Everyone involved in exploration, including employees, consultants, contractors and visitors, should undergo formal basic induction training on all relevant aspects of safe working practice before starting employment. Induction should be carried out by suitably qualified persons, and on completion should be recorded and
acknowledged by the participant in writing. Inductions should be considered in two parts:
• general induction covering common requirements for all exploration activities
• specific induction for the particular site and type of exploration being undertaken.
Refresher inductions should be conducted as required and as appropriate. A shorter induction may be more appropriate for visitors. Everyone involved in exploration work should be trained to carry out their work in a
safe and competent manner.
General basic inductions
Several subjects could be included in general inductions and in refresher inductions, depending on the work to be carried out and the location. Possible subjects follow, along with suggested topics for each.
Occupational health and safety
• Relevant company health and safety policy, and safety management systems
• Relevant standard work procedures
• Assessment of hazards in the field
• Use of all types of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as sun protection, sun and safety glasses, and safety footwear
• Safe use of hand and power tools
• Safe practices around drill rigs and heavy equipment
• Housekeeping and basic hygiene while camping
• The need to carry or have access to potable water
• Ensuring work plans and destinations are known by others
• Advising companions of allergies, afflictions, etc.
• Correct practices for manual handling of equipment
• Hazards associated with petrol, diesel fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), other flammables and chemicals
• Fire prevention, firefighting and bush fires
• Company policy on drug and alcohol usage
• General communications with companions
• Reporting safety incidents
• Emergency procedures
First aid
• Explanation of the principles of DRABC (danger, response, airways, breathing, circulation)
• Treatment of sunburn and other burns
• Treatment of snake, spider and scorpion bites
• Stemming bleeding and treating broken bones
• Dehydration and heat exhaustion
• Exposure and hypothermia
• Treatment of shock
• Contents of various first aid kits, their use and their locations
Radios and communication
• Need for regular communication between field parties and base
• Company standard operating procedures
• Search and rescue procedures
• Thorough instruction in and demonstration of the use of transceivers, installation of aerials, use of frequencies, selcall (all-purpose ground to air communications), radio telephone and Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) network
Maintenance of equipment
• Coverage of mobile phone networks and the use of satellite telephones Vehicle/driver awareness and driving techniques
• Attitudes to road safety, road rules, traffic laws and responsibility towards passengers and other road users
• Driving practices for prevailing conditions
• Driver fatigue, safe driving periods and rest intervals
• Basic vehicle spare parts
• Understanding four-wheel drive vehicles and practising relevant driving and recovery techniques
• Daily vehicle checks, maintenance and road worthiness
• Vehicle loading, carrying capacity and towing procedures
Bush sense and survival skills
• Correct use of maps, compasses, global positioning systems (GPS) units, etc.
• Planning daily work schedules and notifying others of the schedules
• Vehicle breakdowns, staying with the vehicle, parking in a clear area
• Knowledge of contents of first aid and survival kits
• Basic survival skills and preparation of a survival plan
• Awareness of weather reports
Site-specific inductions
In addition to the general induction it is essential that each person is fully aware of relevant health and safety policies, and of the work and hazards at specific exploration sites or for each exploration program. These should be discussed at initial site meetings and reviewed periodically.
Topics for site specific inductions include:
• special emergency procedures for the area being explored including specific emergency contact numbers and names, air strip locations and dimensions
• safety aspects of the particular geographical area such as climatic conditions, vegetation, plant species, isolation, access, tides, river flows, dangerous animals and insects
• safety aspects of particular exploration methods
• equipment to be used such as earthmoving equipment, drill rigs, helicopters, boats, etc.
• land use hazards and practices including electric fences and herbicides/pesticides
• potential hazards such as ground water, gas and liquids under pressure in drill holes, surface and underground excavations, toxins such as cyanide or arsenic around abandoned sites and radioactive ores
• local community contact.
Training
Training is a planned process designed to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to achieve the desired results and ensure work is done safely. All training should be competency based and records should be maintained of all those who have completed such training.
Competency-based training involves practical assessments of theoretical and practical skills learned during the training process. Competence is the ability to perform activities within an occupation or function to the standard expected in employment.
To ensure that training is effective, a systems approach should be used which:
• identifies and analyses training needs and relevant performance standards
• sets objectives for the training and establishes a method for measuring results
• assesses the current performance level of trainees against agreed standards
• designs appropriate training to satisfy the objectives and address safety aspects of the task
• produces a training module for each task in a standard format
• evaluates results against the objectives.
The detail required for each training program will vary considerably according to the task to be undertaken but the principles remain the same. Each person must be capable of performing the task safely and productively, whether it is cutting lines with a chainsaw or drilling. Training needs to be ongoing to ensure that performance standards are maintained.