Organisational factors have recently been found to have influenced a number of incidents within the NSW mining sector. Based on analysis of incidents reported to the NSW Resources Regulator safety management systems and culture have been identified as the most prevailing organisational factors.

1. Kylie Newton
Practice Leader Health and Human Factors
HUMAN AND
ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS
AND AUTOMATION

2. Human factors
“Understanding the interactions between people and all other
elements within a system, and design in light of this
understanding” (Wilson, 2014).
“Psychology is a human science focused on mind and behaviour.
Human factors is a design discipline focused on the system
interactions of the individual” (Shorrock).

3. Organisational factors
Reporting and investigative culture - when a blame culture exists, or where
investigations are weak or not prioritised, workers will be discouraged from
reporting safety events and lessons will be lost.
Trust within the organisation - a lack of trust can lead to a disregard for
useful information and a lack of buy in for change and safety from staff.
Organisational learning - organisations should focus on learning from both
their own incidents/accidents and near misses, and those from other similar
organisations. By doing this, organisations have a better chance of avoiding
a major accident.

4. Key performance shaping issues identified
• Workers involved in an incident are being disciplined even if the error was
unintentional
• Despite the mine and industry having similar or repeated incidents, the
organisation is not learning from them, leading to reoccurring incidents or
near misses.
• Worker not reporting or trying to hide incident near misses in fear of
retribution (identified in targeted assessment and complaints to the CAU)

5. Mine’s identified corrective actions
• Communicate with crews about blind spots. Stop and move around the cab
to minimise blind spots and increase awareness of surrounds.
• Communicate with crews the positives of driving to conditions – stopping
and looking around for blind spots, driving to conditions and driving
defensively.
• Investigate the simulator emergency situations truck program and include a
light vehicle entering a truck blind spot scenario.
• Apply the disciplinary process to the haul truck operator.

6. Would you report if you had a near miss?
“competing priorities of corrective actions, accountability and
discipline can reduce the mine’s ability to learn from an
incident. Workers will not report incidents or near misses in
fear of retribution such as being disciplined or terminated,
even if the error is unintentional. (Gantt)”

7. How to build on the capability of your
organisational culture
Investigation practices need to be all inclusive to consider the range of
factors that may erode the system, this includes organisational factors.
• Establish a program of trust within the organisation to encourage and
promote incident reporting and near misses without fear of retribution
• Ensure investigation outcomes are captured and used to develop
learnings to prevent reoccurrence
• Engage end users in system design.

8. • See if we can get a photo of haul truck
Automation and HF

9. Work as imagined and work as done

10. Fatigue systems
• Picture of haul truck operating at night
Fatigue systems

11. People within the system
• Software designers/developers
• IT specialists
• Control room operators
• Trainers experienced in automation (the more you
automate the more education is needed)
• People experienced in maintaining the equipment.
This includes the traditional skills of mechanics, but
what about software upgrades in the plant?
• Infrastructure maintenance (a pot hole could affect
the system).

12. Human performance
• People are fallible and even the best people make mistakes
• Error likely situations are predictable, manageable and preventable
• Individual behaviour is influenced by organisational process and
values
• People achieve high level performance because of the
encouragement and reinforcement received from leaders, peers and
subordinates
• Events can be avoided through an understanding of the reasons
mistakes occur and the application of lessons learned from past
events
- the golden principles by Ronny Larder (Keil centre)

13. Takeaway
• Equip workers with the appropriate controls to manage the hazard
• Look beyond engineering standards and design the AI/ Automation system
with the users in mind
• Look to better your system every day. Encourage people to report issues,
incidents, near misses and work with them to build a better system
• Look to start to diversifying skills within the business
• The more you automate, the more training is going to be required as
certain skill levels may increase or decrease
• You will still have individuals interacting in a system.

14. QUESTIONS?