This presentation discusses implementing proximity detection devices to reduce traffic fatalities in surface coal mining. It begins by sharing loss investigation findings and outlines the presentation topics. Traffic incident data from 1960-2005 shows 78 fatalities, or about 1 every 3 years. Risk charts show how vehicle, equipment, and road factors can lead to collisions without proper preventative and reactive controls. Proximity detection could reduce the fatality rate to about 1 every 10 years. Without such technology, operators would need skills far exceeding experts in other fields to avoid incidents given the number of required trips and decisions. However, proximity detection is not preventative on its own and new technology could cause new issues, so a broader safety system is needed.

1. IM
PLEM
ENTING
PROXIM
ITY
DETECTION
–
HOW
GOOD
DO
OUR
PEOPLE
HAVE
TO
BE?
A
PRESENTATIO
N
BY
PETER
STANDISH, SP
SO
LUTIO
NS

2. BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION
 Begin with the end in mind –
Sharing information from SP Solutions works
Reflecting on major losses investigated
 What are we going to cover?
How big the problem can be
Fitting the approach into a system – visualising
your risks
Quantification – indicative – but NOT Gospel

3. HOW BIG IS THE ISSUE?
 Surface Coal – Traffic Related Incidents
 Inputs:
NSW Coal Production Data
DI&I Fatality Database – and available source
reports (e.g. US Fatalgrams)
Earlier SP Solutions analyses
 Data values:
120 MTPA surface coal production
78 Surface coal traffic fatalities – 1960-2005
15 NSW surface coal traffic fatalities = 1 every 3
years

4. HOW THE DATA LOOKS

5. THE DATA - CONTROL

6. MAKING SENSE OF IT
 Based on work done with our clients –
analysing their catastrophic level risks
 Presenting the issues by considering the
interaction of controls to causes,
incidents and outcomes.

7. UNDERSTANDING – RISK AND CONTROL CHARTING
Human
Error
(Frequency)
Vehicle out
of control
Equipment
Failure
(Frequency)
Road
Conditions
(Frequency)
Error Tolerant
Controls
Contractor
Mgt
Systems
On-Board
Diagnostics
Design
Standards
Equipment
Selection
Standard
Pre-start
inspections
Road
Maintenance
Signage /
Communication
Cause Preventative Control
Bunds,
separation,
braking
Speed
limiting and
proximity
detection
devices
Training
Mgt
Systems
Near
Miss /
Minor
Collision
Serious
Injuries /
Damage
in
Collision
All
controls
fail, fatal
traffic
accident.
Emergency
Response,
Seat Belts
and Cabin
integrity
Incident Reactive Control Outcome

8. QUANTIFYING THE ISSUE
Current: 1
fatality every 3
years
Predicted: 1
fatality every 10
years

9. SO - HOW GOOD DO OUR PEOPLE HAVE TO BE?
 Without detection and proximity devices
– we’re asking our people to:
Make 1,208,690 trips incident free
Decide what to do when vehicles converge 24,300
times, and
React to 8,280 maintenance issues
 This requires them to perform:
Better than brain surgeons
Better than elite Cambridge graduates, and
Equivalent to air line pilots (i.e. 1 operator = 2
pilots)

10. SOME CAUTIONARY POINTS
 New technology can cause clashing
effects
Remote controls a case in point (10/3 – 3/10)
 Proximity / speed detection are not
preventative!
Avoid “sense of comfort” with machines that “don’t
bite”
Include the new devices in a broader system
approach – understand your issues well

11. WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
 We need to help our people if we’re going to
achieve incident free sites (Zero harm)
 We should understand what type of gear
we’re going to introduce and why
 If we’re going to make a change we should
think about it – and make sure we’re not
going to cause a new (and possibly worse)
unwanted outcome
 Doing nothing will mean we’ll be hearing of
a surface coal mine transport death before
the end of 2012

12. THANKS
 For your attention – and to the
organisers of the seminar!
 Shameless self promotion
Visit www.spsolutions.com.au or email me
peter.standish@spsolutions.com.au