The technology to keep Chilean mineworkers awake and alive

Preventing fatigue and accidents in the mining sector has become more important after Chile ratified ILO convention 176 on health and safety in the sector and the collective bargaining agreement between BHP's Escondida copper mine and almost 2,400 workers included a comprehensive health coverage plan.

This year and next, 31 other collective bargaining agreements involving around 14,000 workers will be negotiated, and there are high expectations of new demands.

Strengthening safety will be key for future projects, and tackling fatigue is critical.

Macarena Urzúa, partner and manager at local technology company Polpo, talks about the importance of technology, how it helps to warn workers and what still needs to be done.

BNamericas: Why is technology so important to monitor risks of accidents in the mining industry?

Urzúa: Automation technologies are essential for controlling occupational health and safety in the mining industry, especially regarding preventive controls, as they allow detecting risks of accidents and fatalities and measuring them automatically, actively and dynamically.

Its use improves risk monitoring, ensuring that workers can perform at adequate levels of alertness and safety. From an operational point of view, automation has allowed the implementation of critical occupational health and safety control processes, generating several benefits.

For example, it is 60% cheaper to use these operational resources [than alternatives] to establish effective preventive mechanisms and they generate 80% savings in the execution time of control tasks. In addition, technology improves user satisfaction.

BNamericas: What critical risks do mining workers face?

Urzúa: Loss of vehicle control and fatigue, that is, the loss of the neurocognitive ability to drive and operate vehicles and mobile equipment, as well as the loss of control of the variables of fire, in load lifting maneuvers and in interaction with electrical energy. On the other hand, control over dangerous chemical substances may be lost and the loss of rock-mine stability may be facilitated.

There is no single or exclusive tool to prevent or mitigate these risks. However, the key is to carry out a strategic study of hazard identification and risk assessment in each of the tasks involved in working in mining operations. This allows for the establishment, design and implementation of clear controls and standards appropriate for each operation.

BNamericas: In which areas of mining operations are most cases of fatigue detected?

Urzúa: They occur most frequently in areas such as material extraction, transportation and maintenance. Fatigue events also occur in the driving or operation of light, high-tonnage, commercial cargo, personnel transport vehicles, both outside and inside the mine, and in the operation of mobile equipment. In general, they are observed in tasks performed during night shifts, rotating shifts, and extended work days.

BNamericas: What do you think about Chile's ratification of ILO convention 176 on mine safety and health?

Urzúa: This is an excellent opportunity to share experiences, align standards and enhance methods and implementation of mechanisms for monitoring the exposure to critical risk of workers in mining operations.

However, given that there are limited powers to periodically verify compliance with the principles of the convention and that there are differences in the culture of safety and health at work when compared with other countries, it will take time to comply with the ILO principles. Those of us who work in the areas of occupational safety and health must be vigorous in trying to eliminate the barriers to change and digital transformation.

BNamericas: How can mining companies encourage a health and safety culture?

Urzúa: A health and safety culture is not established overnight. It is a process that involves medium- and long-term tasks and, above all, the acceptance and strengthening of the role of the lines of command, who must assume responsibility in a comprehensive manner.

To achieve better results, it's important to have a good understanding of safety culture, which leads to its diagnosis and periodic evaluation to focus attention on the identification of hazards and the assessment of risks.

There must also be close interaction between the lines of command and the actors on the ground. It's key to measure and evaluate the results in these areas, and to establish a long-term cultural work plan so that it becomes a true project for change.

BNamericas: Which developed mining countries are leading the way in using tools to detect fatigue situations in operations?

Urzúa: Canada and Australia. One of the success stories was the implementation of FRMS, or the fatigue risk management system, at the BMA site of the alliance between BHP and Mitsubishi at Queensland Coal, Australia.

This implementation, which took two years, allowed for a reduction in absenteeism and 98% of people accepted that they were in a state of fatigue after receiving an alert. This reduced the man-hours worked by risk groups, reduced the number of incidents per tonne transported, etc.

BNamericas: What is the economic impact of using technologies to measure fatigue risks online?

Urzúa: For example, our SARA FRMS technology controls fatigue risks, is 60% cheaper than other prevention resources and allows for a 37% reduction in the total risk of a project. In addition, it reduces management times by 80%.