THE CHALLENGE
Mining is a dangerous job. On average, one miner dies every three months in a large mining company. Safety audits are the primary means of identifying issues on the ground, but they are time consuming, expensive, and don't happen frequently enough to prevent fatal issues. How can we reliably collect live data from mining operators so that we can proactively identify safety issues? |
THE OUTCOME
In a period of 6 weeks, we built a mobile app and a management dashboard that was accepted into trial by the largest gold mining company in the world. In the 21 day trial of the software at the mining site, we were able to collect ~2800 ground truth observations within 9.5hrs of total usage time. A similar number of observations would have taken the team 71 days through standard audit procedures. This represented a 75X improvement in efficiency. Watch the video: Minetell |
How We Addressed the Challenge
Each day, an operator could answer 21 questions on an iOS device regarding safety in their environment.
We prioritized ease of use, and user engagement in the design of the iOS app. The following factors enhanced the data collection process.
Each day, an operator could answer 21 questions on an iOS device regarding safety in their environment.
We prioritized ease of use, and user engagement in the design of the iOS app. The following factors enhanced the data collection process.
- Simplicity over functionality: Taking into account the audience, we prioritized simplicity over functionality, working to remove any barriers in using the application. The iPads were conveniently made available on site, to be used by any operator without requiring a username and password identity. This made it easier for operators to answer questions anonymously.
- Gamification: The question and answer experience was designed to look like a game rather than a form, creating stronger engagement and making it more likely for users to complete the process.
- Educational experience: By making the app an educational experience on safety controls, the users’ fear of getting into trouble for poor safety was mitigated. The customer was primed to think of the app as a way to learn more about safety on site.