Following up on my presentation at the webinar on October 16, 2025, I would like to elaborate a bit more on operational control and why the traditional method of operational control is insufficient.
In the coal industry, traditional operational control methods often prove ineffective against the most serious threats. These methods typically focus on compliance with federal rules and regulations rather than actual risk reduction.
Despite progress in safety performance, unwanted events — such as underground fires, rockfalls, and methane and coal dust explosions — continue to occur. In almost every case, investigations reveal the same pattern: the risks were known, but the controls did not always function effectively.
A risk-based approach radically changes this paradigm by offering targeted resource allocation in high-risk areas. This approach allows for the conservation of labor, material, and financial resources by taking timely and necessary measures exactly where they are truly needed.
Instead of treating all control measures as equal, the ICMM methodology identifies and prioritizes the risks that must be controlled to prevent specific unwanted events.
A critical control is not just any measure, but specifically the one that must work to stop a negative event. If this control fails, the consequences will be catastrophic.
Implementing a risk-based approach at an enterprise requires systematic efforts and consists of several interconnected stages:
Risk identification — a thorough analysis of all production processes, equipment, machinery, and potential human errors. Various analysis methods are applied at this stage (GOST R 58771 – 2019 "Risk management. Risk assessment techniques").
Risk assessment and prioritization — determining the likelihood of hazards occurring and their potential consequences for people, equipment, and the environment. Special matrices and models are used for this, classifying risks by significance level: high, medium, and low.
Implementation of risk mitigation measures — developing and executing an action plan that includes both technical solutions (installing additional protective barriers) and organizational measures (employee training, improving instructions and local regulations).
Risk control and monitoring — continuous observation of the implemented measures, regular inspections, audits, and incident analysis to ensure the effectiveness of the decisions made.
Effective critical risk management is based on five key principles:
Clear identification of critical risks — to understand which ones truly prevent negative events;
Defined performance indicators for critical risks — to understand what each control measure must do to ensure enterprise safety;
Verification and monitoring of the operability of critical risks — to conduct internal audits aimed at confirming their effectiveness;
Assigning owners for critical risks — to clearly establish responsibility for each employee carrying out operational control and conducting inspections;
Transparent reporting on critical risks — to track and communicate how operational control functions at the enterprise.
Implementing a risk-based approach in accordance with the ICMM methodology allows you to:
Not just react to potential threats, but prevent them before they occur;
Reduce production losses and prevent potential fines from regulatory authorities;
Improve the safety culture by involving engineering and technical personnel in operational control.
In conclusion:
Critical risk management is not just another layer of risk documentation. It is a fundamental shift in how company safety is ensured. By simplifying systems and focusing only on what truly matters, a company transitions from compliance-based safety to performance-based prevention, creating safer workplaces and reducing the risk of catastrophic incidents.