This document discusses the use of technology in mining operations and proposes solutions to safety issues that arise from distracted equipment operators using cell phones and other devices. It suggests that equipment manufacturers build docking stations and integrate tablets and smartphones into mining vehicles in a way that limits functionality based on safety conditions. This would help address safety while meeting the needs and expectations of future tech-savvy employees. The goal is to leverage common devices and standard interfaces to improve usability, reliability and data quality rather than relying on proprietary systems.

1. Technology and Safety
My 4 year-old cannot tie his shoes and tells me he does not know his numbers, but he can pick up my iPad,
type in “8846” to unlock it, and play Angry Birds. He has also shown me his favorite scene in CARS. I asked
him how he finds just the good parts so he showed me where to put my finger and how to touch the one that
I wish to play. One day while eating lunch my 7 year-old daughter asked my wife what flies eat. When my
wife replied that she did not know, my daughter demanded, “Ask your phone!” My wife typed in her request
and the search engine provided the answer.
Clearly my children are living in a world with rapidly changing technology and so is the mining industry.
Several months ago I received an incident report which stated that a haul truck had gradually left the road
and hit the berm. No one knew who was driving or when it had occurred but the tracks made it obvious
what happened. The incident report box labeled “Actions to Prevent Re-occurrence” had the following
sentence. "Ban cell phones and require everyone going through the guard shack to leave their phone; and
pick them up on the way out!" I believe that I could gain work force support of this ban and many of the
supervisors and managers would consider this a valid safety solution. Most likely, such a ban would keep
conscientious employees from using these devices at the mine, but some would hide their phones and
continue to use them during work. Today’s employees, like my children, benefit from immediate access to
information which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be obtained with a few key strokes.
The future generations of employees will experience an increasingly technological world, and they will have
more demanding needs and expectations while at work.
It is my belief that the resolution of this safety problem should not require administrative controls and rules
limiting the use of technology. In fact, the solution should come from the technology sector itself. I have
been challenging all of the vendors to help me remove this safety hazard. My request to Caterpillar,
Komatsu, Bucyrus, P&H, and Atlas Copco has been for them to build such technology into the cabs of their
equipment.
In this effort I have asked them to quit creating their own screens or interfaces for our operators. Instead, I
would like to see them build a robust docking station for an iPad or similar device. This docking station could
be hard-wired to a good speaker system creating a technologically modern environment for the operator.
Each mine would provide a modern tablet-type computer for every employee. Such a tablet would be a
personal device that could be docked at any assigned workstation. At the beginning of a shift the employee
could pull up the “pre-shift walk around inspection” app which would ensure a standard protocol for this
safety procedure. After starting their equipment and logging into the “mine plan”app, the tablet would
begin feeding equipment and operator information back to Modular Mining and other appropriate
databases.
Safety is the main reason I support and promote this idea. Should equipment manufacturers put this
technology into their equipment they would control the usage. If, for instance, a driller is trying to let his
jacks down, the equipment could be programmed to turn off the tablet. Ifa haul trucks is within a 50 foot
radius of the shovel, all functionality of the tablet would be turned off, if the haul truck GPS shows motion all
text input capability would be shut off. If a track dozer is within a 300 foot radius of the dragline, the tablet
would not accept any commands. We must demand that our equipment manufacturers build systems to
encourage operators to use the on-board smart-phones and music devices. Furthermore, it is incumbent
upon the manufacturers to program these devices so they are used safely. The solution to the safety question
associated with use of these devices must be built into the equipment. As these personal devices become
more and more sophisticated, administrative controls will be too difficult to enforce. In fact I could argue that

2. the administrative controls would over time be nothing more than legal salad dressing, while the core safety
problem remains.
Additionally, I am promoting this idea because one of the biggest concerns facing this industry is, and will
continue to be, attracting and retaining good employees. Most of our mines are growing and many arein
remote locations. Staffing will be a key aspect of every leader’s position as we see the mining industry
expand. Technology will play an ever more important role. The work-force of the future will expect to have
information at their fingertips, and we should provide it. Banning cell phones and new technologies will not
address their needs or expectations and will put our company at a distinct disadvantage when hiring and
keeping competent, engaged workers. When a piece of equipment is disabled there is no reason why an
employee should not be allowed to listen to their music, check email or make calls. Such a policy will label us
as a progressive employer.
Currently, we spend inordinate amounts of money adding second radios to equipment for “mesh networks
and high speed data communications”. The hardware for radios requires on-site maintenance and time, while
smart-phones and iPads are robust and can be maintained through vendors with world-wide access. I believe
money would be better spent adding a cell tower that would have long-term compatibility.
It is apparent that many of our equipment suppliers and data management providers enjoy building “their
own” user interface or touch screens for our equipment. These are clunky and of minimal quality at best.
We should insist that our suppliers use common “off the shelf” computers and interfaces such as those
provided by Apple or Google. I am confident that by using these standard interfaces and computers the
quality and reliability would improve. Employees looking for information in the future are going to be very
comfortable clicking on an app for fuel burn or productivity or engine health, and they will readily believe
those numbers. Now if I ask them to scroll through a database or spreadsheet and give me the numbers,
many will throw up their hands and say the database is too largeand the numbers are wrong. The more we
are able to provide the production numbers with a tool they use daily, the more likely we will improve the
quality of the numbers and catch any that are incorrect.
So in the short term I am implementing administrative controls to resolve cell phone safety concerns. I have
not banned these devices from the mine. However, employees are not allowed to use their cell phone unless
they have pulled into a safe area and shut down their equipment. Additionally, our leadership team is
working hard to createan inter-dependent safety culture; one where every employee feels an obligation to
interact with co-workers to remove all hazards at the mine. Hopefully most of them will be comfortable
pulling others aside and, in a polite way, letting them know they are concerned about safety and asking them
to use their cell phone according to our administrative controls.
It is my hope this article generates new ideas and thoughts for our organization. This is not a final plan by any
means, however I am convinced that we all need to imagine our future and ask discerning questions. We
must decide what we want, and encourage our suppliers to help us get there. I am also convinced that our
competitors will be using these technologies to their advantage; and if we wish to lead, we must continue to
embrace innovation and change.
Thanks
Keith Haley