Proactive Training as the Key to Driver Safety in Open-Pit Mines

Practice has proven that risks associated with traffic accidents in open-pit mines exceed operational risks in terms of the number of severe injuries and fatalities.

It is well known that mining dump trucks operate in difficult conditions, such as poor visibility, slippery roads, steep slopes, and unstable ground. This is especially true for the Arctic region. Working in such conditions requires concentration and additional safety precautions on the part of the driver.

How can we minimize the risks associated with incorrect driver actions? By using active technical safety assistants, including unmanned technologies? Yes, this is a trend right now, but it is not a panacea.

Employee training still remains an important link in the safety chain. But how do we avoid slipping into developing rote memory in the trainee (* rote memory is the ability to absorb and reproduce information that a person does not know or understand) and achieve logical memory (** with logical memory, all information is carefully analyzed and sorted out, from the most important to the secondary)?

The solution actively applied in our Company is the annual professional development of drivers working in the open pits of the Vostochny mine, using coaching under the "Defensive Driving" program (hereinafter referred to as the Program).

The Program is based on deeply conscious safe driving, aimed at studying the main driver errors, the root causes of situations created by drivers, and ways to prevent them. The methodology of this Program is most widely used in major mining companies as a standard platform for training novice drivers and improving driving skills.

What does the Program consist of?

First, trainers from a specialized training organization develop a step-by-step training plan for the most high-risk operations identified by the customer, which are associated with driving a large, multi-ton mining dump truck. In an interactive presentation format, the trainer explains the principles of a safe behavioral model in simple terms, considering a number of factors:

• Nighttime conditions with rain/snow/fog
• Reversing in the rock dumping area
• Passing oncoming traffic on the pit levels

The next step is to practice the studied material at the training ground, which in our Company is set up directly on the territory of the open-pit mine.

This is the most interesting and spectacular part. The trainer sets a task for the driver over the radio, while explaining to the other trainees the mistakes being made by the driver. This continues in a circle until everyone has gone through the test.

Is it an effective training model? Absolutely. Does it require additional financial costs and adjustments to the drivers' work schedules during the training period? Yes, but it is worth it. Human life is more important.