How the Instant Insights Shift Roster Tool Reduces Fatigue Risk in Mining
Fatigue is an inherent part of 24/7 operations, and it’s nearly always an underlying causal factor in incidents when you have overnight and 12-hour shifts. Mining environment, health and safety (EHS) leaders, along with crew supervisors, have a responsibility to reduce the risk of fatigue to help ensure the safety and productivity of all shift workers on site. The Instant Insights shift roster tool offers a solution for more thoughtful and data-informed schedule design to reduce this risk. EHS leaders can use the tool to simulate and compare various shift patterns and their impact on worker fatigue, thus optimizing work schedules for improved safety.
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Who Should Leverage the Instant Insights Shift Roster Tool?
Anyone in charge of schedule planning or health and safety in mine sites should leverage the Instant Insights shift roster tool.
This includes
- Active mine sites with ever-changing shift patterns or overnight shifts
- Exploration sites
- Traveling mining contractors
If you’re in the midst of a fatigue management initiative at your mining company or need to round out your health and safety policy, this is a great time to add a fatigue simulation tool to your technology stack to manage fatigue in shift work.
How It Works
The Instant Insights Shift Roster Tool uses a 3-step process to give you actionable scheduling insights in minutes:
1. Configure and Compare Shift Scenarios
Explore various shift setups to find the safest and most effective patterns for your mining operations. Adjust start and end times to see how minor changes can significantly influence overall worker well-being.
Should your 12-hour shifts start at 6am or 7am?
Is a 4-on 5-off schedule better for worker safety and productivity than a 7D-7N-7o pattern? Compare the different shift scenarios quickly and easily.
Choose from a variety of input methods to configure shift patterns or schedules for simulations:
- Graphical user interface
- CSV upload
- Pattern-based looping (e.g., 7 days on, 7 nights on, 7 off)
- Manual input (e.g., adding shifts one at a time)
Once a scenario is set, you can define sleep assumptions, which are crucial for accurately simulating potential sleep patterns under different schedules.
2. Process with the SAFTE™ Biomathematical Fatigue Model
Your inputted data is then fed into the SAFTE™ Biomathematical Fatigue Model to predict fatigue across your selected scenarios. This scientifically validated tool developed by the US army provides accurate, reliable data on fatigue levels throughout shift cycles.
3. Visualize Fatigue Impact with Advanced Analytics
Instant Insights translates this complex data into easy-to-understand charts and heat maps. In minutes, the shift roster tool for fatigue simulations allows you to visually compare different shift patterns and directly see which configurations best minimize fatigue risks.
After running simulations, Instant Insights provides several types of visual outputs:
- Snapshot: Shows overall levels of expected fatigue risk exposure during a defined window.
- Daily Timeline: Details the progression of fatigue levels throughout a shift pattern, helping identify critical days.
- Hourly Timeline: Shows hourly on-shift fatigue levels, aiding in understanding circadian rhythm impacts.
- Heat map: Provides an hour-by-hour view of predicted fatigue levels over an extended period, ideal for planning and incident analysis.
Instant Insights is a comprehensive shift roster tool designed to ensure that your mining operations are as safe and productive as possible. By leveraging this advanced technology, you can significantly reduce the risk of fatigue-related incidents and optimize your workforce management.
Fictitious Example
Scenario: A mining site operates with a shift pattern of 7 days on, 7 nights on, followed by 7 days off. Concerns about peak fatigue times prompted a review using the predictive Instant Insights shift roster tool.
Process:
- Input the existing shift pattern into Instant Insights using the graphical interface.
- Simulate the current schedule and two alternative schedules using the SAFTE™ Model.
- Review and compare the outputs, focusing on fatigue hotspots and overall worker alertness levels.
Outcome:
The simulations revealed that adjusting the start time of night shifts by just two hours reduced peak fatigue by 30%, and repositioning certain tasks to different times of the day further decreased the risk of accidents.
By incorporating this adjusted schedule, the site saw a marked improvement in overall safety and a reduction in fatigue-related incidents.
Key Benefits of the Instant Insights Shift Roster Tool
Rapid Fatigue Simulation for Operational Efficiency
- Quickly generate actionable scheduling insights without the need for wearables.
- Access continuous fatigue simulation for year-round planning and adjustments.
Comprehensive Fatigue Risk Analysis
- Pinpoint fatigue risks by identifying critical fatigue times and days within shift patterns.
- Adapt and respond to these insights by adjusting schedules to mitigate risks.
Proactive Shift Planning and Fatigue Management
- Strategically plan shift patterns that align with safety and productivity goals.
- Schedule high-risk tasks during periods of lowest fatigue to maintain safety and efficiency.
Leveraging Instant Insights for Safer Mining Operations
Adopting Instant Insights allows mining health and safety leaders to take a proactive approach to fatigue management. This powerful shift roster tool not only helps in planning and executing safer shift patterns but also supports ongoing efforts to enhance workplace safety through strategic scheduling and insightful fatigue analysis on a long-term basis.
By understanding and acting on the data provided by Instant Insights, mine sites can significantly improve their operational safety and worker satisfaction.
If mining companies do not invest in the latest technologies for health and safety, several significant consequences could emerge, impacting both their operational efficiency and broader industry reputation:
- Increased Incidents and Accidents: Without modern safety technologies, such as predictive analytics for fatigue management, mining operations are more susceptible to accidents and incidents. This includes increased rates of workplace injuries or fatalities, which not only affect workers’ health but also lead to lost-time incidents, disrupting production (National Mining Association).
- Higher Operational Costs: Following accidents, companies may face higher costs related to insurance, worker compensation, legal fees, and regulatory fines. Additionally, the downtime required to investigate incidents and repair damages can lead to significant productivity losses (National Mining Association).
- Regulatory and Compliance Risks: Many regions have stringent safety regulations governing mining operations. Companies lagging in compliance due to inadequate safety measures may face legal and financial penalties, which can further strain their operations and profitability (National Mining Association).
- Reputational Damage: Failing to prioritize worker safety can lead to negative publicity and damage a company’s reputation, making it difficult to attract investment and partnerships. This is especially pertinent in today’s socially conscious market, where environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are increasingly important to investors and consumers (Brookings).
- Reduced Competitiveness: As the industry shifts towards more digital and automated technologies, companies that do not keep pace may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Advanced technologies not only improve safety but also enhance efficiency and productivity. Companies that fail to adopt these innovations may struggle to keep up with competitors who can produce more at lower costs and with better safety records (Mining Innovation Network).
In essence, neglecting to invest in the latest health and safety technologies can lead to a cycle of increased risks, costs, and competitive disadvantage, affecting a mining company’s ability to operate sustainably and profitably.
