Hexagon recently successfully deployed a fatigue management implementation project with Grange Resources at the Savage River iron ore mine in Tasmania, Australia. The Hexagon Operator Alertness System (OAS) is addressing operator fatigue and significantly improving safety measures at Savage River, further enhancing operator well-being and productivity at the mine.
Matthew Anderson, Mine Manager, Grange Resources, underlined the importance of safety as a paramount objective: “As Mine Manager, one of my key objectives is to have a safe workplace,” he stated. “Hexagon’s OAS has enabled proactive fatigue monitoring, fostering a no-blame culture that supports operators and endeavours to improve their well-being.”
John Crockett, Mine Operations Superintendent, Savage River Mine: added: “We’ve always had a fairly good safety culture – we’ve always been adaptive enough to take on new safety systems. Currently we run 31 OAS systems – when we go to phase 2 we’ll look at installing the full systems into the light vehicle fleet and all the ancillary equipment onsite. This technology is here now, there is no excuse not to have it. We have seen a change in our culture, our people are ready – mining needs to take this step forward. it is the new normal to have this.”
Ella Knezevic, Operator, Savage River Mine said: “The company does have your best interest – they do want to look after you and keep you here as long as possible – keep you working and keep you safe and get you back home to your families. When you’re working, your full attention needs to be on what you’re doing…even little things like reaching over for a drink bottle or changing the music, it is a split section but it could cost in the long run.”
Anderson adds: “We are just looking to support our operators to understand their fatigue and what causes their fatigue – go on that journey as to improving the outcomes for them…having moved to a system like this is much more objective as it gives us the data that we need to have targeted conversations with people to allow them to be safer at work, more fit for work and ultimately improve the safety and reduce the risk on site. The OAS system allows us to monitor fatigue and ensure that our operators are alert; and we also believe that alert operators are also more productive so even if that means that we need to take some time our to deal with fatigue, ultimately we think that that’s absolutely safer but potentially also more productive.”
Paul Marshall, Savage River Mine Operator summed up the benefits: “By far and away its a positive – its preventing accidents with a monitor or a critical alarm. You don’t have to panic that you’ve done something irretrievable, its just we’re all trying to learn to get better, check on each other. The Hexagon system is really working.”