The Marcus Evans Mining Leaders Forum on the 19th / 20th November in Perth was attended by leaders from mining operations, HR and by health and safety practitioners from the industry.
During the two day event the IntelliPERMIT representatives from Adapt IT were able to share their successful track record in reducing risk, saving lives, eliminating injuries and improving operational efficiency in the mining sector.
IntelliPERMIT is recognised as the leading permit to work and operational risk management solution for the industry and is widely adopted in Australia. It’s practical and flexible solutions are tailored for each environment to ensure that safety is never compromised.
With such an experienced group of mining professionals and thought leaders sharing their perspectives it was very interesting to learn of the current challenges in the industry. There was broad consensus that mining in Australia is in an up cycle, with inadequate investment to meet projected demand. Investment is in part constrained by the availability of local and international funding. With the average mine taking 10 years to obtain government approval, planning and developing mining projects requires sound macroeconomic planning, something that is very difficult in a volatile global economy. Other challenges include an acute shortage of specialised skills, with only 40 mining engineers (for example) expected to graduate from Australian universities in 2020.
The new Work Health and Safety Act is also currently in progress, together with changes to industry specific regulations. With safety such a priority, it is disappointing to report that Western Australian industry still has to deal with an average of three fatalities every year and over 200 amputations, fractures and crushes. Complacency about safety is seen as a major problem. To tackle this problem several speakers suggested that improved fatal risk controls should be a priority, as well as an increased focus on engineering plant and equipment for safety throughout all the design stages in a project.
IntelliPERMIT’s capabilities to support the implementation of improved fatal risk controls is well proven in mining environments around the world, and continued product development is ongoing to further enhance this aspect of the solution for Adapt IT’s customers.
Delegates were able to interact with IntelliPERMIT consultants one on one to discuss specific mining safety challenges.
For more information on IntelliPERMIT in mining, contact the team at Adapt IT.
