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Creating a culture of safety;

Using technology to keep employee’s skills sharp

by Jeff Weber

Mines can be hazardous environments, and             but in a way that encourages optimal
       with that comes the possibility for mining    engagement and retention.
employees to face dangerous situations like
fires, floods, explosions or collapses, along with   Mining skills quickly become outdated
work-related accidents involving machinery                Training beyond the standard MSHA
and tools. Even so, the number of non-fatal
accidents and fatalities in mining have reduced      courses is made more important because existing
significantly over the last century, particularly    workplace skills quickly become outdated.
over the last 35 years. In 1978 — the first year     According to a 2015 study from Bridge by
the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration       Instructure, that surveyed more than 500 college-
(MSHA) operated under the 1977 Federal Mine          educated workers across the United States, 75
Safety and Health Act — there were 242 mining        percent of respondents believe knowledge and
fatalities due to mining accidents. As the years     skills in their field become quickly outdated.
have progressed, these numbers have drastically      Moreover, 90 percent of them agreed that
dropped. In 2013, there were 41 fatalities across    changes in their field required them to update
all sectors (coal, metal, nonmetal, stone, sand and  knowledge and learn new professional skills.
gravel) but this number slightly increased in 2014
to 45 fatalities.                                        Because freshly developed skills can become
                                                     obsolete so quickly, it’s essential that companies
    This mass reduction of on-site deaths is due     get ahead and ensure their employees’ skills are
in large part to the MSHA’s continued efforts to     current. With the rapid evolution of technology
reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities through    today, worker skills quickly become outdated,
active outreach, education and training, while       resulting in reduced safety and productivity,
providing technical support when needed to all       especially in the high-risk mining industry.
companies within the mining industry.
                                                     Implementing better training practices
    But mining companies could and should also           Companies in the mining industry need to
be doing their part to reduce accidents. Forty-five
deaths is still 45 too many, and we want to keep     implement better training in order to diminish
workers as safe as possible. While making sure       accidents, stay competitive and improve return
their teams are up-to-date on MSHA classes           on investment. With a subject as complex and
and training, mining companies should also           ever-changing as mining engineering, you want
offer their own internal education programs for      to ensure you’re continually educating your
employees who work both on and off mine sites.       employees and keeping their skills fresh.
This internal education helps staff stay prepared,
aware and ready to act quickly.                          Improving training programs can seem
                                                     daunting, but there are a few main steps to follow
Creating safer mining environments                   in order to implement simple solutions that make
     MSHA regulations and production standards       a significant difference.

change often, and businesses are expected to         Make it mobile
adapt quickly to address MSHA training to
comply with MSHA guidelines. In addition             In 2015, 68 percent of American adults
to MSHA, there are other site and company-
specific trainings that need to be delivered to      owned a smartphone, according to Pew
create a culture of safety. Mining companies
and mine sites need to offer additional trainings    Research, with that number expected to increase
specific to either the company or the site in order
to ensure employees — from drillers to engineers     this year. Bridge’s study discovered that 80
— are best prepared for their jobs.
                                                     percent of employees are turning to their mobile
    Building a culture of safety is essential when
in a high-risk workplace, and training must          devices for continuing education — and they are
be reinforced often to reduce the chance of
workplace accidents. Because proper training is      learning from sources on the internet.
so crucial, company leaders don’t want to train
workers in a way that’s boring or disengaging,       Because employees are already using their

                                                     phones to learn, and because mining companies

                                                     typically have a dispersed workforce, making

                                                     training mobile is likely

                                                     the most effective way      Jeff Weber, senior vice president
                                                     to deliver training. While  of people and places at Bridge by
                                                     MSHA courses themselves     Instructure, email crobie@method-
                                                     need to be in-person,       communications.com
                                                     additional company-

www.miningengineeringmagazine.com	                                               Mınıng engıneerıng    october 2016 1