Best Practice Standard

Dragline Top 20
BP007_DL20_01

July 2011

Best Practice Standard Dragline Top 20 GBI

Published by
Ground Breaking Innovations Pty Ltd ABN 60 098 705 410 Unit 2, 53 Brandl St, Brisbane Technology Park, Eight Mile Plains, Queensland, 4113 Australia www.gbimining.com Telephone: +617 31478300 Email: gbi@gbimining.com Facsimile: +617 31478305

Authors: Dr. Graham Lumley and Trevor Trott Edited by: Laura Seviour Responsible Person: Dr. Graham Lumley (RPEQ No. 4853)

COPYRIGHT 2011 Ground Breaking Innovations Pty Ltd

All rights reserved. Copying or reproduction of this publication in any form, on-selling or reselling of the contents, or storage in a retrieval system for the purposes of commercial gain constitute a breach of copyright. The publishers of the Best Practice Standard Dragline Top 20 have exercised the utmost care in the composition of this publication; however, Ground Breaking Innovations Pty Ltd cannot be held responsible for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions resulting from the nature of the information provided or previously published, or through typographical compilation.

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INTRODUCTION
The development of a series of standards for mining equipment has come about from 20 years of collecting and analysing data from surface mines around the world and consulting in how to apply the key facts to emerge from the data. This has involved collating information from a range of areas, analysing the issues, analysing their impact on the Best Practice Performance achieved from around the world and prioritising them to identify the top twenty. This dragline best practice standard is the first in the series and is followed by truck and loader and drill and blast. Leveraging off the GBI Worldwide Databank (which includes nearly a thousand years, >250 million cycles, of data from worldwide dragline operations), this manual explains each aspect of best practice operations to assist in the understanding and application of the principles in each area. This document presents what GBI consider the Top 20 actions, processes and attitudes employed by Dragline Operations Worldwide (in nonprioritised order) in contributing to a strategic advantage in Safety, Cost and Productivity Performance. While we have managed to include what we consider to be the most important characteristics of best practice operations the essence of a best practice operation goes past numbers and standards. Best practice is a state of mind. It is a state that says, We will do what we need to do. Step 1 is meeting this standard. Like all standards it can be hard work getting your head around what is involved in each factor in this standard. However, it is designed to be used as a basis for auditing your dragline and mine operation. Each factor has a number of key components which each dragline should pass if a dragline is to be best practice. The Best Practices have been classified and are listed under the following headings:

1. Corporate BP 1. 2. Safety BP 2. Communication systems Leadership

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3. Mine Planning BP 3. BP 4. BP 5. BP 6. Accurate mining/engineering plans/schedules Following the mining/engineering plans Scheduling of dragline and ancillary activities Planning and execution of blasting

4. Recording and Monitoring BP 7. BP 8. 5. People BP 9. BP 10. Selecting the right people to operate Skills development of personnel Collecting and storing data Using the data

6. Operational Foundations BP 11. BP 12. BP 13. BP 14. BP 15. BP 16. BP 17. Payload optimisation Buckets and Rigging Filling the Bucket Dragline Positioning Dig Time Walking / Manoeuvring Wait on Dozer

7. Maintenance BP 18. BP 19. Approach to Maintenance Operate for Reliability

8. Ancillary Equipment BP 20. Application of ancillary equipment

It is proposed that each dragline be audited against all aspects described under these twenty factors.

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BP 1.

Leadership

There is telling evidence that dragline performance varies considerably even between similar sites with the same equipment. The current state of knowledge across a range of industries gives reason to believe that leadership, management and group culture determines a significant proportion of variability in productivity between draglines. The people at the top and the way they act make a very big impact on how other people act and the way the dragline works. Extensive research on organisational and group behaviour reported in high impact journals suggests that between 30% and 40% of all organisational and group behaviour can likely be accounted by leadership. Consequently, it is likely that leadership impacts throughout local mine culture and work practices. Mine site culture should be driven from the top down; through transformational leadership at all levels of management. Management personnel must be trained (effective leadership can be trained) in transformational leadership skills and should demonstrate the following; 1. Build trust from the dragline personnel 3. Leaders instil pride in others Act in the best interests of the dragline group Dragline personnel respect them Display power and confidence Demonstrate important values and beliefs Demonstrate a strong sense of purpose Strong moral and ethical approach Develop a collective sense of mission Build confidence and enthusiasm Act optimistically Act enthusiastically Communicate a vision for the future

2. Act with integrity

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BP 5. Scheduling Ancillary Activities

of

Dragline

and

The dragline can be considered the key stripping tool due to its size and impact on the coal uncover rate. It is also the most inflexible. Therefore the scheduling of mine equipment must revolve around what the dragline has to do and when. Other equipment must be scheduled to facilitate optimal dragline speed down the pit. A best practice dragline operation requires adequate inventory of blasted material to dig as well as room to properly execute. Issues such as the impact of chop down, ramping in, ramping out, bench building, face establishment, waiting for other activities, (e.g. blasting, coaling, etc), etc., can be minimised through efficient scheduling. To realise and attain consistent and stable operation, the dragline area needs certain factors planned / scheduled and executed to make it efficient: Dragline access prepared and ready (access ramp and walkway). Doze over / Push over complete to the acceptable planned / scheduled level / parameters. Cable layout and access available. All supporting activities i.e. topsoiling, pre-strip, drilling, blasting, dozing and coaling must be scheduled and executed well ahead of dragline scheduled arrival. Minimum of 500m blasted inventory at all times. Sufficient ancillary equipment capacity

The dragline should always have a planned escape route (eg. from highwall failure) , so that walking can commence immediately. In addition, the cable must always be positioned to facilitate an immediate walk.

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BP 9.

Skills Development of Personnel

To operate a dragline efficiently the necessary skills must be developed over an extended period of time. These skills can be broadly grouped into basic skills (those mechanical actions required to operate) and advanced skills (those required to operate in a highly productive manner). The graph is an example of gaps identified between actual and potential performance against the top 30% requirement (70 PR) (either has a productive ability or unlikely productive ability). This outcome is the result of poor training.

Figure 18: Gap between potential and actual performance

The following are the areas for basic skill development. Each has a component of planning, safety considerations, operations and reconciliation of what has happened. A dragline mine should be able to demonstrate competency across a range of aspects in each of these areas. 1. Plan and prepare for dragline operations 2. Relocate burden and materials 3. Relocate dragline 4. Carry out operator maintenance

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The following table covers: performance elements and operator tasks for competency operator sub-tasks undertaken by dragline operators in each of the task areas operator requirements to effectively undertake each task

Every training plan for operators should address the operator requirements.
Operator Tasks 1. Operator Sub-Tasks Operator Requirements

PLAN AND PREPARE FOR DRAGLINE OPERATIONS

1.1 Obtain, interpret and clarify/confirm work requirements 1.2 Access, interpret & apply geological and survey data

Shift briefings, Handover details or Work orders strip and block plans, operating plans.

Learn the requirements and processes of the job

Learn the way plans relate to the job and how to apply them Learn the safety requirements Have a conscientious attitude towards the job Dont take risks both with personal and machine safety.

1.3 Plan for safety

Access and apply safety information and procedures throughout the work

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