OPERATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT IN NICKEL ORE LOADING, HAULAGE, AND STOCKPILE OPERATIONS: AN INTEGRATED HIRADC FRAMEWORK BASED ON FIELD OBSERVATION AND CRITICAL-CONTROL VERIFICATION

Bima Gandi Padang; Indra Komara; Busri; Ade Novira; Kivanc Taskin

doi:10.21009/jpensil.v15i3.70398

Authors

Bima Gandi Padang Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Institut Teknologi Adi Tama Surabaya
Indra Komara Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Institut Teknologi Adi Tama Surabaya
Busri PT. Makmur Lestari Primatama
Ade Novira PT Makmur Lestari Primatama
Kivanc Taskin Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Eskisehir Technical University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21009/jpensil.v15i3.70398

Keywords:

HIRADC, occupational safety, risk assessment, Hazard identification, nickel mining, loading point, hauling road, stockpile

Abstract

Nickel ore production involves continuous interaction between heavy equipment, haulage vehicles, field personnel, and changing site conditions. These activities can create serious occupational safety risks, particularly at loading points, along haul roads, and within stockpile areas. This study assessed operational risks associated with nickel ore loading, haulage, and stockpiling using an integrated Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Determining Control (HIRADC) framework. The three month assessment covered 120 workers and 116 heavy equipment units, supported by 20 task exposure observations and six documented near miss cases. Eleven principal hazards were identified. Four hazards were classified as critical or potentially fatal, five as high risk, and two as low risk. The most urgent hazards were heavy equipment interaction, unsafe positioning near excavation or stockpile edges, inter unit communication failure, and fatigue among operators or grade control personnel. Communication failure produced the highest exposure adjusted event rate, while its critical control showed inconsistent implementation. The findings indicate that effective risk reduction in nickel ore operations requires more than the provision of personal protective equipment. Priority should be given to traffic control, exclusion zone enforcement, two way communication, fatigue management, haul road maintenance, and routine verification of critical controls under actual field conditions.

References

Assefa, F. G., Xiang, L., Yang, Z., Gebretsadik, A., Wahab, A., Fissha, Y., Cheepurupalli, N. R., & Sazid, M. (2025). Research on Dust Concentration and Migration Mechanisms on Open-Pit Coal Mining Roads: Effects of Meteorological Conditions and Haul Truck Movements. Mining, 5(3), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.3390/mining5030043

Burtan, Z., Nowak-Senderowska, D., & Szczepański, P. (2025). Methodology for Identification of Occupational Hazards Using Their Characteristic Features in Hard Coal Mining. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 15(13), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137079

Caner, V. (2026). Active learning and sector-specific simulations mitigate the first-month injury risk in young workers. Frontiers in Public Health, 14(February). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1767451

Choi, S., Lee, H., Jeong, J., Lim, S., Lee, S. Y., & Park, J. (2026). Development of a First-tier Risk Assessment Tool for Occupational Hazards Among Public Officials. Safety and Health at Work, 17(2), 286–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2026.04.001

Di Cristo, L., Balusamy, B., Romaldini, A., Tombolini, F., Ferrante, R., Cavallo, D., Ursini, C. L., Leoncino, L., Castillo, A. E. D. R., Bonaccorso, F., Iavicoli, S., Boccuni, F., & Sabella, S. (2025). From exposure to risk prevention: an integrated, data driven approach to testing and assessing occupational hazards of inhaled nanomaterials. NanoImpact, 40(June), 100598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2025.100598

Fadhilah, F., Amrina, E., & Gusvita, R. E. (2023). Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Determining Control (HIRADC) in Mining Operations at PT Semen Padang. MOTIVECTION : Journal of Mechanical, Electrical and Industrial Engineering, 5(3), 473–484. https://doi.org/10.46574/motivection.v5i3.249

Kumalasari, H., & Imaduddin, A. (2025). Penerapan Metode Hiradc Pada Area Stockpile Sebagai Upaya Pengendalian Bahaya Pltu Paiton. Jurnal Kesehatan Tambusai, 6(1), 10–22. https://doi.org/10.31004/jkt.v6i1.41344

Leong, W. Y. (2026). AI-Driven Predictive Safety Analytics for Accident Prevention in Smart Manufacturing. Advances in Transdisciplinary Engineering, 91(i), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.3233/ATDE260184

Li, Q., Li, X., Qin, G., Qi, Y., Liu, J., Tang, X., Wu, D., Hao, C., & Wang, S. (2025). Application and comparison of five risk assessment methods in ferrous metal foundry enterprises with silica dust concentration exceeding the limit posts. Frontiers in Public Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1465284

Markovic, P., Stevanovic, D., Kolonja, B., Slavkovic, D., & Krzanovic, D. (2025). A Hybrid Model for Risk-Based Strategic Planning in Open-Pit Mining: Integrating Deterministic, Stochastic, and ISO 31000 Approaches. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 15(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052500

Moldoveanu, R. C., & Moraru, R. I. (2024). Occupational Safety Risk Assessment for Wola Heavy-Duty Machinery Operator in a Romanian Diabase Open –Pit Mine. Mining Revue, 30(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.2478/minrv-2024-0001

Moniri Morad, A., Shishvan, M. S., Aguilar, M., Goli, M., & Sattarvand, J. (2024). Powered haulage safety, challenges, analysis, and solutions in the mining industry; a comprehensive review. Results in Engineering, 21(December 2023), 101684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2023.101684

Mu’afa, K., & Ariastuti, , Luh Putu. (2024). Evaluasi Penerapan Hazard Identification Risk Assessment and Determining Control (Hiradc) Pada Kegiatan Hauling Di Site X Perusahaan Pertambangan Pt. Z. Archive of Community Health, 11(2), 319. https://doi.org/10.24843/ach.2024.v11.i02.p04

Mutlu, M., Cetin, N. C., & Onder, S. (2024). A Novel Risk Assessment Approach for Open-Cast Coal Mines Using Hybrid MCDM Models with Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets: A Case Study in Türkiye. Systems, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12080267

Puspitarini, M. Y., Abdul Rohim Tualeka, Sahrir Sillehu, Ketut Ima Ismara, Nur Aini, & Yustinus Denny Ardyanto Wahyudiono. (2026). Analysis of Occupational Accident and Health Risk Control Opportunities in East Kalimantan Heavy Equipment Companies. Journal of Vocational Health Studies, 9(3), 176–182. https://doi.org/10.20473/jvhs.v9.i3.2026.176-182

Rinawiyanti, E. D., Kusumo, A. H., Sari Dewi, D. R., & Irawan, F. C. (2026). Integrating Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment for Occupational Safety in Task-Based Sulfur Mining Activities. Jurnal Rekayasa Sistem Industri, 15(1), 93–105. https://doi.org/10.26593/jrsi.v15i1.10088.93-105

U.S. Geological Survey. (2026). Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. US Department of the Interior, (April), 1–226. https://elar.urfu.ru/handle/10995/101658

Wardani, H. K., Sumbung, D. Y., & Tambunan, R. F. (2026). Effectiveness Evaluation of Risk-Based SMKP Minerba Audit in Loading-Hauling-Dumping Activities for High Potential Incident Control in Open-Pit Coal Mining. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 5(2), 778–786. https://doi.org/10.31004/riggs.v5i2.8505

Zhafir, H. Al, Nandito, J., Wahyuni, & Ulya, I. (2026). Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Using the Hiradc Method (Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Determining Control) In Mining Areas: Literature Review. International Conference on Public Health, (October), 246–251.

Zou, M., Du, W., Kang, Q., Xia, Y., Zhang, N., Feng, L., Li, F., Ma, T., Bao, Y., & Fan, H. (2025). Occupational Hazard Factors and the Trajectory of Fasting Blood Glucose Changes in Chinese Male Steelworkers Based on Environmental Risk Scores: A Prospective Cohort Study. Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, 38(6), 666–677. https://doi.org/10.3967/bes2025.058

Zou P, Dong Z, Qin R, Yao X, Cui P (2026), "Comparison of four occupational health risk assessment methodologies in the application of noise hazards in PC component manufacturing". Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 33 No. 2 pp. 1258–1283, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-06-2023-0649