Transformation of Production Control (Barrier Risk Management Model)

From Control to Management: Why a Barrier Model is Needed

In modern industry, controlling absolutely all risks is becoming impossible due to a shortage of personnel and competencies. At the same time, the cost of an error in industries like mining is catastrophically high. Alexander Valiev, Head of the HSE Management Systems Development Department at Sibkor, uses a pilot project to explain how to transform the production control system through a barrier model for critical risk management.

The approach is based on the ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals) methodology and the Bowtie model. The essence of the transformation is to focus on risks with a low probability but potentially fatal consequences (accidents, group incidents, prolonged production shutdowns).

How the Critical Risk Management System Was Built

The speaker demonstrates the implementation path using a coal mine in Kuzbass as an example. The process consisted of several key stages:

• Identifying critical risks. For the underground group, 13 key threats were identified, including methane and coal dust explosions, spontaneous coal combustion, collapses, and falls from height.
• Creating risk maps. Each risk was linked to specific equipment, work processes, and technical documentation.
• Building barriers. Organizational, technical, and organizational-technical barriers were developed jointly with the technical directorate, production services, geologists, and surveyors.
• Developing checklists. Simple checklists were created for each barrier with questions requiring a definitive answer ("yes" or "no").

Digitalization of Production Control: From Excel to a Mobile App

Initially, inspection results were recorded on paper and manually transferred to Excel, creating a huge workload for analysts. The presentation details the transition to digital tools.

At first, the barrier model was integrated into the Insite information system: checklists were uploaded, dashboards were configured, and automatic inspection notifications were set up. However, using a separate program for critical risks proved inconvenient for production workers.

The solution was integration with the new work order system and the development of a mobile application. This allowed for:

• Automating violation generation. If a barrier fails (a "no" answer in the checklist), the system requires a comment and automatically sends the violation to the work order system.
• Speeding up response. Thanks to Wi-Fi in the mine, the manager sees inspection results in real time and can immediately include violation corrections in the next work order.
• Simplifying data entry. The mobile app features voice-to-text input, significantly easing work in mine conditions.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to select critical risks and avoid wasting resources on secondary threats?
• How to properly build barriers and develop effective checklists for their verification?
• How to automate the production control process and eliminate paper routine?
• How to integrate risk management into the enterprise's daily work order system?
• How to avoid conflicts of interest between production and the control service?