In mining, safety is non-negotiable. Heavy haul trucks, long shifts and unpredictable conditions have always carried risks for the people who operate them. That picture is changing. With the introduction of autonomous haulage, mines are seeing measurable improvements in how risks are managed. Autonomy is not just about moving material more efficiently; it is reshaping the safety profile of modern mining.

Why Autonomy is Safer

Autonomous haulage directly addresses some of the toughest safety challenges on site. By removing drivers from cabs, it eliminates exposure to fatigue-related incidents during long shifts in harsh conditions. It also reduces pit occupancy, with fewer people driving on busy haul roads. Together, these changes lead to fewer collisions, fewer interactions and significantly reduced operational hazards.

Safety in Action

The safety record at BHP’s Jimblebar and Newman mines demonstrates the difference. Autonomous trucks there have delivered a 90% reduction in heavy vehicle safety risks. As the company explained:“Data and technology, including automation and artificial intelligence, are further unlocking growth opportunities and enhancing our operating performance, enabling us to be safer, more efficient and more sustainable.”The numbers continue to impress. BHP’s WA Iron Ore asset president Brandon Craig confirmed:“We know from the safety performance at Jimblebar, autonomous trucks have resulted in 75% fewer collision incidents than at our non-autonomous mines.”These outcomes were so compelling that BHP accelerated automation across almost its entire heavy vehicle fleet, noting that accidents occur three times more frequently at mine sites without driverless technology.Rio Tinto’s Pilbara operations have reported similar gains. In 2024 the company celebrated the delivery of its 300th autonomous haul truck, a milestone achieved through over a decade of collaboration with Komatsu. Garry Povah, Komatsu Australia’s General Manager – Mining Automation, said:“AHS trucks are a crucial solution to both mine safety and addressing labour shortages in the sector. By removing human operators from potentially hazardous environments, AHS trucks significantly reduce the risk of accident and injury, while enabling continuous operation that considerably impacts site productivity.”Fortescue Metals Group has also made autonomy central to its safety approach. "The introduction of AHS technology has led to improved safety outcomes for our team members through reduced interaction between heavy equipment and people in mining areas having safely travelled over 33.5 million kilometres," said former Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines in 2020.Independent analysis reinforces these findings. Publications such as Mining Technology and MiningDoc highlight how autonomy reduces operator exposure and incidents while improving predictability and fleet performance.

EACON Builds on Safety

With BHP recording a 90% drop in heavy vehicle risks and Rio Tinto surpassing 300 autonomous trucks in safe operation, autonomy has already reshaped mine safety. EACON Mining Technology builds on these gains to set a new benchmark for safe haulage. At the core of EACON’s approach is 360° situational perception.Through multi sensor fusion combining localisation information, HD mapping, lidar and cameras, every truck fitted with EACON’s autonomy solution achieves complete environmental awareness. The Generation 3 distributed architecture equips each vehicle with onboard computing power, allowing it to make real-time decisions independently while staying synchronised with the fleet. Supported by V2V and LTE/5G communication, trucks share speed, location and route data with each other and the mine ecosystem, ensuring safe coordination in complex terrain while minimising reliance on the network.This architecture, combined with powerful onboard algorithms, ensures reliable performance even in GPS-denied environments. The system is equipped with a robust fault-diagnosis framework that can detect a wide range of failures and respond with appropriate safety measures. Validated across millions of kilometres in China’s remote mining regions and refined for Australia’s hot, dry and windy conditions, the system delivers safe sustainable operation in dust, fog, snow, rain and dust storms. 

As Richard Zani, EACON’s Product Strategy Manager, explains, “Dust is one of the toughest challenges in mining, especially in Australia where conditions are dry and windy. Our multi sensor fusion allows us to detect, classify and track dust so the trucks can continue to operate safely and productively.”

Autonomy has redefined what safety means in mining. By taking operators out of high-risk environments and replacing reactive measures with intelligent, preventative systems, mines are achieving levels of safety once thought unattainable. The shift goes beyond technology, it represents a cultural change where innovation and wellbeing move hand in hand. As more sites adopt autonomous haulage, the industry continues to move toward a safer, smarter and more sustainable future.