The 2015 OCE Statutory Shift Reports Seminar, presented by Cres Bulger, highlighted critical gaps in the reporting processes used by Open-Cut Examiners (OCEs). Issues around clarity, accessibility, and practicality of hazard communication were central themes. These challenges aren’t just administrative—they have direct implications for safety, compliance, and operational efficiency in open-cut mining.

Fast forward to today, HazView™ Hazard Management Software offers a powerful digital solution tailored to address these gaps. In this blog, we’ll discuss the key issues raised in the seminar and how HazView™ aligns with the vision of a safer, smarter future for mining operations.

Key Issues Highlighted in the OCE Shift Reports

1. Ambiguity in Multi-OCE Reports

• Issue: At larger mines, multiple OCEs often operate during the same shift. Reports sometimes lack clarity about which OCE inspected specific parts of the mine.
• Consequence: Ambiguous accountability and reduced auditability of hazard inspections.

2. Accessibility of Reports

• Issue: Reports are not always readily available to coal mine workers (CMWs). Noticeboards are often outdated, and reports may be overly complex.
• Consequence: Workers miss critical hazard information, increasing exposure to risks.

3. Complexity and Usability

• Issue: Reports are often too long, overly detailed, or filled with technical jargon, making them difficult for workers to understand quickly.
• Consequence: Reduced retention of critical safety information among workers.

4. Practicality of Information Delivery

• Issue: Expecting all coal mine workers to read lengthy OCE reports is impractical and unrealistic from both a time and retention perspective.
• Consequence: Key hazard insights may not reach frontline workers effectively.

5. Good Practices Observed

• Positive Note: Some mines excelled in presenting reports during pre-start meetings, highlighting key hazards and controls.
• Room for Improvement: Widespread adoption of these practices across all sites remains inconsistent.

6. The “Way of the Future”: Digital Tools

The seminar proposed the adoption of tablets and digital tools for:

• On-the-spot hazard reporting.
• GPS tagging of hazard locations.
• Photo documentation of hazards.
• Integration with geotechnical analysis tools.
• Maintenance of accurate inspection histories.

How HazView™ Delivers the Way Forward

The key concerns highlighted in the 2015 seminar align with the challenges HazView™ was built to address. Here’s how HazView™ brings the vision of modern hazard management to life:

1. Clear Accountability and Auditability

• HazView™ ensures every change, update and inspection is linked to specific users.
• Each hazard has a permanent changes history archive.

2. Accessible, Centralized Reporting

• All hazard details are stored in a centralized digital platform, accessible to relevant stakeholders via any modern device.
• Printed reports on noticeboards are supplemented with real-time dashboards, ensuring the most recent data is always visible.

3. Simplified Reporting for Better Understanding

• HazView™ reports are designed to be easy to read, with key hazards highlighted and visualized on interactive hazard maps.
• Clear, digestible information improves hazard awareness and quick decision-making.

4. Efficient Information Delivery

• Supervisors can present hazard insights during pre-start meetings directly from HazView™ dashboards.
• Hazard data can be filtered by any recorded property, ensuring simple reconciliation and analysis.

5. Interactive Hazard Mapping

• HazView™ offers interactive hazard maps with location based hazards and adjustable map features.
• Workers and supervisors can quickly identify and understand hazardous zones without combing through lengthy reports.

6. Real-Time Updates and Historical Insights

• HazView™ maintains an accurate history of hazards, inspections, and mitigations.
• Historical data can be analysed for patterns, allowing teams to pre-empt recurring hazards.

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The technology is available to any site with a rapid, turn-key set-up.

The HazView team will pre-populate your sites instance of HazView with your hazard data. They will then come to your site, train your team and launch the software in person. It is time to replace excel sheets and word documents. If you would like to know more, get in touch with the team.