Concept of technology assessment in coal mining

Abstract

An increased competition in the economic market forces to develop more and more modern technological. However, these solutions are not always user-friendly and therefore in many cases they cause problems with operating them. Mining is one of the industries where the new technological solutions have been dynamically introduced recently. The effective mining exploitation requires using newer operation, mechanization and automation technologies as well as advanced security systems limiting the risk of negative events occurrence. The implementation of new organizational solutions and innovative devices is strongly connected with the necessity of employees' proper preparation for these changes. As a consequence, the demand for increasingly qualified and aware employees is increasing. The article refers to this problem in the field of developing the assessment concept of technologies implemented in mining. In particular, it concerns the assessment of employees' knowledge and awareness of the implemented solutions. The concepts of the Technology Assessment (TA) were used as the proposed estimation. In this respect, it is important to determine how new technologies are adopted by employees and what opportunities they can be fully utilized. The article should be treated as a voice in a broader discussion on the assessment and the impact of technology.