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Open pit miner
An opencast deposit miner performs
work related to securing the slopes on the exploitation levels and overburden levels, removing overhangs and mining erratic boulders and rock inclusions. They are also responsible for protecting excavations from being flooded by
water. They use drilling equipmentadapted to the quality of the rocks mined such as explosives, blasting equipment, pickaxes, shovels or crowbars.
Miners working in open cast mines participatein two types of works - preparatory and operational.
Preparatory work consists of collectingthe top layer of earth and rocks to such depth to reveal the coal seam and make the brown coal deposit available for excavation. This job is mostly performed by the operators of heavy mining equipment
intended for work in the opencast such as scrapers, bulldozers or excavators. After the the coal seam is unearthed, the second stage of mining works begins. This is the process of excavation. These are excavator operators and hydraulic monitor operators that are mainly involved in these works. Operation of the hydraulic monitor consists in controlling the nozzle of this device. A strong stream of water flowing out of it detaches individual blocks of coal from the whole seam and crumbles them into smaller pieces.
The psychophysical prerequisites for this job are good visual‑motor coordination, good vision and hearing. It is very important that one is physically fit with well developed motor skills and an efficient circulatory, respiratory and muscular systems and organs of balance. A good candidate should also be able to focus their attention, multitask and work in a team. Technical inteests are an additional nice- to- have.
The vocational schools preparing forwork in the profession of an opencast deposit miner, are most often located near the sites where the excavation of brown coal deposits takes place (in Bełchatów, near Piotrkow Trybunalski, Kole, and Konin).
Surface mining technician
An opencast mining technician plans, supervises or conducts production processes in brown coal opencast mines, rock raw materials or sand mines as well as in production plants dealing with construction adhesives, ceramic materials, metallurgical and chemical engineering and many other. Opencast mining technicians have to observe mining and geological regulations, as well as the principles of occupational health and safety, fire protection and environmental protection regulations.
A graduate of a technical school preparing for the profession of an opencast mining technician should be able to perform the following professional tasks: blasting works using short openings; carrying out works related to the mining, transporting, storing and heaping up of minerals and the overburden; eliminating rock overhangs; dewatering rock mass and heaps.
Graduates may also continue their education: at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, at the Faculty of Mining and Geoengineering, major: Mining and geology, specialty: Opencast mining and other technical universities.
The health contraindications for performing this job include: disturbances of the sense of balance, limb movement disorders, cardiovascular diseases, including venous diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, tendency to allergies, sight and hearing defects and fear of heights.
An opencast mining technician can be employed in:
open‑cast mines excavating brown coal or rock raw materials and producing crushed mineral aggregates for road or railway construction, open cast mines excavating rock materials carrying out operations for the needs of building stone and mineral aggregate plants. The mineral aggregates include natural ones with the possibility of operation with floating equipment, sands (including backfilling sand and glass sands)
Opencast mining technicians can also find employment in:
- plants conducting demolition and engineering works with the use of explosives,
- stone processing plants,
- processing plants,
- project development institutions and research institutes.