The purpose of this brochure is to make a contribution towards improving safety standards in underground transport. Its scope is limited to horizontal rail transport in gold and platinum mining and its emphasis is on learning and behavioral causes and remedies for accidents rather than related technical and engineering causes. It contains all the important findings of the original research, but excludes much of the background and supporting statistics.
The booklet firstly identifies the key trends and dangers associated with rail-bound underground transportation. It then examines which learning outcomes are needed to address these hazards and finally makes recommendations on the most appropriate and effective communication techniques to reduce transport accidents. The most important issues in the booklet are summarized in either tabular or pictorial form.
The quickest way to understand the contents of the booklet is to consult the sections marked with this icon.
Accident Trends Associated with Underground Transportation
Transportation Hazards
In fact, Willis (1994) specifically emphasized that lack of training was not among the most common causes of accidents. In some cases, the report stated that the person was asleep at the time of the accident. This category excluded injuries caused by part of the vehicle during another event, such as a collision or derailment.
13 Material free Injury to members of the train operating team or a passenger on the train who is hit by material on the track side. It is clear from the foregoing conclusions that accidents are more closely related to the behavior of the victims than to their technical skills and competence. However, despite this range, 10 activities are responsible for approximately 65% of accidents, as shown in the following graph.
From these statistics, it follows that for these two segments (22% of the total), most of the responsibility for the accident is probably not on the part of the injured party. Much of the remainder of the booklet is focused on this aspect, as it can have the greatest impact on changing accident statistics. Are the training methods used effective in ensuring that trainees acquire knowledge and skills in the technical and safety aspects of the machinery and work environments for which they are being trained.
The use of underground training environments greatly enhances the trainee's understanding of the risks and hazards associated with a production environment. This confirmed the findings of the data analysis, that insufficient training is not an important reason for workers not complying with the standards relating to their own work. The premise of the model is that organizational performance can only be achieved through individual performance.
The others relate to how an individual perceives themselves within the context of the organization. The details of how trust increases an individual's performance can only be determined after a thorough study of the complexity of the dynamics within a given organization. Research recently conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand's Sociology of Work Unit for the Deepmine project (Webster et al, August 2001) reached similar conclusions.
It is stated as the cause of the accident in more than 50% of cases. The learning they must acquire is linked to ways in which they can influence the behavior of the primary group.
Learning and Communication Techniques
People development and training techniques associated with confidence, attitudes and
There is a vast body of literature that focuses on the issue of leadership and how to build successful organizations. Most recent authors and academics have shifted the emphasis on successful leadership in organizations from a 'management style' of planning, organizing and controlling to a 'leadership style' aimed at building confident and productive people. This trend is evident in the work of popular writers such as Tom Peters, John Kotter, Bernard Bass, Peter Senge, Stephen Covey and many others.
The old strategies and attitudes of changing the hard organizational 'levers' (structure, strategy, updated information technology) and emphasis on cost cutting have produced short-term results at most." One of the most difficult tasks an organization faces is the conscious development of human habits in a team, let alone an entire organization.” First, what tools and techniques are there that can influence a worker's confidence and therefore his/her attitude towards safety standards.
Second, what role must the organization play in creating an environment in which learning related to these techniques can be effectively implemented in the workplace. There are no "quick" answers to these questions, but the authors mentioned above offer some insight into the type of organizational culture that leads to the development of confident workers. At present, the fact that transformational training is not transferred to the workplace in many mines means that management in mines is still rooted in a transactional model.
A deliberate shift, at all levels, to a transformational leadership style is a technique/program that will improve confidence levels. If seen as an intervention aimed at staff development rather than a mechanical exercise, then it has the potential to become a powerful tool in the long-term sustainability of an organisation. He sees the development of 'learning organizations' as the only sustainable competitive advantage an organization can have.
It provides an insight into the learning that organizations require to develop a productive workforce and thereby ensure their sustainability. A strategic HR perspective that unifies human habits This brief review of some of the approaches to building successful organizations through the development of confident people shows that there is no magic solution. They are worth reviewing because they address issues that affect attitudes toward security.
Recommended learning techniques associated with hazard recognition
Specific classroom sessions on high-priority transportation activities such as re-tracking and coupling, i.e. winch operators appear to perform these activities even though they are not supposed to. Perhaps it is better to accept this reality and train for it than to try to enforce standards that prohibit it.). Measure and identify the specific. organizational and individual factors that influence attitude and safety.
Housing and social activities Where the purpose of all these programs is to improve the attitude of workers and thus the impact on safety and production efficiency.
Final Conclusions
These models point to the need to measure and understand the complex interplay of organizational and individual issues before designing training programs that will successfully address these non-technical aspects of compliance with safety standards. These findings point to the need for further research to identify and develop comprehensive tools and techniques for measuring organizational and individual factors that influence performance. Statistical methods must be introduced to link these factors to safety, environmental, personnel, production and performance measures.
A well-packaged set of tools of this nature will enable South African mines to identify and then address the underlying issues in each area of operation that are impeding safety and production. Its final product was to be a highly practical tool that could be used by current mine personnel without the need for extensive assistance from outside consultants.
Related SIMRAC research projects
