31 MAY 2024
Light vehicles and mobile surface equipment (LVME) is the top contributing hazard for actual or potential significant events at our operations and was a priority focus area in FY24.
At the start of the year, our Australian operations worked together with the Technical function and other key stakeholders to identify possible risk reduction strategies for LVME. After reviewing several options, the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT) nine-layer model was identified as the most suitable approach. The EMESRT model applies nine layers of different controls that progress from minimising exposure, detecting and deflecting potential threats and intervention to avoid collision. A mobile equipment collision avoidance project was formed to support our operations to implement the EMESRT model and support the development of local operational capability and technical expertise.
An outcome of this work in FY24 was the construction of a dedicated roadway at the Mamatwan mine at South Africa Manganese. The road was constructed to segregate light vehicles and mobile surface machines from pedestrians and heavy mobile equipment at the mine, including front end loaders and haul trucks. Prior to the construction of the dedicated roadway, up to ten trucks and two light vehicles per hour were sharing the same road access to the crusher. This segregation control has led to the downward revision of fatality and serious injury risk associated with LVME interactions at the operation.
Several trials are also underway at our operations, testing technologies to reduce vehicle interaction risk that are related to causes including driver fatigue, vehicle blind spots and vehicle-to-vehicle proximity.
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