Every shift brings new challenges. Ground conditions can change. You may be assigned to operate equipment in different areas. The weather can vary from day to day, hour to hour. Even routine tasks can introduce new hazards when something changes.

That’s why situational awareness and hazard recognition are key principles of the CORESafety framework. Rather than reacting to problems after they occur, CORESafety encourages miners to identify hazards early, assess the level of risk and put effective controls in place before work begins.

Hazard recognition starts by asking a few simple questions:

• What could go wrong?
• What has changed since the last shift?
• What controls are in place, and are they still effective?

Taking a few moments to answer these questions helps crews recognize risks before they become incidents.

Finding a hazard is only the first step. CORESafety emphasizes evaluating the risk and deciding how to control it. That could mean changing a work procedure, improving communication, verifying equipment is ready for use or confirming that the right personal protective equipment (PPE) is being worn. The goal is always the same: reduce risk before work begins.

Communication is just as important. Every miner has valuable observations to share. Reporting changing conditions, hazards and near misses helps everyone stay informed and strengthens the entire team’s safety culture. Every workplace examination, job safety analysis and near miss report is also an opportunity to learn and continuously improve.

Taking a few moments to answer these questions helps crews recognize risks before they become incidents.

Five CORESafety Tips for Better Situational Awareness

1. Stop and Identify Hazards Before Every Task
Conditions can change from one shift to the next, so…

• Look for changing conditions.
• Ask, “What’s different today?”
• Identify hazards before work begins.
• Never assume today’s job is the same as yesterday’s.

2. Think About Risks, Not Just Hazards

Finding a hazard is only the beginning.

• Evaluate the level of risk.
• Put effective controls in place.
• Follow safe work procedures.
• Verify controls before starting the task.

3. Speak Up When Something Changes

Good communication keeps everyone safer.

• Report changing conditions immediately.
• Share concerns with your crew.
• Ask questions when something seems different.
• Never ignore a hazard.

4. Learn From Near Misses and Everyday Observations

Every report is an opportunity to improve.

• Report near misses promptly.
• Share lessons learned.
• Observe work practices.
• Help identify safer ways to perform the job.

5. Make Situational Awareness a Daily Habit

Hazard recognition should guide every task, every shift.

• Stay focused on the task.
• Reassess hazards as work changes.
• Communicate with your team.
• Keep looking for opportunities to improve.

When every miner makes hazard recognition part of the job, situational awareness becomes second nature. That’s the goal of CORESafety—helping miners identify hazards, manage risks and continuously improve safety through every task, every shift and every decision.

CORESafety

To learn more about CORESafety, visit our website by clicking here.