Challenges in the mining industry
Mining businesses are often controversial and are watched very closely by regulatory agencies, in particular due to hazardous working conditions and environmental impact. As important an industry as it often is, since it provides valuable natural resources and energy to surrounding communities, there are several things to be aware of in order to find success in the mining industry.
Environmental impact
Several processes involved in the extraction and transport of natural resources can damage the environment. Drilling and excavation leads to deforestation, water and air pollution, and destruction of natural habitats if you’re not careful.
Being mindful of your impact is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, you have a social responsibility to prevent your operations from harming people nearby. Mining is already seen unfavorably by many people, since it often eats into community land and other resources.
Secondly, mining businesses need to meet environmental standards put in place by federal bodies. Failing to do so can result in lawsuits, fines, and damage to your business’ reputation.
Miner safety
Depending on the task, mining work can involve many hazards your workers need to be aware of. The surrounding environment as well as any chemicals, flammable substances, or heavy equipment used at work are all things that pose safety risks.
It’s important that you follow all safety guidelines and regularly inspect mining sites to find and address problems before an incident occurs. In addition to preparing work areas properly, make sure your employees are carrying out tasks safely and are wearing appropriate protective equipment.
Regulatory compliance
Mining businesses need to be aware of regulations governing things from sustainable practices to safety requirements to equipment standards. It’s a lot of information to remember, so to make it easier, you should prepare checklists for each standard you’re required to follow.
Rather than wait for regulators to knock on your door, be proactive by regularly auditing yourself. That way, you can establish a culture of compliance more easily and fix any issues ahead of an official assessment.
Energy and resource efficiency
The oil and gas industry relies on nonrenewable resources and often consumes a lot of energy. Both of these things lead to increased costs, thanks to rising energy prices and increased difficulty of mining in remote locations.
Your mining business should explore alternative energy sources where possible and invest in tech that helps extract the most resources from a given site, so you won’t need to move around as much. This technology might be expensive at first, but it’s a cost-cutting measure in the long run.
Running a mining business with Lumiform
Following all the laws and policies that mining businesses need to be aware of to operate means constant oversight and detailed documentation of business operations. It’s easy for all that information to get out of hand and be difficult to track, especially when you’re using pen-and-paper for your records.
Instead, use Lumiform so that you can collect, store, and analyze all your data in one place. The workflow automation platform gives you the tools to design inspections that fit your business exactly and lets you conduct them via a mobile or desktop app.
Create or download a checklist for everything your business does, from hazard detection to equipment maintenance to measuring environmental impact. Then, fill it out in minutes thanks to a simple UI that guides you through each step of the inspection.
The data you collect with Lumiform is saved to the cloud and encrypted to ensure your organization is the only one with access. You can find it anytime and even print the results of inspections in PDF form, in case you need documentation on hand.
Regular weekly and monthly reports enable you to see your business activities laid out clearly and to identify potential improvements. These reports are organized by inspection, so you have a convenient way of evaluating performance in every area.