Working as a driver in Mining sites across Australia involves a fair share of workplace hazards. In fact, simply navigating mine roadways can be a challenge by itself. Unlike carefully constructed public roads, mine roadways are often unpaved and usually riddled with bumpy or even surfaces from supporting heavy vehicles or a recent downpour. Drivers also have to deal with obstructed views, since most mine roadways follow the mine’s slope and contours.

Whether you drive an all-around mine spec Toyota Hilux or a specialised Isuzu truck, there are safety precautions that you should follow to avoid encountering accidents while on duty. In this article, we are going to discuss some safety practices for mine managers and drivers alike.

1 – Use mine-spec vehicles

Regardless of how they were marketed, regular sports-utility vehicles and pickup trucks are not designed to operate in the mines. Without the necessary modifications, the rigours of the Mining site will cause accelerated wear on your vehicles. Besides breaking down more frequently, vehicles failing due to compromised or faulty equipment can lead to accidents that endanger the lives of your workers.

If you’re working with a mine spec vehicle rental company for your fleet, make sure to communicate your needs. Ensure that the vehicles they provide satisfy your requirements and are adequately maintained for good measure.

2 – Do daily inspections on your vehicles

Mining sites are rough environments that put a lot of stress on vehicles being driven. To keep your Mining vehicles in working condition, it’s a good idea to inspect the vehicles daily. This way, your maintenance staff can detect smaller issues and fix them before they progress into bigger and more expensive repairs.

It’s also important to designate maintenance days for your fleet. These more extensive inspections are necessary to ensure that any issues you may have missed during the daily checkups are detected.

3 – Do not offload on uneven ground

This tip applies mostly to drivers transporting debris and other cargo in Mining sites using a dump truck. The truck naturally becomes less stable when the bed is lifted. As such, it’s vital for a truck operator to ensure that they are on a flat surface before unloading their cargo. This way, they can ensure that the truck does not move or tip over while raising the bed.

4 – Avoid driver fatigue

Driver fatigue is never good for operational safety. The Australasian Mine Safety Journal defines fatigue as “a level above being tired.” This condition can cause accidents and will affect the overall safety, productivity, and morale of your workers.

Here are a few tips to reduce fatigue for drivers working in Mining facilities:

• Ensure temperature-controlled work environments as much as possible.
  Working under the sun’s scorching heat will cause workers to tire much faster, even inside a vehicle. Maintaining your vehicle fleet’s air conditioning may seem like a minor thing, but it will help your workers remain alert throughout their shift.
• Do not overwork your drivers.
  Allocate proper shift lengths and create a rostering system to ensure that your drivers have adequate rest. Keeping shifts at under 9 to 10 hours lowers the risk for workplace hazards, according to guidelines from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation, and Safety.

Conclusion

While every worker plays a role in Mining operations, drivers are a critical part of the job. Drivers enable the movement of everything, from people and heavy equipment to the specific materials being mined. Ensuring the safety of drivers will also ensure mine’s steady progress in the long run.

Lewis Auto Hire is a trusted name in Mining vehicle leasing. We specialise in providing long-term light vehicle hire for Mining and Construction industries in Australia. Besides providing durable and capable vehicles, we also offer exceptional customer service, competitive pricing, and flexible hire agreements. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

Working in an Australian mine is a challenging yet fulfilling endeavour. Over time, as you work on different projects in a worksite and take on more tasks, you’ll likely notice that a critical factor to your success is the vehicle that you drive. As you move back and forth to cover various tasks and settle problems, it’s bound to become clearer that a regular 4WD truck won’t cut it, which is where mine-spec hires come into the picture.

How you can start hiring mine-spec vehicles

As opposed to the old times where mine-spec vehicles could only be built from the ground up, modern solutions make it possible to hire or rent them from reputable service providers.

Instead of spending a small fortune building a fleet of four-wheel-drive vehicles that may barely meet industry standards, hire companies aim to provide advanced spec-compliant cars for far less. Cutting out the costs of ownership, reduced maintenance expenses, and no-frills driving experiences make it clear that opting to rent a vehicle is instead optimal.

Before you head out to your local hire company’s office and request for a vehicle right off the bat, you must do your due diligence first and get a better idea of how the process works. If you want the smoothest first-time experience possible, here’s a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know about getting a mine-spec vehicle:

Step #1: Know what you’re looking for

Finding the perfect mine-spec vehicle for your mining-related needs entails taking note of what specific features, functions, and other related specifications you require.

Knowing what to look for is paramount for a seamless and easy hiring experience because it helps avoid any unwanted problems and narrows down the list of considerations. Whether you’re looking for something that can quickly scale craggy rocks or a vehicle that has enough power to make it through muddy terrain, it pays to list down what you’re looking for before picking out a specific option!

Step #2: Inspect the vehicle

Once you have a clear idea of what type of vehicle you’re looking for, the next step is to inspect the different options available that match your specifications.

During the inspection process, you’ll need to assess the vehicle’s handling, overall mechanical condition, and any other potential problem points specific to your needs that can make or break your experience. Apart from the overall condition of the vehicle at the baseline level, you’ll also need to keep an eye on the available safety features that will make your hire fee worth it, such as:

• LED roof rack lights
• Bullbars
• Roll cages
• Spare tires
• Recovery tracks
• Fire extinguishers

At Lewis Auto Hire, we’ll provide you with a checklist of different points for inspection to ensure that you’re getting your money’s worth as you drive our vehicles back to the mine!

Step #3: Sign the papers and drive away

After the necessary inspection processes, the only task you’ll have left on your plate as you hire a mine spec vehicle is to read the terms of the agreement and sign any necessary paperwork. However, it is crucial to double check the forms that are provided to ensure that you have a clear idea of your responsibilities as the hiring party to avoid any complications down the line!

Conclusion

Contrary to popular belief, the process of hiring a mine-spec vehicle is a simple experience that can be done smoothly the first time around with the correct details in mind. Through the help of this step-by-step guide, you can ensure a seamless experience when getting industry-compliant 4WD trucks for your mining-related needs!

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!

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!