Published in September 2006 Australian Longwall Magazine

Coal mines are capital-intensive business operations. They create wealth through the quality of their mining processes and the machines that extract the coal, however, it is human beings who manage processes and operate the machines. Given the complexity of mining activity today, the behaviour and attitude of operators can have a huge impact on productivity.

The mining industry generally has recognised this situation. The industry widely uses continuous improvement processes utilising specialists trained in such methods as Six Sigma and Lean Thinking. This is necessary but is not sufficient to achieve a continuous improvement culture.

The best mines will act to “transfer” knowledge and skills in these methods to the operational level. This enhances people’s capacity to change their work practices so that the mine is competitive in a global marketplace.

Mine management has responsibility for ensuring employees at all levels in the business can participate in improvement initiatives – using methods such as Six Sigma and Lean Thinking.

They must develop a work culture in which their people continually reflect on how they increase value-adding time for the business.

In underground mining operations, Heading Development is a fertile area for using these methods.

Value-Adding Time – Heading Development

In theory, the total available time for Heading Development is made up of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But mining people know that the actual time spent on coal is much less than this. Figure 1 illustrates where time can be lost.

Scheduled down time for maintenance, set-up times for panel advances, breakdowns, and other delays such as waiting for supplies, differences in skill levels of bolters and miner drivers and delays caused by the need to repair roads are examples of issues that reduce the value-adding time of crews on coal.

A recent report by the Australian Coal Association Research Program highlighted that panel advances and logistics of supply distribution of consumables were major constraints to roadway development rates.

A comprehensive approach is essential to successfully increase value-adding time. Development superintendents must engage their people in the change process.

Improvements can only be gained and sustained when the crews participate in changing their work behaviour. Managers cannot do this for them. The role of management is to provide enabling processes through which crew members change the way they do work.

Case studies show that there are three major issues that need to be addressed to improve on-coal value-adding time. The first is the unreliability of data necessary to manage heading development.

The second is variability in operating procedures within and across crews. The third is a lack of coordination across service activities and employee resource allocations (e.g. above and underground) that support heading development.

Data Reliability

Down time data reported by deputies is often grossly inaccurate. To test the veracity of data try the following experiment. Measure the cycle time for bolting, cutting and loading coal.

This provides the time that it takes to make, say, a one-metre advance. Review the data sheet for metres cut on shift. Multiply this number by the measured cycle time to calculate value-adding time. To this add the recorded down time. The difference between this number and the hours of shift operation provides information on unrecorded down time. This time can be quite significant in many mines.

Data provides information on the causes of down time. Unless there is quality data, the causes are not known and necessary improvements cannot be made.

Managers must work with their crews to ensure that there is reliable data collection. Operators often do not see the importance of data, and in many cases management do not respond to it.

Vast amounts of data are usually collected but often there are no business processes through which operators are engaged by management to drive improvements. This is fundamental if value-adding time is to be increased.

Standard Operating Procedures

Many people work “tacitly”. They do tasks in ways they have always done without thinking about why they do what they do. Each individual has their own experiences and perceptions of what works for them.

Resulting variability in operating procedures within and between crews is often an accepted part of mining operations. However, this variability is the enemy of high performance (in all industries).

Standardised procedures and adherence to them is important if a mine is to remain competitive with international best practice. Involving operational people in routine reviews of procedures will help align their personal approaches to an agreed standard, and indeed contribute to improving the standard.

Below is an example of how operators could be involved in developing a new standard for panel advances. The goal is to minimise the non-value adding time involved in the panel advance. A systemic solution is sought.

Ask operators to name issues and opportunities:

Before: Preliminary work that could be done whilst the crew was still on-coal.

During: Work to be done during the panel advance.

After: Work that could be done after the panel advance, when back on-coal.

Re-engineering: Opportunities to re-engineer equipment involved that would help to reduce the advance time.

Resources: Key manning and machine allocation times and strategies for sharing resources.

Engaging crews in such a process can yield creative solutions to parallel and sequential tasking and the sharing of resources at key times.

A feature of this systemic approach is development of a visual display that highlights parallel and sequential tasks and time allocated for each task (the length of each line represents time).

The key to writing a good procedure is that it contains as few words as possible. No operator reads a 10-page document, let alone a 30-page one. The key to writing a successful procedure is to use diagrams (see figure 2) and pictures to convey meaning.

Participants in the process will come up with useful ways to reduce panel advance times. Moreover those involved will understand and be aligned with the new forms of value-adding activity. They have now participated in managing the attitude and behaviour of the workforce.

Once new standardised procedures have been agreed and adopted, it is important for...click here to read on.