From undetected to accountable

The future of collision avoidance

Unreported near misses and the quest for zero harm

In industries like mining, where mobile equipment interactions are daily occurrences, achieving zero harm remains an essential yet challenging goal. Despite considerable advancements in safety technology, unreported near misses continue to represent a significant blind spot, undermining efforts to prevent fatalities and serious injuries. Research suggests that for every fatality, there could be as many as 300-500 near misses, the vast majority of which go unreported, creating a staggering gap in safety monitoring?.

Understanding the scale of unreported near misses

Experts estimate that countless near misses remain undocumented for every incident reported in mining. According to Heinrich’s Safety Pyramid model, the ratio of near misses to serious injuries and fatalities typically suggests hundreds of unreported near misses for each major accident. This pyramid’s structure implies that serious incidents, while fewer in number, occur only after a long chain of overlooked risks, with unreported near misses as the foundation. Such underreporting is an industry-wide issue and can significantly obstruct the pathway to zero harm by masking potential hazards.

In Australia alone, a reported five mobile equipment fatalities in a recent year implies potentially 2,500 unreported near misses in mining equipment interactions?. These near misses could reveal a hidden layer of risk that demands urgent attention. If left unaddressed, these instances — deemed minor or overlooked entirely — could set the stage for future tragedies, regardless of the considerable safety protocols already in place.

Enter Percept: harnessing technology to track near misses

The industry has invested heavily in safety measures, and modern systems like Percept by RaptorTech represent a significant step forward. Percept offers advanced real-time monitoring capabilities and aims to close the gap on unreported near misses.

Perceptⁿ CAS combines cutting-edge technology — both hardware and software manufactured in Australia by RaptorTech — with the ambition to provide the most advanced CAS in the world:

• Stereo camera vision (Percept⁰¹) combined with convolutional neural networks learning enables visual object detection and categorisation (people, vehicles, obstacles) in real-time. The incorporation of self-cleaning lens technology ensures minimisation of environmental factors (e.g., dust) impacting visibility.

• 4D radar perception (Percept⁰²), combining radar and camera data using fusion algorithms to provide a highly reliable occupancy grid, and ensuring that environmental factors impacting visual recognition of obstacles e.g., dust, rain, fog, darkness, are fully resolved and eliminated.

• Peer-to-peer communication (Percept⁰³) incorporates ultrawideband radio-frequency technology, enabling real-time personnel and equipment tracking even when traditional GPS signals are unavailable. Each UWB tag emits a unique signal that identifies the object and its proximity to other tagged objects, ensuring accurate collision prevention.

• High precision GPS (GNSS)(Percept⁰⁴) with 20mm accuracy for unmatched precision, providing precise location tracking of vehicles and personnel. This includes limited visibility conditions.

• Auto braking (Percept^Auto) introduces a full intervention control system to improve reaction times and ensure collision avoidance in emergencies. Compliance with EMERST Level 9 standards — which mandate that technology should actively prevent accidents by intervening when a collision is imminent — ensures that in situations where an operator cannot react in time, the system will take the necessary actions to avoid an accident. Percept^Auto is compatible with any ISO-interoperable collision avoidance system and can be installed on any machine to reduce the risk of catastrophic incidents.

Unlike traditional systems relying on a single detection method (most commonly wireless peer-to-peer coupled with GPS), Perceptⁿ combines four layers of detection technology to provide best in class object detection and classification in all-weather conditions and mining environments (open pit mine as well as underground operations).  Percept detects obstacles and categorises them by their threat level in real-time.

These features allow for accurate and continuous monitoring in challenging mining conditions — whether open pit or underground — and provide supervisors and operators with immediate feedback on potentially unsafe interactions?.

Incident filtering and playback: exposing hidden near misses

One of Percept’s unique capabilities is its incident filtering and playback feature. This tool records and categorises each detected near miss, even if the operator doesn’t actively report it. With playback functionality, managers can review detailed records of fleet movement, driver behaviour and equipment interactions, pinpointing trends that reveal previously unseen risks. This type of data analysis can expose patterns that may go unnoticed in traditional reporting systems, identifying high-risk behaviours before they escalate.

By automatically documenting near misses, Percept forces a level of transparency that cannot be achieved through manual reporting alone. Operators become aware that all interactions, including near misses, are visible to safety managers and are being analysed for improvement. This transparency introduces accountability, prompting a shift toward more proactive reporting as workers recognise that their behaviours are constantly scrutinised. Over time, this shift can influence a more robust reporting culture within the workforce, enabling a clearer picture of daily safety performance.

Toward a culture of reporting: the role of accountability and change management

Historically, mining safety culture has thrived on rigorous training, daily briefings and consistent reinforcement of safety protocols. However, the gap left by unreported near misses indicates that further improvement is necessary. Percept addresses this gap by encouraging behavioural change, supported by data that cannot be easily ignored or dismissed. When operators know that each near miss will be reviewed, it reduces the temptation to dismiss incidents as inconsequential. This shift encourages honest reporting, reinforcing that all incidents — no matter how minor — are vital to safety.

Additionally, change management processes become a natural part of implementing systems like Percept. As unreported near misses become known, safety managers have the evidence they need to adapt training, update safety protocols and enforce procedures that target the specific risk factors exposed by the system. This iterative process creates a feedback loop where technology drives awareness, awareness drives reporting and reporting drives preventive action.

A path forward: leveraging technology for zero harm

The ultimate goal of zero harm in mining is ambitious but achievable. With tools like Percept, companies can bridge the gap between safety protocols and actual on-the-ground risk. By leveraging incident playback and incident filtering, Percept transforms safety data into actionable insights, allowing companies to take pre-emptive action against potential accidents and refine their operational safety strategies continuously.

Closing the gap on unreported near misses isn’t simply a regulatory need — it’s a moral imperative. Tools like Percept empowers companies to maintain a safer work environment through transparency, accountability and change management, ultimately supporting the industry’s ongoing journey toward zero harm.

For more information contact www.raptortech.com.au