Human-Centered Safe Design of Mining Equipment

Abstract

Human-centered safe design is an increasingly influential approach in mining and other high-hazard work domains in part due to a growing recognition of the contribution of design to occupational safety. Human- centered safe design aims to eliminate workplace hazards by systematically involving end-users in the design of equipment. In this paper, the need for human-centered safe design work in the minerals industry is first introduced and a method previously developed by the authors and colleagues is presented. This human-centered safe design method is a task-based, participatory ergonomics, risk management approach that focuses on mining equipment operators and maintainers. A case study follows which demonstrates that focusing on end-users and their tasks by means of a structured user-centered process can help produce fit- for-purpose equipment for the mining industry.