Maintenance Human Factors in the South African Mining Industry

The majority of research on maintenance human factors was done in the aviation and energy industries. Studies done in the mining industry have focused more on operational human factors than maintenance-related human factors. This study aimed to determine the significant maintenance human factors that affect the quality of maintenance done in the mining industry and recommend actions to mitigate these factors. A conceptual model was developed for this study based on the key points from the literature review and propositions made. Two questionnaires were developed to survey management and skilled employees working in South Africa's mining industry. The maintenance human factors, Shortage of Labour, Lack of Resources, Time/Pressure to Complete Work, High Workload, Not Following Procedure and Poor Supervision were identified to significantly impact the quality of maintenance in the South African mining industry.