The result?
Clear insights, practical recommendations, and a stronger pathway to align with internal safety requirements.
Situation
A tier one mining company required an independent assessment of its South American coal mine against its internal minimum safety requirements. These benchmarks were designed to ensure consistent safety management across all operations globally.
Mines Rescue Consulting was invited to join an international team of experts, contributing specialist knowledge in mining safety, legislation, and practical mine management.
Our consultants brought:
- Proven experience in applying safety systems across potentially fatal hazards
- In-depth understanding of mining legislation and industry guidance
- Practical mine management expertise to test system effectiveness in the field
Challenge
Auditing a large mining operation presents unique complexities. Our team needed to:
- Collect sufficient sample points to substantiate findings
- Balance system reviews with evidence of practical implementation
- Allocate time effectively between inspections, interviews, and observations
- Investigate potential non-conformances in enough depth to validate findings
Additional challenges included language barriers, which were managed through interpreters and translation software, and tight timeframes, which were managed through daily reviews and prioritisation across the audit team.
Outcome
The audit delivered a comprehensive evaluation of the mine’s alignment with company safety standards.
By verifying systems and practices in the field, the process provided the client with valuable insight into areas requiring immediate focus and longer-term improvements to ensure sustained compliance.
The outcome was a clear view of strengths and weaknesses, enabling targeted interventions and a safer working environment.
Results
Mines Rescue Consulting brought a unique skillset to the audit team, combining the ability to process large volumes of information under time pressure with practical inspection expertise.
Drawing on decades of experience in managing high-risk hazards in heavy industry, our consultants were able to quickly identify improvement opportunities in systems, behaviours, and processes during field inspections.
This capability allowed us to provide the client with clear, actionable recommendations that strengthened alignment with internal standards and enhanced overall site safety.
Practical outcomes for operational success:
Our case study highlights the value of engaging independent auditors with strong operational mining experience.
Mines Rescue Consulting offers:
- Comprehensive Audit Expertise: Covering both system design and practical implementation
- Risk-Based Insights: Focused on fatal hazards and operational resilience
- On-Site Value: Field observations and interviews that go beyond paperwork reviews
The result: confidence that safety requirements are being tested thoroughly, with independent advice to strengthen both compliance and continued operational success.