Mining operations are large and complex. Planners, managers and supervisors work across multiple teams and locations, where frontline workers face the risk of injury every day. The hazardous nature of the work means that safety is an ongoing concern and data shows that safety pays in mining. Current studies show that$1 spent on prevention can lead to $3-6 in loss avoidance.
The High Cost of Safety Incidents
A safety incident often requires a complete shutdown of the entire operation costing millions of dollars in losses with every minute of idling. Even worse, an investigation into a serious injury or death can close down an operation for many days or even weeks.
Safety Risks in the Natural Resources and Mining Industry
Hazard-based risks (described as “risks from dangerous materials or actions”) should be predicted and prepared for in advance.
They include:
- Physical hazards caused by high noise levels, extreme weather or other environmental factors
- Equipment related hazards caused by faulty equipment or poor processes when using equipment such as machinery
- Chemical or Biological hazards caused by improper storage or use of flammable, poisonous, toxic or carcinogenic chemicals
- Psychological hazards caused by bullying and harassment, discrimination, heavy workload or mismatch of employee skills with job duties
In mining, the most significant risks posed to workers are hazard-based. Two of the most common hazards in mining are:
- Hazards directly affecting individuals’ health including, falls, impact injuries, crush injuries, human/vehicle contact, respiratory effects from debris and dust, excessive noise and thermal stress.
- Human and organizational factors that create an environment in which workers are likely to be injured including chemical hazards, fire, flood, collapse (use of explosives, or gas explosion), blasting-related hazards (flying debris, explosive fumes, premature blast) and worker incompetence and negligence.
Reducing Risks in the Natural Resources and Mining Industry
All of these factors can be addressed by putting a safety system in place that is designed to increase situational awareness, increase productivity and provide protection and oversight for each and every worker on your mine site.
OnGuard Safety gives you the assurance that every worker is not only protected by the best lone worker system in the world, but also increases worker awareness and provides a buddy system to help with quick response in times of need.
About 20-25% of fatalities are caused by workers being caught in, under or between moving objects. OnGuard Mobile Hazard detection provides preventative measures to alert workers operating and those outside of a potential hazard.
Keeping workers on a schedule for check-in, provides a “Proof of Life” that they are okay and able to keep working, providing peace of mind to supervisors that if something were to happen, and a worker was unable to check in, they would be notified and be able to dispatch help to the worker’s exact location.
Using the Fall Detection and Idle Detection features will also provide immediate notification if a worker has become incapacitated or taken a bad fall. Once again, emergency notification and direct communication with the worker can be the difference between tragedy and success.
OnGuard uses connected IoT devices to further ensure the safety and well being of all your workers. From personal gas detectors to Bluetooth beacons that help with collision avoidance and underground locations, OnGuard makes sure your workers are safe, protected and aware.
With the ever increasing legislation and regulation, it becomes imperative that rules are followed to avoid penalties and fines. OnGuard ensures that you have a record of where every employee has been and their safety status. The events leading up to an accident or injury can be analyzed using the location information of the specific workers involved, providing important insight into the root cause of the accident and how to prevent it from ever happening again.
