Australasian Mining Review

hether above or below ground, there are constant hazards confronting operators on site, so safety procedures and training are a vital part of daily life in the mining industry. This is why advanced high-fidelity training simulators are playing a vital role in training operators to be safe. Besides training and evaluating novice operators in the safe and proficient operation of heavy equipment, simulators provide a new recruit screening system and effective refresher training for experienced operators. They also ensure effective training in emergency situations not possible on the real mining equipment. "Safety levels are enhanced by the fact that operators can be trained and scored on their reaction to emergencies such as an engine fire, brake failure or tyre blowout, which are obviously impossible to replicate safely on the real equipment," executive vice president and director of Global Business Development at global training systems provider, ThoroughTec Simulation, Greg Lew said. "Pilots train on simulators before their first flight and constantly throughout their careers. Mining equipment, like aircraft, is very expensive and needs to be operated safely to avoid injury and damage, so the operators should be trained on simulators." Simulators dramatically reduce the need to use the actual equipment for training purposes. When equipment has to be used for operator training purposes, accidents can easily occur at enormous cost. According to ThoroughTec, many of their clients are able to complete most of their practical operator training on the simulators while training new recruits. This translates to significant cost savings because the equipment is being used for fewer training tasks. Damage and wear-and-tear decreases as green operators are able to familiarise TRAIN OF THOUGHT Regular W TAKE OVER CONTROL Highly sophisticated training simulators are being used by more and more mining companies around the world, including Australia, to improve machine operator safety and productivity. "Simulators dramatically reduce the need to use the actual equipment for training purposes. When equipment has to be used for operator training purposes, accidents can easily occur at enormous cost." AUST R A L AS I A N M I N I N G R E V I E W / ISSUE 12 / www.miningreview.com.au 90

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