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How Juanicipio Mine Uses Readi to Proactively Manage Fatigue Underground

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Industry

Mining

Challenge

As a high-production underground mine operating 24/7 on rotating 12-hour shifts, Juanicipio needed a way to identify and mitigate fatigue risk before it became a safety issue. Traditional solutions like SmartCap and in-cab cameras were ruled out—workers and union leaders viewed them as too invasive, and cameras are not permitted underground.

Results

Juanicipio successfully trained and equipped 153 operators with ReadiWatch, integrating daily fatigue screening into its shift planning process. The Control Center now uses ReadiScores to make go/no-go decisions, reassigning any worker with a score below 70 to safer surface-level tasks.

Key Product

ReadiWatch, ReadiOne, ReadiSupervise, ReadiAnalytics

153
Readi Users
24/7
Operations
70
ReadiScore Threshold for Underground Eligibility
100%
Union Backing Post-Pilot

Juanicipio doesn’t wait for incidents to drive change. Fatigue risks are identified and addressed before anyone steps foot underground.

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Background

Juanicipio, a joint venture between Fresnillo plc and MAG Silver, is a modern underground silver and gold mine located near the city of Zacatecas, Mexico.

With a workforce that commutes daily to the site—just 20 minutes from town—Juanicipio runs day and night in two 12-hour shifts.

Juanicipio is forward-thinking and wanted a fatigue risk management system that would not disrupt operations, could function without underground connectivity, and most importantly, would be accepted by both operators and unions.

Replacing Reactive Tools with Predictive Insight

Juanicipio evaluated other fatigue technologies but rejected in-cab cameras and wearable EEG devices due to privacy concerns and underground restrictions. Instead, the mine chose Readi—Fatigue Science's predictive fatigue management platform powered by personalized fatigue scores derived from sleep data collected via the ReadiWatch.

153 workers—the full underground team—have been trained and are equipped with ReadiWatches. 

The Control Center Model

Fatigue risk management at Juanicipio is centralized through the Mine Operations Control Center (COM), which oversees every shift. The COM team reviews ReadiScores daily—both before and during shifts—and communicates risk levels to frontline supervisors (known as "facilitators").

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If an operator’s ReadiScore falls below 70, they are not permitted to go underground. Instead, facilitators will:

  • Reassign the worker to a safer surface-level task

  • Discuss the cause of fatigue with the operator (illness, stress, lack of sleep)

  • Monitor recurring cases, escalating to the clinic if needed

All fatigue-related decisions and countermeasures are recorded in the Readi web app, ensuring accountability and streamlined communication across supervisors, facilitators, and Occupational Health.

Fatigue Data as a Safety Asset

Juanicipio is integrating Readi into more than just day-to-day shift planning. The platform will become a critical tool for incident investigations, allowing the mine to analyze fatigue as a potential contributing factor and trace patterns over time using:

  • Fatigue Risk Profiles

  • Root Cause Analysis

  • Sleep Behavior Metrics

Supervisors will no longer rely solely on self-reporting or visible signs of fatigue. With Readi, the mine will have a consistent, objective system for evaluating readiness to work underground.

A New Standard for Underground Mines

Juanicipio stands out for its proactive stance on fatigue management. By choosing Readi over more invasive tools, the mine has earned strong union support, improved operator trust, and built a more resilient safety culture.

With Readi in place, Juanicipio ensures that only fit-for-duty personnel enter underground zones, protecting both productivity and people—without waiting for an incident to make the case for change.

Start Managing Fatigue Risk Proactively with Readi