Gaurav Sharma, Head of Industries Business for ANZ, Cognizant

Employee safety is a major concern for Australian mining corporations. Even today, with arguably the best mining safety regulations in the world, there continues to be serious injuries and sometimes fatalities. Fortunately, the industry is in a good position to address these concerns with the help of technological advancements in automation.

The benefits of automation stretch beyond safety

McKinsey estimates that digital innovation in the mining industry can be worth $370 billion per year worldwide in 2025.  A key element of digital innovation is automation ― automation of operating equipment, technology functions, and business processes. Already Australia is a world leader in mining equipment automation, including automated trucks, drill rigs, trains and port operations.

Implementing automation across various facets of the mining industry can improve safety and improve productivity. While autonomous mining equipment requires companies to inject significant capital, it is balanced by lower operating costs.

Automating mining equipment including haul trucks can mitigate the danger of driver fatigue and boost the efficiency of long-haul transportation, adding much more value to the supply chain of the industry. Sensor technology is now so advanced that autonomous trucks could sense even the smallest of hazards — like a bird flying in front of it — and react accordingly.

The future has already arrived for autonomous driving in the sector

Autonomous operations are now a working reality within the Australian mining sector. One of Australia’s leading mining corporations is a world leader in autonomous mining equipment technology. Since deployment, the company has had zero injuries, highlighting the major safety and productivity benefits that autonomous mining trucks provide.

Are autonomous trucks the canary-in-the-coal-mine for other mining jobs?

While there is a concern that autonomous trucks will replace jobs in Australia’s mining industry, the good news is that they will also create new ones. From autonomous maintenance leaders and drone jockeys, to man-machine teaming managers and field support, there will be a need for humans in the autonomous future of Australia’s mining industry.

The rise in automation represents an opportunity for business leaders, technology strategists, and public policy proponents to assess how to successfully manage the transition to an autonomous mining industry. In doing so, Australian mining companies should work closely with their employees to provide opportunities for new roles, redeployment, retraining and upskilling.

The wider implications of automation in mining

While full autonomy is the end-goal, many mining companies are taking a semi-autonomous approach to many manual tasks to improve safety and productivity. In recent years, various countries have seen legislation to demand collision avoidance systems on haul trucks and fatigue monitoring solutions for driver fatigue. While some of these may parallel trends in the automotive industry, a mining environment has its own safety and heavy equipment challenges.

A number of new and innovative safety solutions are being deployed in semi-autonomous environments that allow for the real-time detection of hazards with manual and automated systems to minimise the risk. This real-time detection is linked back to the emergence of remote operating centres where multiple ‘digital’ aspects of an operating mine are monitored and controlled.

As networks and systems evolve, there is a real opportunity for machine learning and artificial intelligence to take control and optimise aspects that were handled manually in the past.

While there’s probably still some way to go before machines replace all hazardous jobs in the industry, the rise of autonomous mining equipment certainly provides a framework on how mining corporations can augment dangerous tasks with AI counterparts. In the past, automation has relieved mining workers of mundane tasks, such as reporting anomalies and flagging non-compliances via digital analytics platforms, freeing them up to do higher value tasks and reducing costs as a result.

Digital technology certainly presents a myriad of opportunities for the mining sector to innovate old processes. Building out new roles — supported by upskilling — will be key to managing this paradigm shift.