App C_Mobile equipment operator focus group guide

Appendix C

Mobile equipment operator focus group guide

Focus Group No.: ____________

Date: ____ / _____ / 20 _____

Conducted by: MFN / WP / JP / BE

Thank you for volunteering to participate in this focus group. My name is ____ and I will be the moderator for this discussion. ______ will be assisting me with note taking during our discussion. We would like to have a group discussion about the ingress/egress systems on mobile equipment (the system used to get on and off of mobile equipment such as a ladder) to provide you with an opportunity to share any thoughts, comments, or concerns you may have. In order to obtain the best possible feedback, this will be a structured discussion. We will begin by discussing your job and the experiences you have had with slipping, tripping, or falling. We will then move on to a discussion about your opinions of how and where miners may get injured while getting on and off mobile equipment. We will then discuss general tasks conducted on the ingress/egress systems. Finally, we will discuss ways the ingress/egress systems could be improved. This guided discussion will last approximately 1.5 hours. Does anyone have any questions for me before we get started?

First, I would like to begin by discussing your job and experiences you have had with slipping, tripping, or falling while getting on or off of mobile equipment.

1. What is your current job title and job function?

2. What is the type, make, model, and age of the equipment you currently operate (if unknown we can follow up with management)?

a. How long have you been operating this piece of equipment?

b. Do you have experience operating other mobile equipment?

i. If yes, please explain?

3. How long have you been operating this type of equipment?

4. Have you ever fallen on/from any piece of mobile equipment?

a. If yes, please explain?

b. If no, have you ever slipped or tripped on any piece of mobile equipment?

i. If yes, please explain?

5. Do you ever carry anything in your hands when getting on or off mobile equipment?

a. If yes, please explain?

6. Do you ever skip steps or jump from the equipment when getting on or off mobile equipment?

a. If yes, please explain?

Now, I would like to discuss your opinions of how and where miners may get injured while getting on and off of mobile equipment.

7. At what point during the process of getting on the equipment do slips, trips, or falls occur?

a. When you are getting on a piece of equipment, at what location on the ingress/egress system are slips, trips, or falls likely to happen?

b. When you are getting on a piece of equipment, at what location at the mine are slips, trips, or falls likely to happen?

8. At what point during the process of getting off of equipment do slips, trips, or falls occur?

a. While getting off of a piece of equipment, at what location on the ingress/egress system are slips, trips, or falls likely to happen?

b. When you are getting off of a piece of equipment, at what location at the mine are slips, trips, or falls likely to happen?

9. In your opinion, are there any environmental conditions (ex: weather, parking location, seasonal effects) which make getting on or off the equipment more difficult or increase the chances of a slip, trip, or fall occurring?

10. In your opinion, is there anything else which makes getting on or off the equipment more difficult or increases the chances of a slip, trip, or fall occurring?

Before we move on to the next discussion topic, is there anything else you would like to say about how and where miners may slip, trip, or fall while getting on or off of mobile equipment?

We will now spend some time discussing general tasks carried out on the ingress/egress systems. (11 through 13 may be omitted if needed for time constraints)

11. In your opinion, what tasks may commonly lead to slips, trips, or falls from mobile equipment?

12. What repair/maintenance/housekeeping activities are carried out most often on mobile equipment ingress/egress systems?

a. For each mentioned:

i. Who performs the activity?

ii. How often does this occur?

iii. Why does this activity need to occur?

13. If you know, what parts of the ingress/egress system commonly need to be replaced?

14. How and when do you determine that a piece of equipment should be placed out of service – or that the equipment should be flagged for issues related to the ingress/egress system?

a. What problems would warrant flagging with respect to the ingress/egress system?

Before we move on to the next discussion topic, is there anything else you would like to say about the tasks carried out on the ingress/egress systems?

To end our discussion, I would like for us to spend some time discussing ways the ingress/egress systems could be modified.

15. Is any ingress/egress system superior (either different make/model/or other type of equipment) to the system on the mobile equipment you currently operate and why?

16. If there was some part of the ingress/egress system that you could change, what would it be?

a. What would you change about that part and why?

We have completed all of the questions I had prepared for our discussion. Before we adjourn, is there anything else you would like to share about the slips, trips, or falls associated with ingress/egress from mobile equipment?

Thank you for your time. We greatly appreciate your willingness to participate in this very important research.