Mining
Safety in mining
Anglo American is a global mining company with a portfolio that spans diamonds, platinum, copper, iron ore & more. This global mining leader produces essential materials that play a crucial role in nearly every facet of modern life.
OVERVIEW
CHALLENGES
Labour intensive + Time consuming
Half the information was still captured on paper first, then given to the administrator to recapture onto a different platform. And then published onto the app.
Basically, with the current ways of work without a proper system, it is more challenging to assign, prioritize, manage, or complete tasks on time and deliver within the budgets. This in a long term has the potential to become a barrier to an organization’s success.
Timeframes
Given the findings, the tight deadlines and budget I brought it to the attention of the client (whom gave us an additional 2 months) that we are looking at more than just an app re-branding, but we also have an opportunity to solve some of the low hanging fruits that affects the experience.
POTENTIAL SOLUTION
Streamline and consolidate scattered information from multiple sources into a single, reliable platform by enhancing and expanding the existing app.
INSIGHTS GATHERED FROM THE
My research focused on the following areas:
Understand the structure and scale of the safety protocol.
Identify the roles and responsibilities of members at each level.
Analyze the day-to-day tasks that need to be completed and the time it takes to complete them.
Assess how the success of these tasks is measured.
Complicated User Interface
User
Pain Point: John finds the app's interface overwhelming or confusing, especially if it's cluttered with too many options or technical features. He needs a simple, intuitive interface to quickly report hazards and check safety updates without distraction.
Impact: Time wasted navigating the app can lead to delays in reporting safety issues, potentially compromising the overall safety of the worksite.
Limited Offline Functionality
User
Pain Point: Since John often works in underground areas with no signal, he faces challenges in using the app without an internet connection. He can’t access real-time updates or report hazards effectively when offline.
Impact: This can delay hazard reporting, leading to a backlog of unreported safety issues that could escalate into larger problems once he regains signal.
Lack of Contextual Guidance
User
Pain Point: The app doesn't offer enough practical, context-specific guidance on how to address different hazards or safety procedures. John needs step-by-step instructions or alerts that are easy to follow in the moment.
Impact: John may feel unsure about how to handle certain situations, leading to hesitation in responding to safety threats and potential delays in addressing urgent issues.
Inadequate Notification System
User
Pain Point: John sometimes misses critical safety alerts or updates because the app's notification system is not timely or clear enough.
Impact: Missing important safety alerts could result in John being unaware of ongoing risks or changes in safety protocols, which could endanger his well-being.
Lack of Comprehensive Data Integration
User
Pain Point: Emma struggles to access all the safety data from different mine sites in one place. The app might only provide fragmented information, making it difficult for her to analyze trends or monitor real-time performance.
Impact: Emma’s ability to make data-driven decisions is limited, and she may not spot emerging safety risks in time, hindering her efforts to improve safety protocols.
Difficulty Tracking Incident Resolutions
User
Pain Point: The app may not provide a clear or updated status on reported safety issues or corrective actions. Emma has trouble tracking whether hazards have been resolved or mitigated, as follow-up actions aren’t always visible.
Impact: This makes it harder for Emma to ensure that safety protocols are being followed and that reported issues are being addressed promptly, potentially leading to unresolved safety concerns.
Overwhelming Data without Clear Insights
User
Pain Point: The data provided by the app might be too raw or lacking in actionable insights. Emma finds it challenging to extract clear, meaningful takeaways from the large volume of safety data.
Impact: She could miss key safety trends or insights that could help improve safety measures, leading to missed opportunities for proactive risk management.
Poor Communication with the Ground Team
User
Pain Point: There’s a gap in real-time communication between Emma and the workers on-site. She may have trouble reaching miners and other staff members to get updates or clarify issues.
Impact: Miscommunication can lead to delays in addressing safety issues or confusion about new procedures, which can increase the likelihood of accidents.
Fragmented Reporting System
User
Pain Point: Raj finds that the app's safety reporting system is disjointed, with reports coming from different sources that aren’t well integrated. There’s no centralized way to track the status of safety incidents, which makes her administrative tasks more difficult.
Impact: She spends extra time managing reports manually, leading to inefficiencies and potential mistakes in tracking incident resolutions or compliance.
Limited Visibility of Compliance Metrics
User
Pain Point: Raj struggles to track and ensure compliance with safety regulations using the app. There may be no clear overview of how well the team is adhering to safety protocols, or the app doesn’t offer sufficient tools to track key compliance metrics.
Impact: This leaves Raj uncertain about whether the organization is meeting safety requirements, which could lead to compliance failures or lapses in safety standards.
Lack of Customization for Administrative Needs
User
Pain Point: The app doesn’t offer enough customization options to tailor it to Raj’s specific administrative needs, such as creating custom reports or modifying how data is presented.
Impact: Raj may have to manually adjust reports or handle data in a way that isn’t as efficient, increasing her workload and potentially causing delays in reporting to senior management.
Delayed Incident Data and Updates
User
Pain Point: Raj often receives delayed or incomplete information regarding safety incidents and hazard reports. She’s not always able to get real-time updates from miners or engineers, making it harder to manage ongoing safety concerns effectively.
Impact: The delay in data impacts her ability to act quickly, resulting in inefficient coordination of safety initiatives and slower resolution of issues.
Summary of Key Pain Points from the user research
Key Pain Point 01
There's a struggle with a complicated user interface, limited offline functionality, lack of contextual guidance, and inadequate notifications.
Key Pain Point 02
Dealing with a fragmented reporting system, limited visibility of compliance metrics, lack of customization, and delayed incident data, which hampers the ability of users to perform their administrative duties efficiently.
Key Pain Point 03
Challenges with fragmented data integration, difficulty tracking incident resolutions, poor communication with the field team, and raw data that lacks actionable insights.
In summary
CREATION OF
Based on the workshop findings and the data gathered from the team that has been contributing to the app since its inception, I identified three distinct user profiles.
The research highlighted the pain points and how different users would interact with the app in varying ways. To address these differences, I categorized the users into three profiles, each based on their specific goals and tasks.
USER
I reassessed the existing process flow and layout, and suggested enhancements that could be implemented based on the character profiles.
Unfortunately I had to quickly pivot and skip the wire framing and the testing stage and dive straight into UI design and prototyping as one of the executives wished to see what the app looked like and functioned on the actual platform build by developers.
Whilst designing the screens, I also took the opportunity to digitise and create some gamification inspired by their safety physical playing cards.
I handed over the final design components to the development team using Zeplin and provided continuous design support and online product testing so that it was ready for launch.
Enhancing the mining safety app by improving its user experience, integrating data seamlessly, and providing real-time insights will empower staff—such as safety managers, engineers, and miners—to better report potential accidents and make informed decisions.
By consolidating fragmented information into a unified, reliable platform, the app can streamline workflows, enhance communication, and ultimately contribute to a safer and more productive work environment.
These improvements will not only support the critical goal of accident prevention but also help staff perform their roles more efficiently, fostering a culture of safety and operational excellence within the mining industry.