Suncor is an integrated Canadian energy company that is headquartered in Calgary. The company has over $30,000$ people. Its operations include oil sands development, production and upgrading; offshore oil and gas; petroleum refining in Canada and the US; and a retail distribution network $($PetroCanada$).$

The Company is committed to Operational Excellence which means operating in a way that is safe, reliable, cost$-$efficient, and environmentally responsible. For shareholders, Suncor believes operating in this way helps to mitigate the risks associated with the business.

Suncor has experienced four fatalities since late $2020.$ The most recent fatality occurred on January $6,2022,$ when one heavy mining haul truck rear$-$ended a second heavy haul truck while they were both driving up a mine haul ramp. The two workers in the truck that was hit from behind sustained minor injuries while the driver of the other truck died. The worker who died was a contract worker employed by North American Construction Group Ltd$.$

In early January, Suncor also reported two other operational $($production$)$ incidents that resulted in a production loss of about $195,000$ barrels per day in the last half of December. The first operational $($production$)$ incident involved equipment failure at the Syncrude Mildred Lake mine site. The necessary repair work took three weeks instead of an estimated one week because of extreme cold weather. The second operational $($production$)$ incident involved furnace failures at the company's Firebag in situ operation, which resulted in the temporary shutdown of approximately $170$ wells. Suncor attributed this incident to extreme cold as well, and said it is conducting an investigation to ensure its winterization program is "sufficiently robust to withstand extended periods of cold weather."

Mark Little, CEO of Suncor, called the fatality $-$ along with the two other operational incidents in December that negatively affected Suncor's production volumes $$ "unacceptable." The company recently completed an independent review of safety at its oilsands mines, including a focus on the safety of contract workers.

"I am deeply disappointed by these events and I am committed to implementing corrective actions, continuing to strengthen our processes and accountability, and to improving Suncor's performance," Little said in a news release.

$"$As CEO, the accountability for safety and operational excellence is with me$,$ period" he told analysts. "I have a comprehensive plan endorsed by our board and we're executing this plan to address these concerns."

"We've spent quite a bit of time reducing the prescriptive procedures, which quite frankly we found out a lot of people are not using or following $...$ there are gaps between the $($work$)$ practices and the actual procedures $($that we need to address$),"$ Little said, adding the Suncor management is now focused on engaging directly with front$-$line workers about safety.

Suncor will implement collision avoidance and fatigue management technology to address safety issues, Little said, adding that Suncor will be the first oilsands company to adopt the technology commonly used in mining.

The company also plans to standardize safety processes across the company and implement technology to improve productivity.

For mine hauling operations $($activity$),$ hazards include driver sub$-$standard conditions such as inattention, fatigue, distraction, and human error. For mine hauling operations and with specific reference to the heavy mining haul trucks, match the statements for each control measure below with the corresponding risk reduction category per the hierarchy of effectiveness. $(5$ marks total; $1$ mark for each correct selection; no marks for an incorrect selection or no selection$)$

Employ Artificial Intelligence to drive heavy haul trucks instead of trained and qualified drivers

Answer $1$ Question $8$

Choose...

Modify the work schedule to reduce driver fatigue

Answer $2$ Question $8$

Choose...

Develop and implement technology such as a fluidized bed or a liquid slurry to transport mined materials; obviously, heavy haul trucks will not be needed to transport the mined materials

Answer $3$ Question $8$

Choose...

Use seat$-$belts to better protect drivers $($both contractor drivers and core employee drivers$)$ in the event of a heavy haul truck collision

Answer $4$ Question $8$

Choose...

Equip heavy haul trucks with collision avoidance technology to alert the driver of a condition such as following too closely, going too fast, driver$$s eyes $$not on the road$,$ etc., and help promote safe driving behaviors