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We work with open pit mining companies who want to reduce their safety and environmental liability risk, but don't know how to effectively demonstrate due diligence in their operator training. These are mines that have traditionally conducted training off the back of an envelope with a few supporting SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) as backup, but are now seeking a more structured and defensible operator training system.

The mines we work with are at the heart of the world's industrial growth and success. They produce raw materials from coal to copper to diamonds. Some have been in business for many years and others have started up more recently.

We also work with mining equipment manufacturers who want to reduce high warranty repair costs through operator training.

Typically our clients possess expertise in a wide variety of mining processes and systems. The expertise they do NOT possess, however, is the ability to effectively and consistently create and deliver defensible, trackable competency-based training for their mobile equipment and plant operators.

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Mine Managers: Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

  • Your experienced workers need upgrade training on new equipment. You want to ensure they can operate it in a competent and safe manner, but production demands are calling. Do you give them the manufacturer's manual and hope for the best, then deal with premature wear and near-misses while they learn how to use it?
  • Your inexperienced new hires need to be trained. Do you partner them for a few days with an experienced operator and assume the necessary skills and knowledge have been transferred?
  • You want to upgrade the skills of your workers to reduce the chance of environmental incidents. Do you give them an environmental Standard Operating Procedure and a quick training session, hoping they’ll remember what’s been said?

Equipment Manufacturers: Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

  • You send out an experienced trouble shooter to do training once the equipment is assembled and ready to use. Is he/she an experienced trainer? What does he/she use for training materials? How does he/she determine the training content or assess operator competency?
  • The mine has its own training program and you rely on it to train equipment operators. Do you know how they’re being taught to use the equipment? Do you know if the trainers are up-to-speed on new features, safe operating limits or safety mechanisms?
  • You send a trainer if required, but it’s not your normal procedure. You send out someone with a PowerPoint deck when necessary to give a couple of presentations and answer questions.
  • You provide a comprehensive equipment manual. You don’t offer customer training.
Perhaps you use a combination of all these methods, depending on customer demand, equipment type and people’s schedules. Does your operator training reduce warranty claim costs and give you a competitive edge?

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Are the training method(s) you currently use effective?

Ask yourself a few questions about your customer training:
  • How do your trainers determine training content? Is it based on what the equipment can do, or what the operator needs to do with the equipment?
  • Is there consistency in content depth and delivery methods from one trainer to the next?
  • How do your trainers assess a trainee's competence?
Unless you use a systematic process to develop content and measure results, it’s difficult to know if the required knowledge and skills have been taught and learned.

You want to train your operators to be more productive, but your mine has limited experience with competency-based training systems. You would like to enable your operators to work to a predetermined, measurable and observable performance standard for every task they need to do.

We have noticed that many companies think they are doing this level of training, but upon investigation, it turns out the training has still been general and judging the trainee's competence at the end of the day has been a subjective call by the trainer.

A competency-based training system enables trainers to make a detailed and objective assessment on the ability of a trainee in each task he or she needs to be able to perform on the job. As a result, everyone--the trainer, trainee, training coordinator, foreman and superintendent--all know exactly which skills the trainee has upon completion of the training.

If one or more of these scenarios is true for you, please read on. You are in the right place. There is help for you here.

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Which mine positions are affected by training quality?

There are often several positions within a mine that are struggling in one way or another to create a system that can demonstrate due diligence in operator training. They typically fall into one of the following categories:
  • Corporate Leadership: Anyone responsible for leading their mine or division and developing the corporate strategies that lead to business success, for example, President, Chairman of the Board, CEO, General Manager, Chief Engineer
  • Mine Operations: Anyone responsible for running a mine day to day, for example, Mine Manager, Mine Superintendent, Training Coordinator, Shift Foreman, Shift Supervisor.

Which companies are most likely to find success through North Pacific?

We find that our services resonate well with clients who share the following characteristics regarding their business:
  • High Standards of Excellence: Good enough isn't. You want to make your mine the safest and most productive in your sector.
  • Very knowledgeable about your company and your industry: You strive to be true experts and reliable sources of product to your customers.
  • You have dedicated workers: Your employees are committed to safety, production and efficiency. They are willing to do their best to achieve outstanding production with minimum risk of injury or environment incident.
  • You realize that as a company, you can't know everything: But your company is willing to get assistance and expand its knowledge and expertise.
  • You’re willing to invest in yourself and your people: You know that this is the best investment of all.
  • You’re committed to mutually supportive relationships: In business and in life, you realize that you and your company can't make it alone.
If you fit the profile above, you can be successful in developing and delivering a defensible training system. Click here to learn more about how the North Pacific Operator Training System works to help you better train your plant and equipment operators.

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