Underground Mine Service and Supports Workers

Nature of work

Underground mine service and support workers do a range of duties related to the operation of orepasses, chutes and conveyor systems, the building and support of underground structures, passages and roadways, and the supply of materials and supplies to support underground mining. They work for coal, metal and non-metallic mineral mines.

Job duties

Underground production and development miners:

• Use and maintain ore chutes or conveyor systems to control flow of ore or coal in underground mine.
• Use construction equipment like bulldozers, graders or backhoes to build and maintain underground passages and haulageways.
• Build and repair wood or metal supports and structures like bulkheads, platforms, drift doors and chutes using construction and mining tools.
• Attach and extend air and water pipes and related mine services.
• Help miners in setting up and operating drills and other mining machinery.
• Supply and maintain backfill supply of sand, rock or other materials.
• Use diesel or electric track haulage equipment like ore trains to deliver workers and supplies and to convey ore from orepass to primary crusher or skip.
• Maintain supply storage areas and maintain equipment and supplies like explosives, drill bits, fire extinguishers, lamps and batteries.
• Carry Out routine maintenance of machinery.

Sample job titles

• backfiller - underground mining
• blaster helper - underground mining
• cage tender
• conveyor operator - underground mining
• crusher operator - underground mining
• driller helper - underground mining
• haulageman/woman - underground mining
• lamp keeper - underground mining
• mine construction worker
• orepress tender - underground mining
• pipeworker - underground mining
• raise miner helper
• skip tender
• timberman/woman - underground mining
• trainman/woman - underground mining

Skills

• You should have good health, physical stamina, and strength. Agility, coordination, and a mechanical aptitude would also be helpful. You must be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by supervisors.

Job requirements

• High school is usually required.
• Formal training of up to six weeks followed by periods of on-the-job training as a helper or in support jobs is usually required.
• Experience as a mine labourer is usually required.
• May be certified in the basic common core program in Ontario.
• Company licensing or certification is often necessary for jobs in this group.

Other considerations

• Movement to other job groups in underground mining is possible. There is movement between employers within each of the three following sectors: underground coal mining, underground hard rock mining and underground potash, salt or soft rock mining. Movement between these sectors is somewhat limited by differences in production technologies.

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Contacts

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