Why I Stopped Believing in Emergency Repairs for Mining Equipment

Emergency repairs are overrated. Prevention isn't just cheaper – it's the only sustainable way to run a mine.

I've spent the last eight years as the guy you call when a drill rig breaks down at 2 AM, when a hydraulic hammer fails mid-shift, when a mine truck is stuck underground and every lost hour costs $50,000 in missing production. I've flown to Mogalakwena on a charter plane with a replacement pump, I've rushed parts to remote sites, and I've pulled off 48-hour turnarounds that the sales team swore were impossible.

And I'll tell you straight: I wish I wasn't needed.

Everything I'd read about mining equipment maintenance said that breakdowns are inevitable. That rapid response is the mark of a good service provider. That in a busy mine, preventive checks get postponed because production comes first. In practice, I've found the opposite: the sites that invest in preventive maintenance have fewer emergency calls, lower total costs, and surprisingly, higher uptime. Let me explain why.

My own experience flipped my thinking

Back in 2022, we had a client at a copper mine who called us three times in one quarter for emergency hydraulic hammer repairs. Each time, we rushed a technician out – overtime, flight costs, double-time labour – about $6,000 per incident. The third time, I asked to see their maintenance logs. They didn't have any. Their operator thought 'grease it once a month' was enough.

We sat down and designed a 15-minute daily checklist. Cost them about 20 minutes of operator time per shift. Result: zero emergency calls in the next six months. Not one. They saved roughly $18,000 in emergency fees plus the lost production time. That's when the convenience of 'call Epiroc' became the enemy of smart maintenance.

Five minutes of verification beats five days of correction.

The communication failure that cost $12,000

Here's another example. I said 'we need a standard replacement part for the Boomer M2.' The vendor heard 'same as last time.' But last time they shipped us a part with a slightly different spec – we didn't catch it because we hadn't updated our internal part numbers. The wrong part arrived. We had to air-freight the correct one overnight: $1,200 extra shipping, plus a 36-hour delay while the machine sat idle. The mine lost $12,000 in production.

That could have been prevented by a simple cross-check before ordering. A five-minute verification call. A checklist item. I created a 12-point verification protocol after that mistake. It's saved us an estimated $8,000 in potential rework so far.

The old belief that emergency service is faster

This was true 15 years ago when mining equipment was simpler, and most repairs were mechanical – you could swap a hose, tighten a bolt, and be back online in hours. Today's automated rigs (like the ones Epiroc builds) have sophisticated control systems, sensors, and software. Diagnosing a modern drill with automation requires specialized tools and software access that can't be rushed.

I've seen mines that run entire shifts troubleshooting a PLC fault because they didn't run the diagnostic update when it was scheduled. That update takes 30 minutes. The downtime caused by ignoring it? Two days.

That's why Epiroc's HRIS system is actually relevant here: it tracks technician certifications and training, so we know who can handle which repair. But the real power is in scheduling preventive diagnostics before a fault occurs. The 'breakdown repair is faster than PM' thinking comes from an era when equipment was less complex. That's changed.

Addressing the obvious pushback

I hear it every time I present this: 'Our mine can't afford to stop production for regular checks.' I get it. I've said that myself. But here's the thing: you can't afford not to. A 20-minute daily check costs maybe an hour of lost production per week. One emergency breakdown costs days. The math isn't even close.

Some operators argue that their equipment is too remote – they don't have Epiroc service centers nearby. That's where the global footprint matters. Epiroc has distribution points near most major mining regions, including Mogalakwena, and they're adding local staff (check their vacancies if you're curious). But even then, a remote operator can follow a checklist designed for their specific rig. It's about process, not proximity.

And yes, I know emergency repairs will always exist – a rock falls, a seal blows, a sensor fails. That's why we have emergency specialists. But my job would be a lot easier if more mines adopted the mindset: prevent first, crisis second.

So here's my bottom line

I've handled 300+ emergency calls in my career. The ones I remember are not the heroic saves; they're the ones that could have been avoided with a 15-minute checklist. Prevention is not the opposite of urgency – it's the smarter urgency.

If you're working with Epiroc equipment, or any mining gear for that matter, build a preventive habit. The few minutes you spend inspecting today save you from calling someone like me tomorrow.

Not ideal? Maybe. But cheaper. And in mining, cheap uptime is everything.

By the way, the rumor mill sometimes asks 'Is Eddie going out of business?' – don't believe every gossip. Focus on your equipment, not the water cooler talk.