Human + Digital: Re-Humanizing Safety Leadership In The Age Of Smart Mining — Lessons From Peru For Latin America *O. Laura Independent Consultant and Lecturer Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (UNI), Peru *Presenting author: orlando.laura.b@uni.pe Disclosure This paper is submitted in a personal capacity. The study is based on a multi-company survey conducted in Peru, without reference to or endorsement by specific mining organizations. Abstract As mining accelerates its digital transformation, safety decision-making increasingly relies on analytics, automation, and emerging AI-enabled tools. However, the prevention of high-potential incidents continues to depend on human leadership capabilities: critical thinking to interpret and contextualize data, communication that builds trust, and strategic foresight to manage organizational change responsibly. This paper proposes a Human + Digital Safety Leadership Model structured around three pillars: (1) augmenting—not replacing—human judgment through AI while strengthening critical thinking; (2) reaffirming emotional intelligence and effective communication to sustain empathy, clarity, and trust in multicultural teams; and (3) strengthening long-term vision and change management to ensure that digital transformation contributes to sustainable safety outcomes while addressing organizational risks introduced by change. To inform the model with empirical evidence, an exploratory cross-sectional survey was conducted with 124 mining professionals in Peru across multiple mining organizations (operators and contractors) and operation types, including open-pit, underground, processing plants, exploration, and construction projects. The survey measured leadership practices aligned with each pillar and explored associations with perceived decision quality, signal-to-action speed, learning culture, and high-potential incident prevention. Results show high perceived value of digital tools for safety decision-making, while also highlighting critical validation of digital information, resistance to change, and visible field leadership as key factors for effective Human + Digital integration. The study provides an evidence-informed framework aligned with the World Mining Congress challenge of delivering minerals faster, smarter, and more responsibly by integrating technological intelligence with human-centered leadership. Keywords Safety leadership, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, critical thinking, change management, mining safety cultur 30
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