Risk Assessment & Management for Mining Industry in Australia - Risk Management Assessment Answers

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Highlighting Literature review gaps at least 2 or 3 (File for literature review Assignment# 1 is

  attached which has been done by your services).

• Research Overview (New Consideration)
• Hypothesis (3 nos)

  (These that what I think, it can be change that suits to the best option that you think will be appreciated)

• Research questions
• Research Design Analysis
• Instrumentation
• The survey
• Validity of Survey
• The interviews
• Validity of interviews
• Ethical Consideration
• Limitations of the Methodology
• Conclusion

1 Highlighting Literature review gaps

The history of mining provides an insight into several risks and disasters that have occurred in the past. There should be proper disaster and emergency preparedness and response plan to mine disasters in Australia (Joy, 2004). This literature review gives history of major past mine disasters, major mine hazards, how to plan disaster and emergency response to mine disasters and how to use risk assessment models in the mining industry.

Mining is an inherently risky occupation with many mineworkers having lost their lives or sustained serious injuries due to disasters. Increased disasters in the mining industry led to the establishment of several mine associations and regulatory bodies since early 20th Century. Nevertheless, there has been a continued occurrence of disasters in the mining industry prompting the need for improvement in preparedness and response to disasters. The mining industry in Australia has made great safety improvements in mining disaster management. Improved risk assessment methods that are systematic have been used in identifying, assessing and controlling risks to people, the environment, people and production. Consequently, the results have improved safety standards of the mining management system (Kirsch, Goater, Harris, Spritt & Joy, 2012). The major concerns are the approaches to risk assessment applied in designing mining equipment and mining operation, and the specific methodology for assessing the risks. The reactive side of risk assessment and management, risk scenario incidents and accidents investigations are also of concern. The Australian mining regulatory agencies have adopted systematic and analytical methods to be applied by mining companies with a view to mitigating the risks.

The gaps in the mining industry safety standards have been narrowed by continued effort and commitment to mitigate disasters and emergencies in Australia. Globally, regulatory laws on workers’ health and safety have increased including compulsory risk assessment and management requirement. Australia and the European Union have the same practice code standards developed to comprise risk assessment to address issues such as hazardous chemicals storage and plant safety (Kirsch et al, 2012). For more than two decades, the coal mining industry in Australia has embraced the application of systematic safety technique of engineering to investigate and minimize injuries and fatalities occurring in the mining sector. The regulatory bodies also expressed interest in the exercise alongside the coal-mining sector. While the regulatory agencies presented information on safety and risk assessment and management, the mining industry created a project on research to investigate and test the approach techniques to risk assessment and management.

Since the inception of such early safety and health initiatives, a system of safety principles have been used in the assessment of risk and management, which has been integrated as part of coal- mining requirement especially in the eastern Australia. The loss time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) in Australia has reduced from more than 200 before 1998 to less than 20 currently because of the safety initiatives. The safety improvement is very encouraging to the extent that some cases have recorded LTIFR levels of closer to just 5 making many mining firms concur that achieving a single figure LTIFR is possible.

Fatality rate in the mining industry has also reduced considerably in the Australian mining industry despite the reduction in workforce, and major technological changes in mining that usually involve major risks. The current gaps arse that the complete impacts of risk assessment and management on the mining industry have not been measured objectively; all corners of the mining industry in Australia give positive feedback with satisfaction. Therefore, the assessment approach technique have played a clear valuable role in helping to plan and manage operations as well as assisting manufacturers to supply safer equipment and machines (Choudhary, 2015). Today, most of the mining regulatory agencies in Australia require that companies develop risk assessment to develop management systems and necessary applications. However, many mining companies have surpassed the regulatory expectations going beyond to develop resources and procedures, which clearly show a good business culture behind their effort.

2 Research Overview

Risks assessment in the mining industry is important because it provides the framework for necessary risk control. There are legal enactments such as Occupational Health and Safety Acts , Environmental protection Acts, State Coal Mines Regulations Acts and litigation from accidents protection acts (Joy, 2004). Risk assessment and management plays the role of ensuring that many activities in the industry are well acceptable. A four level process approach is adopted in the research risk as a characteristic.

The first level is risk identification in which all the probable hazards and the situations that harbour losses or harm causing potentials are identified. The second level in risk assessment is the risk analysis(Joy, 2004). In this sense, the magnitude of the risk is analysed with respect to how the unwanted events or the situations that have potential to cause damage can lead to risks. The third stage in risk assessment is the risk control where a decision is made on which measures are suitable to minimize or control probable unacceptable risks. Implementation and maintenance of control measures is the fourth level in risk assessment because it is at this level where the effectiveness of the control measures implementation is ensured.

The four level processes are the foundation on which hazards are identified, analyzed concerning probable risk on people, the community, environment, production and other consequences in the mining industry. The essential first step in risk assessment and management is risk identification where unwanted likely events are identified through a critical evaluation of all likely hazards to workers and other areas as a result of organizational activities (Krisch, 2012). Recognition and understanding hazards are compulsory for the credible definition of potential undesirable risk scenarios related to the hazards. It is difficult to proactively view hazards because people usually see things clearly based on their experiences. However, one commonly applied in identifying hazards proactively is to apply the energy concept, which involves creative thinking and innovation. Damage and destruction does not take place when there is no release of unwanted energy hence all the general types of energy within which particular hazards can occur are listed. These types of energy include gravitational, electrical, mechanical, chemical, thermal and biological energy. Others include biomechanics, pressure and radiation.

Information gathering methods on hazards comprise interviews, observation, reviews of documentations and team activities. Team activity exercises allow for fast and effective information collection, especially when the team consists of people with proper understanding of current and potential risk scenarios under review (Choudhary, 2015). There are many various techniques of risk assessment with each having its own particular purpose and result. The most commonly used risk assessment approaches in Australian mining industry are described below.

2.1 Informal risk assessment (RA)

This is where the hazards are generally and identified and communicated with corresponding risks being estimated in an activity through the application of critical thinking, normally without documentation.

2.2 Job safety analysis/job hazard analysis (JSA/JHA)

This involves generally conducting hazard identification with corresponding control measures through specific activities, usually with the aim of determining the work practice standard basis (SOP).

2.3 Preliminary hazard analysis

This is the risk assessment and management control that is done about the workplace to ascertain its safety standard. Priority risk event scenarios are generally identified, which form the basis for determining the need for further and detailed study.

2.4 Hazard and operability study (HAZOP)

This is where the hazards are identified systematically in the process of plant design.

2.5 Fault tree analysis (FTA)

This is a detailed analysis being conducted on the factors contributing to the major unwanted risk scenarios by use of quantitative analysis techniques.

2.6 Event tree analysis (ETA)

This is also a detailed risk analysis of how the major unwanted risk scenario events develop. The analysis is done by use of quantitative data analysis techniques too.

2.7 Failure modes, effects & critical analysis (FMECA).

This is conducting a general but detailed analysis of reliability risk on the hardware components of machines and equipment.

It is worth noting that the risk assessment team varies in membership size based on the objectives and methods of the exercise being undertaken. A team can be drawn from the corporate management, mine site management, machine operators, union officials and equipment suppliers as well as government representatives (Joy, 2004). A properly skilled facilitator who takes it through a systematic method to diligently accomplish the task of risk assessment should lead the risk assessment team. The role of the facilitator is ensuring that a specific method for risk assessment is effectively and consistently applied in the entire exercise. While the risk assessment team is deciding on each risk relative priority, it considers the consequences of the probable risk scenarios and the probability of the risk event scenario occurring, normally taken as the risk equation given by: Risk = probability x consequences.

3 Hypothesis

The research hypotheses include three statements on the mining industry scenario, which include:

• There are injuries due to disasters, accidents and hazards in the mining industries in Australia.
• Promotion of occupational safety, health in mining industries can be achieved by developing healthier and safer working ways.
• Developing a plan than is inclusive of all workers for participation in the mining industries can help achieve behavior change for safety practices to minimize risks.

4 Research questions

The research questions are asked in line with the objectives to find answers whether the hypothesis is true or false. Some of the questions in this research include:

• How risk assessment of accidents in mining industries be conducted?
• How can a good safety, health policy to meet the objective of the workers be developed?

5 Research Design Analysis

The research design analysis for risk assessment will be largely qualitative technique with a bit of quantitative technique. In assessing the risks, the availability of accurate data for two or more variables determines the type of analysis technique to adopt (Joy, 2004). A quantitative risk assessment can be done if loss severity of a risk event can be objectively measured and that the relevant historical data can help in identifying the probability of the risk scenario event. However, whenever the severity and probability of the risk event cannot be exactly specified, but only approximated based on opinions and discretion, the best technique to be applied is qualitative or mixed of qualitative and quantitative technique is applied.

In many cases, the Australian mining sector industry does qualitative analysis of risk assessment because there is limited accurate and valid documented information data about risk events’ likelihood (Choudhary, 2015). In addition, the mining industry in Australia has a wealth of experience at different levels, such as the management, operation and supervision, which can hint subjective event likelihood and consequence. Finally, most companies in the mining industry in Australia conduct qualitative risk assessment because often, the risk assessment objective is to manage and control the priority risks. It is worth noting that this kind of objective does not require quantitative research, data analysis for it to yield effective results.

No one method is exclusively for rating risks subjectively, but several methods have been created to help in establishing priority. Emphasis is put about the risks, which present the highest potential consequence. Risks that can result in catastrophic and devastating consequences, albeit rarely, are accorded higher priority than the risks, which can only cause little losses. The probability of a risk occurrence even though subjective, sometimes ought to be given consideration when the overall qualitative risk task is being established. According to Joy (2004), a value for qualitative risk can be developed for every unwanted by use of pre-established tables to help identify the probability and consequences, normally the maximum rational and reasonable. This research design employs qualitative risk scoring techniques that have existed for years and similar to those used by US department of Labour Information about safety engineering system.

An example of a basic qualitative risk assessment technique would involve considering the three consequences rating with the greatest risk ranking in any group where 1 is greatest rank chosen as the consequence level. Numbers are used to rank unwanted risk events to design risk reduction methods, commonly known as controls. The research design would involve a table where letters indicate the type of expected risk event and the description done for all possible risk ranking scenarios say between 1-4 (Joy, 2004). The risk assessment team identifies potential and planned extra control techniques for minimizing the likelihood and consequences for every risk beginning with the greatest risk rank.

Table1: First ranking category

Risk control discussions are done after the identification of the unwanted events, but sometimes before or after the analysis of the risk event. All the final decisions on measure for risk control must consider the necessary legal requirements, which establish basic levels for prevention of accidents.

Table 2: Maximum reasonable consequences in the event occurrence

Table 3: Risk Ranking

6 Instrumentation

As part of the research design, instrumentation of the research should be such that the activities for risk control fall within the following categories. The first category is the elimination of hazards through removal minimization or substitution of a risk factor event (Choudhary, 2015). The second category machines and work activities should be designed to minimize energy release, or suppress the release of energy. Enclosure, remote control or guarding through isolation of a machine is another category of risk control. Other risk controls include defining work procedures and methods, giving protective clothing and equipment to people and establishing an emergency response and recovery mechanism to mitigate the losses impact from event occurrences.

A carefully designed safety system of management should be developed to implement and maintain the risk controls, supported by an effective monitoring, evaluation and auditing (Joy, 2004). Priority control measures should be properly documented to ensure that there is conformity and effective auditing in line with the total quality management principles defined by the international standards. Many mines in Australia often apply certain kind of formal method of risk assessment for a post incident or a change review.

In our mixed research design, instrumentation, a systematic incident investigation will be employed. This is a spin-off technique of risk assessment which help mines to critically, conduct examination on how well they have managed past critical risk events such as fires (Krisch et al, 2012). The mining industry has applied several formal methods to evaluate serious losses, especially the system safety accident investigation (SSAI). The technique offers a systematic method for clear identification of what occurred and why it did. The examination of the event is done with a particular focus on a work management system to identify issues of behaviour as well as management and engineering decisions, which may have led to the occurrence of the event.

A special set of concepts drives the process of investigation resulting into more effective outcomes. One of the concepts is the acknowledgement that there is often an inherent risk in each increased activity provided a change has occurred. If the change is deliberate occasioned by reviewing procedures, improved equipment or new human resource among other things, then the risk can easily be normalized to its previous levels of acceptance through implementation of an effective change counter program (Krisch et al, 2012). However, most changes are often unintentional, such as human behaviour, human error, and component failures, and usually unexpected or unnoticed. Failure to adjust and conform to changes can result in both operational and planning errors. If an error occurs, there exists an unsafe situation, which may lead to accidents if there is a lack of enough barriers, an unwanted flow of energy and a target such as equipment or a person in the path of energy flow.

In this concept, an incident is considered as unwanted energy flow where there are no adequate existing barriers. Therefore, the occurrence of incidents is symptomatic of inadequacies within the safety system of management. Energy sources within the mines and their uses should be controlled by a system that has appropriate barriers, work methods and diligent personnel for the running activities (Joy, 2004). If the event or incident is used as an opportunity against which the existing system of management are viewed, it reveals deficiencies and derive benefits which go along way beyond the immediate incident causes. Ideally, the systematic incident analysis gives a logical and methodical fact finding process to develop valid conclusions. A systematic risk assessment provides credibility to the investigating team, goes beyond the causes and reasons of the incident and it also imposes a general discipline on the process of investigation.

The Safety System Accident Investigation (SSAI) follows a number of analytical techniques in the process of investigation normally applied in a particular order (Joy, 2004). Charting of events and conditions is done through a graphical display of events in the sequence of accidents, and the required conditions that affect such events are revealed in the process of fact-finding. Fault tree analysis is used to depict the probable event scenarios for events in the sequence of accidents where witnesses are absent. Another order is the energy barrier analysis where unwanted flows of energy are illustrated in relation to barrier weaknesses that lead to accident occurrence. Human error analysis is done to examine deviations from expected performance than normally happen in serious accidents. Gap analysis is another procedure that gives insight into the reasons as to why the accident happened through comparing accident situations to accident free situations (Joy, 2004).The research design does not necessarily require to apply all the above mentioned techniques for accident investigation because they are just tools that can be used by the facilitator of accidents investigator team. Accidents that lead to fatalities, massive damage of equipment, or to a long lasting failure are accorded complete and in-depth investigation. Incidents with lower severity levels are typically accorded less intensive investigation.

7 The survey

The survey was conducted in Australia among mining companies and documented sources concerning risk assessment of mining industries in the country. There were questionnaires sent to many different organizations and individuals working in the mining industries. The questionnaires were designed in such a way that they focused more on qualitative data than quantitative. The response from the respondents were gathered, organized and analyzed to assess the level of risk in the Australian mining industry. Google drive, Microsoft access, special package for social statistics and Microsoft access are among the softwares that were used to analyze the data.

8 Validity of Survey

The survey was validated by ensuring that only valid responses were considered from confirmed mining companies, mining industry employees and professional sources. Only data that were received in time was analyzed qualitatively, quantitatively and systematically for meaningful and relevant conclusions to be made.

9 The interviews

Interviews were conducted through questionnaires, activities of research teams and participants with similar questions as those of questionnaires being asked. Professionals and reputable mining organizational leaders were also involved in research interviews to collect reliable first hand information.

10 Validity of interviews

The interviews are valid since they were conducted in a carefully designed plan for data collection, documentation and analysis. In addition, the research team that conducted the interviews comprised of professionals who followed research design rules and principles as well as adhering to the elements of valid planning.

11 Ethical Consideration

While conducting a research design for risk assessment in the mining industry, it is important to factor in a number of ethical considerations such as informed consent, debriefs. Informed consent, participants protection, deception, confidentiality and withdrawal of respondents. While informed consent requires that the research respondents must give their permission freely, having been duly informed about the research, debrief requires that participants should be able to freely discuss the research procedures and its outcomes with the researcher (McLeod, 2015). Respondents in a research must be protected from any distress due to their participation and confidentiality about the data they give must be ensured. Researchers should not deceive research participants and any one respondent who feels like quitting the participation should be allowed to freely do so.

12 Limitations of the Methodology

The research design has employed three methods of risk assessment, namely qualitative technique, mix or semi-quantitative technique that involves both qualitative and quantitative approach.. The third risk assessment technique that the research design has employed is the system safety accident investigation (SSAI), all of which may have a certain degree of limitations because their approach processes are only tools but not the exact steps that must be followed. In addition, these techniques involve human beings that have human error that may lead to inaccuracy.

13 Conclusion

The mining industry in Australia has in the past experienced a number of risk incidents that only proper risk assessment and management system has helped to mitigate. According to our literature review, the number of fatality rates has reduced from over 200 to just less than 20 in the past few decades in the Australian mining industry. It is important that proper risk assessment be conducted with a view to mitigating risk scenarios and accident in the industry. Qualitative and quantitative techniques of assessment,t including mixed techniques that employ systematic approaches should be applied. Risks require to be identified, evaluated, ranked and mitigated.