation of drone technology. Operating 50 drones safely is very different to operating 5 drones safely. We have been working with clients and partners in a number of industries, including in mining, to develop standardised safe management and training systems around the use of drone technology at scale. This presentation gives an overview of what this work has covered and where it is going in the future.
Michael Stubley – Principal Consultant – Rapid Response
Geri Morrell – Client Manager – Resources Sector and Regional Queensland, Converge International
Evidence-based reviews have concluded that ‘debriefing’, also known as The Mitchell Model has little effect, or that it actually worsens the trauma symptoms. Yet, many sites, often unknowingly, are still using this model.
This presentation will discuss what Psychological First Aid is (and isn’t), and how Leaders can effectively apply it to ensure that their people are supported in the immediate aftermath of a Critical Incident.
Cristian Sylvestre – Managing Director, HabitSafe
Most organisations think of personal safety in terms of hazards, knowledge or conscious decisions. Although these have merit, and may be part of an overall solution, they are not enough to prevent all incidents in mining. So, what is missing?
Neuroscience estimates that 95% of what we do is subconscious. That is, the majority of our actions are mostly done while on autopilot, and not just low risk ones. We are aware of what we are doing, but we are not making “active” conscious decisions from step to step. This is not because of psychology; it is because of the brain chemistry in humans that resulted from evolution.
Although being in autopilot serves us well most of the time, it can also result in unintentional incidents. The solution is not to do away with autopilot (as if we could), but to use behaviour-change science to help people be safer.
Drawing on the latest research, this presentation explores the role played by inattention and distraction while being on autopilot. If people can understand (without blame or fault) how unintentional incidents come about, and how these can be minimised, they engage more fully, comply more and make “safer” conscious decisions. This enables people to contribute with more purpose to a positive safety culture, thereby improving safety performance significantly.
Safety performance data collected from 7 Australian coal mine operations (open cut and underground) show an average of 60% reduction in TRIFR within 2 years.
Cristian Sylvestre – Managing Director, HabitSafe
Queensland Mines and Energy initiated in March 2008, a review of the role of human factors in mining incidents and accidents in Queensland.
What followed was the largest independent and most comprehensive study of a portion of mining incidents across all classes of mining in Queensland.
This presentation will recount the findings of the study and what lessons for leadership are present. It will explore the presence of human factors, the most abundant factor and the role leadership played in these incidents. It will also explore the strengths and weaknesses of the data set, so a balanced view is presented.
Importantly, the paper will present how to move forward with these findings and offer research supported steps leaders can take to reduce the impact of the most prevalent human factors.
Kellen Timboe – Account Manager, Caterpillar Solutions, Caterpillar of Australia
Adam Austin – Health and Safety Manager, HSE Mining
Getting buy-in to big safety change at every level of the organisation, from the leadership team to the operator crews, is an essential component of any culture-change process. This presentation will offer hands-on insights into how HSE Mining applied culture change methodologies to engage their employees in the rollout of the latest fatigue risk management technology.
Further we will discuss how the solution helped HSE in achieving immediate and dramatic safety performance outcomes. Caterpillar Solutions will discuss how the latest safety technologies can bring you even closer to your Zero Harm goals when implemented with your employees at the core. You can’t predict how your individual employees will react to a new organizational wide safety technology initiative but, you can plan to help them through the process.
Carrying out routine tyre maintenance on mining equipment is the single most likely event to cause a fatality in an Australian mine. The statistics prove tyre maintenance is often a difficult, dangerous and hazardous task.
This session will demonstrate the enormous amounts of energy that are released in a tyre explosion and highlight the relevant controls, why we need to have these in place to prevent such events occurring, and how such preventative measures have failed in the past.
To demonstrate these points a scenario will be enacted that provides an opportunity for both a coal and a metalliferous-based rescue team to demonstrate an emergency response to a catastrophic tyre failure.
Patrick Tyrrell – Australian Coal Industry Research Program
ACARP assists the Australian coal industry to develop and adopt technology and mining practice that leads the world. The program is entirely funded, owned and managed by the Australian black coal producers.
ACARP was established in January 1992 and has had many great achievements that improves the safety and health of our people throughout its many years. What sets ACARP apart from other areas of research is the industry monitors that have direct input to the research that is been undertaken through a collaborative approach that utilises the experience and technical strength of both the coal mining industry and research institutions in solving technical problems and addressing issues of significance to the industry’s long-term future. Any proposed research project that is strongly supported by a mine site and is of interest to a number of coal operations is encouraged. Safety and environment remain key drivers in the program and will continue to be the focus of much of the underground work and a significant component of the open cut and coal preparation programs.
Priorities have been developed by the five technical committees responsible for proposal development and selection and are separated into the areas of:
• Underground
• Open Cut
• Coal Preparation
• Technical Market Support
• Mine Site Greenhouse Mitigation
While the current priorities are not prescriptive they should act as a guide.
The Current Priorities are: Underground:
• Prevent Harm from Spontaneous Combustion, Ignitions, Mine Fires, Extreme Heat, Explosions, Outbursts, Coal Bursts, Ventilation and Strata Failures – Improved understanding, detection, prediction, protection, selection and design of major hazard management systems.
• Management of Health – including mental health and fatigue.
• Communication to Employees and Contractors of Safety Measures – Improvement such that the information, training and instruction is understood and retained.
• Operator Interfaces and Vehicle Interaction – Improving equipment, automation and remote monitoring and control, also addressing musculoskeletal disorders, improved ergonomics and
• Improved roadway conditions.
• Airborne and Noise Contaminants – Reduce exposure to airborne dust, diesel emissions, and noise.
• Emergency Response Measures – Adequacy and effectiveness.
• Investigation of key practices, including legislative, leading practice alternatives and culture.
Open Cut: The industry is looking for direct or indirect improvements in health and safety across all mining and exploration operations. Areas of interest for open cut mining are:
• Investigation of key health and safety issues and management systems, practices and culture, including legislative leading practice alternatives.
• Management of health including mental health, alcohol and other drugs, return to work and fatigue, e.g. by reduced exposure to noise, vibration, dust and heat, by determining mental health of employees, etc.
• Protection and removal of personnel from hazardous situations such as those around unstable ground, in the vicinity of voids, and around excavations particularly during truck loading.
• General improvement to the health and safety of mining and maintenance operations through novel manual
• Handling aids, including automated technologies or equipment changes.
• Improving equipment operator interfaces, vehicle interaction management, automation and remote control.
• Development of safety in the design of systems and equipment that leads to the reduction of occupational exposure at the source, e.g. noise, dust, blast fumes etc.
• Improve the communication to employees and contractors of safety measures such that the information,
• Training and instruction are provided in a method that allows cognitive retention.
• Development of a cognitive recognition method which addresses the normalising effects that are created due to the human brain predominantly operating in a subconscious mode and failing to recognise changes in their environment that could lead to adverse outcomes.
ACARP facilitates industry and researchers to work together for a common goal that is the improvement of the health and safety of our industry and our people, this is a journey that we all share together.