Do your current driving or mobile equipment policies permit hands-free cell phone use, and if so, under what conditions is it considered acceptable (e.g., risk level, environment, type of task)? Additionally, how have you addressed compliance challenges and balanced legal allowances with operational safety expectations?
- Do have that in our light vehicle fleet hands free operations is permitted whilst driving, on all our sites we operate directly with the clients personal cell phones are not permitted beyond the dry, in other words no cell phones are permitted in any of the operating areas of the mine.
- Hands-Free driving has recently been permitted at our site, as in a couple months ago recent, and it explicitly identifies Bluetooth connectivity in light vehicles only. We have a prescribed definition of what a light vehicle is and is not and this has been communicated to all staff, workers, and contractors. Cell phones and smart watches are not allowed in any heavy or mine mobile equipment currently.
What conditions:
Any light vehicle that is driving in the mine or on the site that has Bluetooth connectivity and using a company provided cell phone.
You need to be parked in a safe parking location to connect to Bluetooth outside of any Mine Haul or light vehicle road, active shovel pit or dumps. - If you lose connection, you cannot try and reconnect until parked in a safe location referencing the above Physically using a cell phone in your hand, on your lap, in the cup holder or smart watch is prohibited, the device must be connected to Bluetooth and function with controls on the vehicles panel which is also closely mounted to the 2-way radio.