Worker fatigue is the most commonly identified human factor in the mining industry. Mining is a job done around the clock, where fatigue is prevalent and along with the enormous hazards present in the mining industry, falling asleep on the job is not an option.

Miners often work long hours, while being required to handle physically and mentally demanding tasks, and spend a significant amount of time in dark environments. These conditions can cause stress and fatigue, which is often an overlooked risk for mine workers.

Research shows that heavy levels of fatigue have similar symptoms to intoxication, affecting reaction time, decision-making skills, and injury rates at work. Additionally, a fatigued mine worker is more likely to cause an incident that injures multiple people.

A common health risk that miners face is thermal – or heat – stress.

Mining environments are often very hot and humid, particularly those in outback Australia, which over time can cause thermal stress in workers.

Overexposure to heat and humidity can cause the body to become fatigued and distressed. This can result in heat stroke or more serious ongoing health problems

Mining doesn’t have to be unsafe. With the introduction of strict safety legislation and protocol, as well as, advances in Safety Technology and corrective training, risk can drastically be reduced. Response time to life threatening events can be shortened with a real-time event notification system which allows organizations and managers to have better understanding of employees' fatigue and physiological levels.