Managing extreme temperatures and their impact on the mining industry

In terms of output, mining is one of the most highly productive industries in the world. Employees work around the clock, from shift to shift, to extract, process and distribute resources from the earth that contribute to the production of vital infrastructure that keeps our modern world turning.

But to achieve this productive work, more often than not, mining workers are expected to maintain a high level of productivity through extreme weather. In particular, we’re seeing workers endure soaring and extreme temperatures that only rise as the globe experiences climate change. In fact, by the end of the century it is estimated that 1.2 billion people will be afflicted by heat stress, which is four times the current figure.

With working temperatures already reaching up to 50°C in mining locations like the Pilbara in Australia, Chile and South Africa – this poses a huge threat to the health and wellbeing of mining workers. Exposure to extreme levels of heat can cause serious illness and death, so mitigating the impacts of heat is vital for workers’, and the industry’s, survival.

Beyond the impacts on the body in these conditions, when temperatures soar into the 40s and even reach an unbearable 50°C – this is when we also begin to see infrastructure impacted with asphalt and rail lines buckling and deforming from the heat.

Whether it’s the direct physiological impact of extreme temperatures or the operational and safety risks that can literally derail operations and risk people’s lives – mining companies must practise extreme preparedness and critical risk management to protect their people and operations in these ever-evolving extreme conditions.

So, how can leaders in mining best prepare for a future where heat will continue to have serious impacts not only on workers but also on mining infrastructure?

Let’s take a look at some of the key areas that mining leaders can focus on to protect their people and operations.

Critical risk management and critical control verification

At Forwood, we believe in the power of robust critical risk management and its ability to save lives and prevent serious injuries. In fact, our critical risk management solution CRM+ has successfully seen mines and other organisations we’ve partnered with achieve our shared mission – Mission Zero – which is to achieve zero deaths after implementing our solution.

With climate change, heat stress will continue to grow as a significant critical risk in many industries, therefore we encourage all companies to ensure they have heat stress critical control strategies in place to prevent serious heat-related injuries or deaths.

Critical control verification is a process where managers and leaders ensure critical controls are effectively implemented. Critical control verification checklists serving as the last line of defence between workers and a high-risk activity. Checklists ensure that all relevant controls are in place before the activity commences, to protect everybody’s safety as well as that of the environment.

So, what should a critical control verification checklist look like, and how is it put in place?

Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario.

Workers are working in 40°C (104ºF) temperature in an open pit mine. They are expected to work on foot to seek out new areas for exploration and drilling. They’re required to walk between 10km and 20km a day in this heat.  

First, let’s look at the risks.

Heat stress and heat-related illnesses

Every year, people die from heat-related illnesses (HRI) while working in extreme temperatures.

The combined effect of the metabolic heat produced internally from physical activity, plus external heat from the surrounding environment contributes to the high risk of heat stress among workers.

In fact, workers engaged in strenuous work at temperatures >35°C are likely to experience heat stress. So what controls do leaders and workers need to focus on to protect themselves and others while working in these conditions?

Signs and symptoms of heat stress

• Education and awareness is key for workers exposed to extreme temperatures. Knowing what signs to look out for in themselves and others is vital to understand when to slow down or how to treat themself or a co-worker who is suffering from the effects of heat.

• Dehydration is a main cause of heat exhaustion which can lead to dizziness, nausea and fatigue.

• Heat stroke is a more serious condition and can cause confusion, seizures, and even death.

• To prevent workers from experiencing heat exhaustion or worse, heat stroke, they must have access to ample clean water, as well as the appropriate protective attire and equipment to decrease exposure to direct sunlight.

So, to ensure workers are prepared and able to perform work out in 38°C heat, questions leaders might ask include:

• Are the workers acclimated to the conditions?

• Do the workers have appropriate hydration supports to complete the work?

• Are there areas of shade or shading equipment to protect workers from direct sunlight during breaks?

• Do workers have access to cooling vests to keep their core body temperature down?

• Can the workers name and identify all signs and symptoms of heat stress

• Do workers have clear instructions for what to do if any of those signs and symptoms appear?

• In case of emergency is there a nearby support vehicle or access to air conditioned and shaded areas?

If the answer is no to any of these questions, the work should pause and the effectiveness of the critical controls to prevent or mitigate heat stress needs to be reviewed. It’s only when all critical control questions receive a ‘yes’ response that work should proceed.

This is just one example of using critical control verifications to manage the risk of heat stress for workers. While this activity is a vital line of defence, there is a lot more strategic work that can be done to focus on work design, shift duration and schedules to better protect workers from working in the heat of the day.

With the many other growing risks that extreme heat brings – be it to personnel or to equipment and infrastructure – ensuring your company has policies, procedures and controls that evolve and adapt to changing concerns is the best way to protect your people, productivity and output.

At Forwood, our critical risk content is ever evolving as we work with more sites and clients experiencing unique challenges globally. However, one thing consistent across the board is the impact of climate change on operations and the health and safety of people working in high-risk industries.

This is why we encourage leaders to adopt proactive measures to plan, prepare and control for extreme temperatures – and why we’re laser-focused on sharing knowledge and data that protects the people and organisations we work with to ensure their sustainable and ongoing growth in a changing climate and world.