Pit & Quarry, July 2018

Train a large number of personnel effectively in a short period of time Ensure the right candidate has been chosen to operate critical equipment Consistently measure assess and optimize the skills of critical operator roles within an autonomous environment Reduce performance variability of critical system roles within an autonomous environment THE IMPACT ON LABOR In addition to the pros and cons of implementing autonomous systems producers should closely consider the impact this technology could have on workplace labor The attrition thats been seen in the industry is pretty bad Yureskes says Its difficult to get younger employees interested in the traditional way that its been done in the past If the aggregate industry wants to effectively market itself producers should adapt to the next generation entering the workforce One way to do that is through new technology which millennials have experienced since childhood AHS technology does open the door for newer positions within the industry that probably some of the newer workforce hasnt been exposed to Yureskes says It opens another door or avenue to get into the industry with some newer technology that might be more advanced Not only can autonomous technology attract younger talent to the industry but also higher quality talent while minimizing workplace risks Some ancillary benefits of adopting AHS technology first or being an innovator in a region or industry or specific area it tends to attract high quality talent because its opening up opportunities for different types of jobs within the industry Yureskes says Youre able to minimize the risks to employees by removing them from the situation and remove operator errors WHATS NEXT It goes without saying the future is unpredictable and so is the role of autonomous technology in the aggregate industry Theres no telling if or when autonomous systems become commonplace in the industry but it wont be in the immediate future according to Yureskes Its not something by 2020 where were all going to be using this he says While autonomous technology is still in its infancy producers would be wise to pay close attention to this trend in the coming years Most of our producers who were engaged with understood that to remain competitive in the market they have to find a way to improve their total costs and really drive down their operating costs while at the same time creating a sustainable solution where you dont have to battle workforce attrition Yureskes says While much of the focus is centered around the development of the autonomous technology itself theres more to the picture than first meets the eye Its not only about the technology side but also the legal side Müller says Its unclear for the manufacturer what are the legal demands but also for the site operators because they have the responsibility for workplace safety and their workers safety All things considered there seems to be real momentum behind this new wave of technology and how it can be implemented in the aggregate industry for generations to come I personally think if you think longterm it will definitely become a reality Müller says I think some people are maybe hesitant or think it will take quite a while and they are probably right But you also need to stay ahead of whats happening as a manufacturer Once it really hits its probably like all technology development once its at the customer it usually accelerates pretty fast Müller adds P Q SIZE www kpijci com pitandquarry com July 2018 PIT QUARRY 15