Who works in the mines and what doing - Page 26

**Polyal** · 26-01-2012, 07:02 PM

Yes very much....walking around I always say gday and 9/10 will say something back. Everyone is in the same boat so there is no big issue. There are lots of odd people too..but show me a workplace that isnt like that?

Other jobs? Engineers, workshop staff, HR, enviro, surveyors, geo's...freakin heaps of stuff. But pick something you would be interested in.

pottery beige · 26-01-2012, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What are people like over there? Can you strike up a conversation with a random person and not get your head punched in?

I try to socialise in my workplace/make people laugh and everyone is happy to talk to me or listen to a joke.

We mainly hear about jobs like dump truck drivers, people on the drills and their offsiders, what other jobs are there in a mine?

yes we're all cool and wont bite...
just the odd strange one that wants to sit by himself on the bus.....

Road Games · 26-01-2012, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

yes we're all cool and wont bite...
just the odd strange one that wants to sit by himself on the bus.....

Grow up .. i deal with my issues my way you do it your way

Franco Cozzo · 26-01-2012, 07:20 PM

So what do you guys do in your spare time? You do a 12 hour shift each day right? I assume sleep?

pottery beige · 26-01-2012, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6menace

Grow up .. i deal with my issues my way you do it your way

going by your new sig.. it appears you have more hangups than the dry cleaners..

pottery beige · 26-01-2012, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

So what do you guys do in your spare time? You do a 12 hour shift each day right? I assume sleep?

do what normal people do.. just less time to do it when on shift..

surf net.. drink beer.. go fishing.. hang out with mates...

Franco Cozzo · 26-01-2012, 07:27 PM

Do you still get annual leave building up even though you have a week or few days off every so often?

meatbag · 26-01-2012, 07:39 PM

Of course. it even works out better IMO.

I get 4 weeks a year annual leave. But say I take a stint off, I get my normal week off R&R - 2 weeks annual leave then my other week R&R.

Do that twice a year and it's like getting 2 months annual leave.

sickies are a bit or a write off though. do it if you are legitimatly sick and game, but you will be woken at 4 a.m. to ensure you're not drunk, forced to see the medic and then theres **** all to do all day. Then the next day everyone will give you a hard time because they have had to cover your ****.

pottery beige · 26-01-2012, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Do you still get annual leave building up even though you have a week or few days off every so often?

depends if youre hired as a casual/contractor or fulltimer

casual/ contractor is usually paid as flate hourly rate includes all your penalties.. annual leave and stuff..
which is usually higher than a fulltimers hourly rate..

fulltimers get penaltys.. annual leave.. paid public hols and stuff..

my last job was fulltime.. 3 and 1.. was there for three years and in that time took bugger all leave so left with a heap of $$$$...

current job im just contracting.. which is cool as the hourly rate smashes the last job..

Franco Cozzo · 26-01-2012, 07:45 PM

What about over time? Do you get offered it much or is it just in desperate times?

pottery beige · 26-01-2012, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What about over time? Do you get offered it much or is it just in desperate times?

depends where you are and whats on....

i can work extras where i am now.. but im old and stuffed and cbf...

Franco Cozzo · 26-01-2012, 08:28 PM

Thanks much for the info, the things that peak my interest at the moment are:

- dump truck driver
- train driver
- guy who holds stop sign
- cleaner

Do the cleaners just keep the lunch room clean, toilets, pick up rubbish, clean rooms etc?

Stazza_Brendan · 26-01-2012, 09:17 PM

Sounds like there is alot less "comradery" in open cut mines.
My day.
-Up at 3.50am and go to breakfast and pack lunch.
-Get on bus 4.20, bus leaves at 4.30 for site, usually surf net from phone on bus trip.
-4.45 bus gets to site. Change into work clothes, boots, tool belt, hard hat.
-5am grab cap lamp and self rescuer, swipe on, tag on board, see if on drug test list, fill water bottle with ice and water, grab any ppe needed.
-5.15 have pre start meeting, go over incidents from last 24 hours, find out what transport we get for the day and any shutdowns.
-5.20 prestart machine and head underground. Get to our cribroom about 6am.
-6 till 10, 11ish do our assigned tasks. Varies day to day but its all about keeping the longwall going. Maintenence tasks, moving equipment into different cut throughs.
-after crib, usually finish off what we started in morning if we are able to, by this time they are usually cutting coal so we help out or work in other areas.
-3.30pm to 4pm we head for surface in transport.
-4.30 put lamp on charge and put rescuer away, tag off board.
-4.40 head to showers, get dressed, swipe off get on bus at 5.
-5.20 get back to village have dinner straight away.
-5.45 get back to room, call gf, watch some tv, surf net, sometimes go for a beer if crew is.
-8pm to10pm go to sleep.
I only do tuesday to friday. On friday we finish at 3 and get back to town 5:30ish.
Tuesday is a long day. Up at 12:30am to catch bus at 1 to head to work.

Road Games · 27-01-2012, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Thanks much for the info, the things that peak my interest at the moment are:

- dump truck driver
- train driver
- guy who holds stop sign
- cleaner

Do the cleaners just keep the lunch room clean, toilets, pick up rubbish, clean rooms etc?

Hey mate they have really cracked down on bodgey tickets and references you need a BCC for a rear dump and a HR licence minimum in Qld but there are ways around it and to acquire them when they are hiring greenskins..

You will need to talk to QR about the Train Engineer positions but general labourers without tickets hold the Stop n' Go signs and organise general maintenance and cleaning ( cribrooms /toilets/rubbish run ) as well as spotters for machines...

Road Games · 27-01-2012, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

What about over time? Do you get offered it much or is it just in desperate times?

Current rosters are all 11 or 12 hour days... i work 74 hours every 2nd week and 63 normal on a 36hr week

We get 5 weeks annual leave a year at York's + 10 sick days and $85 a week paid into a Bert fund incase we get laid off ..

Plus over $155 super on base rate per week...

I spend $100 week at the pub and that is my only expense , everytime i fly home my tickets are around $700 each way and the company pays for that as well as 4 hours paid travel each way..HTH.

Lion Slayer · 27-01-2012, 07:17 PM

Don't know if this has been discussed in here yet, but does anyone know what it's like driving forklifts in one of the mines. Is the money any good.

I have been thinking about doing something like this for a while as i want to buy a house in a few years but can't really afford to so i was thinking this would be a good way to get closer to it.

05_ENFORCER · 27-01-2012, 08:00 PM

Not much use for forklifts except in the stores/infrastructure areas of the larger companies.

Best to go for rom loader, dumpy or bogger job or possibly an infrastructure job with one of the major caterers

Hell, we have an ex cocky doing the fuel/lube run with one of the contractors and getting $35/hr

.

XDV800 · 27-01-2012, 08:01 PM

You will find that forklifts are usually of the manitou variety which requires more than a forklift ticket i believe?

Franco Cozzo · 27-01-2012, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05_ENFORCER

Not much use for forklifts except in the stores/infrastructure areas of the larger companies.

Best to go for rom loader, dumpy or bogger job or possibly an infrastructure job with one of the major caterers

Hell, we have an ex cocky doing the fuel/lube run with one of the contractors and getting $35/hr

.

Whats a fuel/lube run?

05_ENFORCER · 27-01-2012, 08:26 PM

Filling up the machines with diesel and oil in the pit, waste dump, rom etc

Pretty easy, but it's a dirty/smelly job, some like it some don't

.

Stazza_Brendan · 27-01-2012, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lion Slayer

Don't know if this has been discussed in here yet, but does anyone know what it's like driving forklifts in one of the mines. Is the money any good.

I have been thinking about doing something like this for a while as i want to buy a house in a few years but can't really afford to so i was thinking this would be a good way to get closer to it.

I got a start with just some stores experience and a forklift ticket.
Got a job in warehouse and doing a Longwall move. So got to drive 48T forklift. Also drove the 2.5T and 8T. But not the Manitou as its got extendable boom and needs different ticket.
Our mine has a fulltime yardman who spends 80% of his day on forklift cleaning yard, unloading trucks, taking bits and peices to workshop on forklift.

meatbag · 27-01-2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yzfr101

You will find that forklifts are usually of the manitou variety which requires more than a forklift ticket i believe?

Nope, they just pass you out as competant on site.

Franco Cozzo · 27-01-2012, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05_ENFORCER

Filling up the machines with diesel and oil in the pit, waste dump, rom etc

Pretty easy, but it's a dirty/smelly job, some like it some don't

.

That doesn't sound too bad, basically like a basic service on the equipment?

Road Games · 27-01-2012, 09:16 PM

Come on Jason answer Damo

Road Games · 27-01-2012, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stazza_Brendan

Our mine has a fulltime yardman who spends 80% of his day on forklift cleaning yard, unloading trucks, taking bits and peices to workshop on forklift.

Yep , most quarries have one as well for tidying up the graveyards whenever head office decides to conduct audits on site safety and cleanliness

05_ENFORCER · 27-01-2012, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

That doesn't sound too bad, basically like a basic service on the equipment?

More like keep the POS's going until the next service

,

XDV800 · 27-01-2012, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

That doesn't sound too bad, basically like a basic service on the equipment?

On the greenfield site im on, i put my hand up to operate the service truck, ON MY OWN, cos they were in a pinch. The service truck had only arrived same time as me and only 1 fitter knew how it all worked.
It was an easy gig to start off with. Directive from project super was to JUST fuel, operators can grease their own ****.
And i wasn't given any training just thrown on it and off you go. Mechanical fitter background helps.
Well i was ok with greasing if the operators were too prissy to do it, when the grease gun wasn't stuffed. Fueled dozens of numerous plant, gens and fleet of 40+ lv's
Then after a few weeks i was told i was supposed to be topping up oils and such on plant. Well what goes in what i don't know, and half the gear is out sourced dry hire with owners wanting to use there own oils and some gear having different spec hyd oils, the service truck only having 1 type on board, yadda yadda yadda.
I had to protest a couple of times to management because i was doing a good enough job, they werent training anyone else up on it (i was hired as a plant op), and now it has been taken over by a couple more guys.
Then the work ramped up with some agreement to fuel the other major contractors lv's and some plant/cranes, and the whole show is all organised as well as a bucket full of scorpions, everyones got a different idea on how it should all run, bonehead operators grabbing the fuel and topping the hydraulic tank on a 50 tonner with diesel...

Hell yeah top job that one, ive washed my hands of it hopefully, and have been driving a 420 scania with a single working with craneys in between the odd digging job when one of the 50 other plant operators isnt available!

But im going to stick with it, and hopefully my various capabilities will take me places in the future.

Road Games · 28-01-2012, 06:07 PM

Damn straight mate , i decided to take a leaf out of Mitch's book and sit up front on the bus today i reckon their ears were bleeding by the time we got there , then i made everyone pasta stuffed breadrolls and baked them in the pie warmer for lunch and decided to play cards with them for 6 hours... It has been belting down for two days now and i thought what the hell it may make the time go a little easier?

It did, i actually feel much more relaxed

and that numpty that filled the hydraulic tank with diesel was my mentor on the loader stockpile so lucky i didnt listen to everything Chris told me lol..

You back in tomorrow Jase?

XDV800 · 28-01-2012, 07:56 PM

There ya go bro not so bad after all. I may need to get in on the card action sometime. Yeah back tommorow dude.

gtfpv · 28-01-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6menace

Damn straight mate , i decided to take a leaf out of Mitch's book and sit up front on the bus today i reckon their ears were bleeding by the time we got there , then i made everyone pasta stuffed breadrolls and baked them in the pie warmer for lunch and decided to play cards with them for 6 hours... It has been belting down for two days now and i thought what the hell it may make the time go a little easier?

It did, i actually feel much more relaxed

and that numpty that filled the hydraulic tank with diesel was my mentor on the loader stockpile so lucky i didnt listen to everything Chris told me lol..

You back in tomorrow Jase?

thats good to hear DAZ .