Whether you’re driving on a public road or traversing the challenging terrain of the mine site itself, you must always exercise caution when driving a mining vehicle. Like accidents that occur on public roads, the problem with most accidents that occur in mines is that they are often uncontrolled events that can easily yield severe consequences. Learning how to drive safely in difficult or potentially-dangerous terrain is that it’s not as difficult as you might expect.

How you can start driving a mining vehicle safely

If your line of work requires you to visit a mine regularly, then you’ll need to ensure that you consider these details and start applying them as soon as possible:

1. Drive a purpose built, mine-spec vehicle

Generally, driving as safely as possible with a mine-spec vehicle is relatively straightforward because the truck itself is outfitted with the appropriate safety features relevant to the industry.

In the case of Lewis Auto Hire’s mine-spec vehicles for hire, they have various features following the safety requirements set by governing bodies to uphold safety. If you want to ensure that you’ll be safe when on the road, gravel, or mud, you’ll need to have a vehicle that is built to ensure precisely that.

Once you ensure you’re operating a vehicle that’s up-to-spec with all the necessary requirements, all you’ll need to worry about is pairing it with the right driving habits and techniques.

2. Preventing common accident factors

After getting the right mine-spec vehicle, you’ll need to move on to preventing common error factors from taking over if you want safer driving experiences.

From a broader perspective, the most common factor responsible for causing accidents in mining sites is the presence of human error throughout the trip. While faulty vehicles and other environmental factors can play a part in accidents, driver error is often the root cause. Fortunately, it isn’t too late to start cultivating and fostering the right driver habits so that you can begin navigating the mine as safely as possible during your regular rotations.

Stay Alert – A momentary lapse in concentration, whether it be fatigue or taking your eyes off the road, can lead to deadly consequences. Keep your eyes on the road, take regular breaks and don’t drive for extended periods of time.
Don’t Speed – Speeding in any situation isn’t recommended, particularly in a mine environment. Although vehicles are specifically built to handle terrain, travelling at speed greatly reduces your reaction time, and incidents on uneven or unstable terrain can quickly get out of hand. Stick within the recommended limits and it’ll greatly reduce your chance of an accident.
Wear a seatbelt – They are there for a reason. A roll cage or a vehicle’s safety features won’t be any use if you aren’t wearing your seatbelt. This simple device has saved countless lives so ensure you always put it on, regardless of how far you’re driving.
Check your blindspot – Although there are less vehicles in mining sites than there are on the road, you should always check your mirrors along with your blind spots. It takes less than a second, and could be the difference between turning into a vehicle, or worse, a mining truck.
Turn on your headlights – Always have your headlights on during twilight and into the evening. Not only so you can see what’s in front of you, but for other vehicles on the road. If they can’t see you, they won’t know you’re there, particularly if there’s other things going on around the site that can be distracting.

Going over the need for maintenance

The idea of avoiding accidents while driving around a mine is something that most drivers put down to experience, as you learn the right habits and know the appropriate vehicle to operate. Although this mindset is valid to some extent, there’s another crucial factor that needs to be met adequately to ensure safer trips: maintenance.

Critical practices, such as regular inspections, consistent servicing and routine maintenance, will help ensure that you minimise your risk of experiencing accidents. Fortunately, Lewis Auto Hire takes care of the maintenance when you opt for one of our mine spec vehicles for hire, meaning that you can keep driving without any worries on the road!

Conclusion

Ensuring safe driving experiences when operating a mine-spec vehicle is an effort that entails taking a look at all the necessary details to achieve round-the-clock safety when moving back and forth. Through the help of this concise yet practical guide, you can determine what needs to be done so that you protect yourself as you move around the mine!

Are you looking for top-quality mining vehicle hire that you can rent and use when moving back and forth between mines across Australia? Our company specialises in providing mining vehicle hire for Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth and Sydney. Give us a call us a call today to learn more about how we can help you find the perfect vehicle to rent for your needs!