BBS Applied Research in the Minerals Industry

Fox, Hopkins and Anger (1987) initiated a token-based reward system to improve safety performance at two open-pit mines. Trading gift stamps were awarded to the full staff of mine employees primarily in return for not having accidents or injuries. The awarding initiative continued over 11 and 12 years. The considerable decline in lost time injuries (subsequent to the introduction of the incentive measures) provides support for the use of behavioural programmes in mining/quarrying operations and further demonstrates that the success of these programmes need not be short-lived. Also in the setting of coal mines, Rhoton (1980) succeeded in reducing miners’ safety violations with behavioural techniques including observation, reinforcement and feedback.

More recently, in a quarry setting, Hickman and Geller (2003) applied a specialised BBS strategy, the ‘Self-Safety Management’ approach (SSM), to improve quarry safety practices. Fifteen workers from a US stone quarry were divided into two separate conditions that involved different types of feedback on target safety behaviours. The SSM process involved identification of safe and at-risk behaviours, SSM training, daily self-monitoring, self-administration of rewards, and individual feedback. Both conditions showed a positive increase in operative safety behaviours, and the overall SSM approach showed statistically significant improvement on the target safety behaviours.

Other researchers have examined and provided guidance on aspects of behavioural safety in mining operations (Talbot et al, 1996; Schutte, 1998; Laurence, 2005; Pitzer, 2005;). For example, research focusing on miners’ compliance to safety procedures and regulations reveal such regulations alone will not reduce operatives’ safety violations (Laurence, 2005) and that measurement of safety behaviour in mines is required in order to encourage compliance with these procedures (Talbot et al, 1996).