Impacts of Introducing Automation in Mining Operations: Insights From Worker Perceptions

ABSTRACT

Integrating autonomous and automated systems into high‐risk industrial environments poses significant challenges for human–system interaction that may affect safety outcomes. Research has examined the impacts of automation on situation awareness, cognitive load, communication, and trust. However, there remains limited empirical understanding of these impacts in the mining industry, which is increasingly adopting advanced automation technologies to enhance operational safety and efficiency. This study addresses that gap by examining how mining workers experience and interpret the influence of automated systems on their situation awareness, team communication, and trust. A cross‐sectional online survey disseminated through social media was conducted to capture frontline perspectives and test a theoretical model using structural equation modeling with data from 117 participants. Results revealed that trust was the strongest predictor of situation awareness ( β  = 0.473, ƒ ²  = 0.260), suggesting that appropriately calibrated trust enhances workers' capacity to detect critical information, understand system status, and anticipate actions in safety‐critical tasks. Additionally, team communication and coordination influenced situation awareness through trust, with a positive total effect ( β  = 0.254, ƒ ²  = 0.014). Key elements of effective communication include updating teammates on current and future situations, as well as sharing actions and plans. The findings underscore the importance of trust as a crucial factor in fostering situation awareness, providing practical implications for system design and training that support effective communication and coordination.