Risk Safety Assessment of Human Factors Using Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach

The inherent and unique risks of mining projects quite often present key challenges that health and safety risks are among the most significant risks in mining projects since the mining industry is characterized by a relatively high injury and death rate compared to other industries. Various factors including human, environmental, machinery and tools affect mining safety that the role of human factor is significant at different levels and based on it, it is necessary to assess the risks associated with human factors separately. In mining project management, safety risk assessment is an important step toward identifying potential hazards and evaluating the risks associated with the hazards. Proper safety risk prioritization is very crucial during the risk assessment for planning, budgeting and managing safety-related risks. Despite the importance of the risk assessment, in many Iranian mines, some of which include large mines, there is a lack of appropriate and scientific approach to the issue.

In the present paper, we have tried to examine the application of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a quantitative method for risk assessment with a special focus on the open pit mining industry. The identification and classification of risk assessment is based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) model. Then, the analysis is performed by collecting experts grading to determine the weights of important accident-causing factors at various levels of a working system in open pit mines.

The weight of human factor indices has been evaluated at four levels. At different levels, organizational atmosphere factors, improper performance of fault correction, resource management and decision error have been identified as the most significant factors leading to human accidents in open pit mines.

By using AHP method, the role and importance of various factors affecting safety in open pit mines at different levels of managerial and organizational factors, supervisory and leadership factors, preventive factors and executive factors have been investigated. This analysis can play a decisive role in the field of establishment and optimization of the safety management system, including formulation of policies, organization, planning, evaluation and implementation of activities in a safe manner.