Is fatality prevention achievable in the mining industry?

Speaker:

Professor Maureen Hassall

Abstract:

Over time significant resources have been invested in preventing worker fatalities in the mining industry. Yet these fatalities are continuing to occur at unacceptably high rates. Since 2013 findings from a number of studies have stated that fatalities continue to occur because operations are failing to implement, monitor, maintain and respond to deviations in risk controls. This seminar describes how mining incident data can be used to draw insights that highlight what risk controls need to improve to prevent future fatalities.

Bio:

Maureen Hassall conducts research, delivers teaching – at UQ and direct to industry – and undertakes consulting activities that cover enterprise and operational risk management, process and systems safety engineering and human factors. Her work focuses on high hazard industry sectors including mining, oil and gas, chemical processing, forestry, agriculture, retail, construction and utilities industries. Maureen firmly believes that we can prevent industrial fatalities and disasters and improve worker attraction, health, safety, satisfaction, and retention with better work system design and management and she believes critical control management is core to achieving these goals which is why she has been researching, teaching, consulting and facilitating workshops on the topic for over a decade.