The Challenge
A large manufacturer of heavy mining equipment had developed an autonomous haul truck—a complex, multi-system machine with a multistage certification requirement.
The problem wasn't the engineering. The problem was that their customer required the product to meet specific safety compliance standards before the deal could close, and the manufacturer had no safety plan, no established safety processes, limited internal experience with safe design principles, and a constrained budget to work with.
Building a safety program from scratch under those conditions, while keeping a complex product development on schedule, isn't something most engineering teams are set up to handle. That's when they brought in Critical Systems Analysis.
The Solution
The first thing CSA did was integrate directly into the client's engineering operation—not as outside advisors, but as a self-managing safety team embedded alongside the people doing the design work.
From that position, they established the safety processes and documentation infrastructure the program needed, then coached the adjacent engineering teams so they could participate meaningfully in safety development rather than working around it.
On the budget side, CSA focused the work on critical risks and scoped the documentation accordingly, cutting out rework and effort that wasn't essential to meeting the actual requirements. They structured the engagement as a phased certification approach designed to meet customer requirements while making the most of limited resources. Stakeholder reviews kept the client informed and aligned throughout.
"CSA's understanding of the safety lifecycle and compliance pathways gave our organization clarity during a challenging project. They provided clear documentation and leadership, and actionable insights that improved both our design and our processes." - Erin Dalby, Liebherr Mining Equipment Newport News Co.
The Result
CSA led the manufacturer through safety audits, meeting every safety requirement the customer had set. The autonomous haul truck achieved certification. The manufacturer closed the deal, selling their autonomous haul truck to a major mine operator. A product that started the engagement with no safety program in place crossed the finish line with full certification and a signed contract on the other side of it.
The Benifits
The work CSA did on this project delivered value well beyond the certification itself:
By concentrating effort on what actually mattered and avoiding unnecessary documentation overhead, the client got through a complex, multi-stage process without exceeding a tight budget.
Engineering teams that had limited experience with safe design principles came away with real working knowledge, the kind that carries forward into the next project.
The safety processes CSA put in place didn't disappear when the engagement ended.
The client left with infrastructure, capability, and a team that understood how to use both.
Ready to talk about your safety program?
Please send an email to info@criticalsa.com to start the conversation about your safety program.