With dauntless spirit, Coal Miners risk their lives daily to provide us with coal, a valuable natural resource and non-renewable fossil fuel mined from coal seams situated just below the earth’s surface or deep underground. They work meticulously in hazardous and unpredictable situations, applying their ... Continue Reading
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What are the typical responsibilities of a Coal Miner?
A Coal Miner would typically need to:
If you work in a surface mine, you will spend considerable time outdoors in different kinds of weather. Underground mining requires working in cramped, wet, dusty and dark tunnels at varying temperatures. Despite improved safety measures, coal mining is highly hazardous, particularly underground. Operating heavy equipment is fraught with the risk of accidents. The work also entails extended exposure to loud noises and harmful airborne particles, particularly coal dust, that can cause “black lung” and other diseases. It is critical to follow regulations strictly, stay alert, and constantly watch out for your team to prevent accidents and injuries.
With increasing automation, Coal Miners also work in control rooms, controlling and monitoring mining machinery safely and comfortably.
Appropriate attire and safety gear are a must and typically provided by your employer. The gear includes hard hats with battery-operated headlamps, steel-toed boots, safety glasses, air-purifying respirators, portable methane monitors and self-rescuers to help miners breathe for at least an hour in an extremely low-oxygen atmosphere.
Depending on the location and whether you are engaged in surface or underground mining, travel may be required to relocate for an extended period, or you may need to commute daily to and from the site. You may also need to relocate between mining sites if you join a different project.
Some projects, particularly those located remotely, may require Coal Miners to spend extended periods away from home. Work follows a shift pattern at the mining site, with shifts typically lasting 8-12 hours, which may include local travel to and from the mining location. Overtime may be required, and you may need to work up to ten days at a stretch before a day off. Your daily tasks may vary from the transportation of ore to tunnel improvements. While most Coal Miners work full-time, part-time work may be a possibility.
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Coal Miners can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, attending job fairs, leveraging social media and inquiring at staffing agencies.
Coal Miners are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organisations, such as the World Coal Association (WCA), are crucial for Coal Miners interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. The WCA offers membership to global corporate companies and national associations.
Professional associations provide members with various continuing education and networking opportunities, and mentorship services. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications
Any academic program that a potential Coal Miner takes up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship or apprenticeship in a coal mine, that can help familiarise aspiring Coal Miners with the use of charts, graphs, blueprints, maps, and specialised equipment and machinery.
Experience in construction or operating plant machinery is helpful. However, most rookie Coal Miners undertake apprenticeship programs or receive on-the-job training before beginning official duties. The duration of these programs can depend on the speed at which they progress and display the application of their skills. Apprentices and trainees learn the basics of the job, including safety procedures, mining techniques and how to use appropriate equipment. They also learn teamwork, how to work under supervision yet take the initiative and be independent when required, and, above all, work responsibly, safely and accurately while remaining fully alert as Coal Miners cannot afford to make errors.
On completing their training and apprenticeship, new miners may assist experienced Coal Miners until they have the confidence and capability to lead the work independently since coal mining is a high-risk and high-pressure career.
Coal Miners will benefit from tasks outside the classroom that align perfectly with lessons inside it. One may hear countless stories and obtain valuable hands-on experience from more experienced professionals who can turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.
Summer internships, part-time work in entry-level positions or short-term paid/voluntary work offer a taste of the career, give valuable insight into how a mining company and mine site operate, help build useful contacts and improve one’s prospects of getting a permanent job.
The experience may also help determine whether the public or private sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable opportunities for work placements, internships and voluntary work in diverse sectors.
Even while in high school, you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.
Join some groups, try some hobbies or volunteer with an organisation that is of interest, so you can have fun while learning about yourself and be directed toward a future career.
Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts working in coal mines to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
Although there are no formal educational requirements to become a Coal Miner, a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent is typically beneficial to equip yourself with some basic work-related knowledge. You may begin as an unskilled worker as long as you are at least 18 years of age, but you will likely need knowledge and skills acquired formally to advance in the field.
While the role you apply for and the type of mine you aim to work in determine the specific qualifications required, courses in mineral resources, mine strategy, mining sustainability, safety protocols and environmental science can be helpful.
Depending on region-specific requirements, employers may prefer candidates with post-secondary education, such as a vocational course, higher national diploma (HND), associate degree or bachelor’s degree in mining technology or a similar field.
A diploma-level qualification in mining management will help you rise through the ranks to managerial roles.
It may also be possible to acquire vocational qualifications in various mining-related areas, such as surface extraction operations, underground coal mining, underground metalliferous mining or small mining operations.
You must typically complete specialised and approved training programs relevant to coal mining and an apprenticeship that combines classroom learning with on-the-job training at a mine site under a certified miner’s supervision. Before beginning work as a Coal Miner and periodically thereafter, you must also undertake approved safety, health, first aid and emergency response training.
It is advisable for aspiring Coal Miners to take high school courses in geography, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Learning computer-aided design, drafting and mechanical drawing also help you prepare for this career. English and speech classes will help you develop your writing and oral communication skills, which can be beneficial while collaborating with fellow miners and interacting with stakeholders.
Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, your professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.
Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.
Employers may require you to hold general miner, coal miner or surface general coal miner certification as they demonstrate a Coal Miner’s competency in a skill set, typically through work fulfilling experience and education requirements, undergoing training and passing an examination. Check the specific certification and licensing requirements applicable to where you wish to work, as they vary from region to region.
You may certify in mine safety & health administration instruction by passing the relevant exam if you wish to teach new miners and help them acquire certification.
Certification from an objective and reputed organisation can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent, increase your chances of advancement and become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. You must periodically revalidate your certification with the requisite hours of refresher training.
In some locations, employers may mandate a certificate of competency before hiring you, while others may accept that you acquire it after a year of work. An associate degree in coal mine technology may qualify you to earn it after six months of work. Certification of competency as a mine examiner or manager may require a minimum of four years of experience in underground mining, but an associate degree may shorten the requirement to three years. Make sure to check the certificate of competency requirements in your location.
You will likely require specific driving or machinery operating licences. Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires passing an examination after meeting eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience or training, or completing an internship, residency or apprenticeship.
Coal Miners may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media and drug screening.
Advancement opportunities may seem bleak for Coal Miners, but gaining experience in a mine as a trainee may help you become a general labourer and progress to the role of a Machine Operator’s Assistant. As you acquire further expertise and build your seniority, you can apply to become a Machine/Equipment Operator, a specialist in any of the different kinds of heavy machinery used in mining. From this or other roles, such as Roof Bolter Operator, you could head to supervisory positions, such as Mine Superintendent/Supervisor or Mine Manager. However, managerial roles may require you to acquire additional training and qualifications in mining management, as they entail taking on greater responsibilities and exercising leadership.
Other ways to progress are to take on specialist work such as blasting, safety inspection or site supervision. With suitable qualifications, you may become a Minerals Surveyor or Mining Engineer.
With your experience and transferable skills, you could diversify into construction and head to becoming a Construction Supervisor or Building Contractor.
The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.
Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and exciting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable and transferable skills along the way.
Coal Miners with the necessary technical and safety certification, teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills, relevant experience, specialised knowledge of minerals and physical and mental endurance have the best job prospects in this field.
Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Coal Miner build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity,
formal education or self-directed learning. It allows you to continually upskill regardless of age, job or level of knowledge.
Newly hired Coal Miners typically undertake apprenticeships, which may last up to a year. Apprentices receive a blend of theoretical instruction and supervised practical and technical training on the mine site, teaching them their employer’s procedures and protocols. You also learn to operate, maintain and repair diverse mining equipment, including drills, shovels and conveyor belts, to optimise mining efficiency, productivity and safety. Some tasks you learn to perform using machinery and equipment include calculating where to drill holes and make cuts, lay tracks, install casings and other measures to prevent roof falls and cave-ins.
The health, safety, first aid and emergency response certifications you acquire before beginning work need periodic renewal. You must keep updated with safety protocols, including knowing how to use machinery and tools correctly, identify hazards and respond to emergencies.
It is critical to constantly hone your troubleshooting, analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills, which you need daily to identify current and potential issues, such as equipment malfunction, develop and implement preventive methods and solutions, and ensure the restoration of safe operations.
Keeping up your physical fitness, strength and stamina enables you to withstand working in the rigorous environment of coal mines. Equally important is taking online or in-person courses that hone your soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership, essential while collaborating with multiple stakeholders and coworkers daily.
Remember that developing transferable and diversified skills and undertaking continued education (CE) through acquiring higher academic qualifications can be helpful in case of layoffs due to mine closures or reduced operations.
How Coal Seams Originate
Coal is found worldwide, mainly in locations where prehistoric forests and marshes were buried and compressed over millions of years. Black or dark brown in appearance, coal seams are bands of coal deposits visible within rock layers and vary widely in size, location and accessibility. Depending on the depth of coal seams and their location underground, coal is extracted from them using surface or underground methods. Coal seams are both a conventional source of coal and an unconventional source of natural gas known as coal seam gas or coal bed methane.
Compression, heat, sedimentation, erosion and chemical energy acting upon decaying and dead organic matter cause coal formation. Material derived from plants that grew in or close to swamps in warm and humid regions accumulated in low-lying wet areas, and microorganisms transformed it into peat. (Peat also occurs in temperate and subarctic zones.) Layers formed over each other across millions of years. As sediment buried the peat deeper and deeper, its temperature and pressure rose, leading to heating and compression, generating chemical and physical changes in the plant layers, pushing out oxygen and leaving behind rich carbon deposits. As a result, the soft peat first changed into harder and brown lignite coal. Then, lignite turned into sub-bituminous coal, which became bituminous coal, finally taking the highest form of anthracite coal. No matter the range of size and location of coal seams, their formation typically follows a consistent pattern.
Only specific and favourable biological and physical processes co-occurring during certain periods of the earth’s history allowed organic material to accumulate and convert into coal. Most plant matter collected on earth decomposes organically or is burned by fire; hence, it is not converted to peat or coal.
The Composition of Coal
Coal, a black or brownish-black sedimentary deposit, is not a homogenous substance and has no fixed chemical formula. Composed mainly of carbon, which is readily combustible, it also contains moisture. Carbonaceous material accounts for more than 50 per cent of coal by weight and more than 70 per cent by volume. Coal is categorised as lignite, bituminous and anthracite, depending on the amount of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen present. Its other constituents are nitrogen, sulphur and other trace elements.
The Uses of Coal
Historically, the two primary uses of coal have been heating homes and cooking food. It was also used to heat Roman public baths, while the Aztec Empire used it for ornaments and fuel. Being cheaper than wood and yielding greater energy on being burned, coal was a significant source of power and steam during the Industrial Revolution. It was used to produce goods on a mass scale, generate electricity, and fuel cargo trains and steamships. Coal is now primarily a resource to produce electricity and generate heat for various purposes. It also plays a vital role in steel manufacturing.
Coal as a Fuel for Heating
A significant use of coal worldwide is burning it to generate heat, whether to make homes or institutions comfortable to live and work in, facilitate sanitation and health, or fire large industrial furnaces for various production purposes.
How Coal is Used to Generate Electricity
Coal-fired power plants in various parts of the world produce and distribute electricity, and coal continues to be a leading energy source for most developing countries. The combustion or burning of coal creates thermal energy to heat water in large boilers. The steam that is created spins turbines and activates generators to produce electricity.
The Role of Coal and Coke in the Steel Industry
The steel industry uses coal to heat iron ore to separate the iron in the rock from other minerals also present in it. However, when coal itself is used in the process, it releases sulphur and other impurities, which can weaken the metal produced. 9th-century chemists and engineers discovered that pre-combustion baking of coal in an oven at 1,000-1,100°C (1,800-2,000°F) for 12-36 hours helps eliminate impurities, such as coal gas, carbon monoxide, methane, tars and oil. What emerges is coke, which is coal with high carbon content and low impurity, and the procedure is called coking.
Coke is burned in a blast furnace along with iron ore and air that is heated up to 1,200°C (2,200°F). As the coke ignites in the hot air, the iron melts and the impurities separate, yielding steel, which is strong and flexible enough to construct buildings, bridges and cars.
Due to the role coal and coke play in steel production, some of the biggest coal-producing countries are also significant steel producers, such as the United States, China, Russia and India. However, Japan, a leading steel producer, is also a large coal importer in the absence of significant coal reserves.
Useful Synthetic Products Generated During the Coking Process
The coking process releases certain gases, including coal gas and syngas, that can also generate power. While coal gas can be used for heat and light, syngas, a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, can serve as a transportation fuel. Other byproducts of the process help produce tar, fertilisers, plastics and other synthetic materials.
The Carbon Footprint Conundrum
Coal currently has the highest carbon footprint of all energy sources, emitting 820 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) on a life-cycle basis per kWh produced. However, it is also a primary fuel source globally. Environmental issues are receiving greater attention as coal mining operations grow in size and complexity, particularly in developing countries. Implementing best practices and using technology to reduce waste and pollution is a starting point for Coal Miners to work towards reducing the overall damage caused by coal mining from a carbon footprint perspective. They can also build awareness among their professional community about the criticality of environmental sustainability.
The Mining Cycle
The mining cycle typically consists of the following phases:
Types of Coal Mining
Coal Miners generally work in either surface or underground mines. Their specific duties and the machinery they operate depend on the type of mine in which they work. The mining method employed is primarily based on technical factors, such as where and how deep the coal seams are, their number, thickness and quality, the type of geological formations or strata surrounding them, and the surface topography. Accessibility to transportation networks also influences the choice. In addition, environmental and regulatory considerations and specific social and economic factors are also vital in determining mining methods and whether mining should proceed at the coal reserve in the first place.
Surface Mining
Surface mining is typically suited to coal seams located less than 200 feet under the earth’s surface. It involves blasting the overburden (the soil and rock covering the coal seam) with explosives to expose the coal deposit, using giant machines to remove it, then mining the coal in strips by drilling and splintering, and finally replacing the overburden to reclaim the land. This method is suited to coal seams located close to the earth’s surface, and coal seam recovery is close to 90%. When the surface mine is exhausted, the land is reclaimed using the soil removed at the start of the process and repurposed to develop grazing pastures, community parks or commercial centres.
The primary surface mining techniques include:
Underground Mining
When coal seams are located deeper than 200 feet below the earth’s surface, even down to depths of thousands of feet, underground mining is the chosen method. It involves building entries and tunnels stretching miles from vertical mine shafts. Elevators take Coal Miners down the deep shafts from where they traverse the tunnels on small trains to reach the coal seams. The miners use large and heavy machinery to extract the coal.
The two major underground mining methods are:
Both methods develop the coal seam by driving entries and cross-cuts to create coal pillars or blocks through the room-and-pillar methodology. The conventional room-and-pillar method employed separate machines to cut, drill, blast and load the mined coal. However, currently used machines, called continuous miners, mechanically cut and load the coal onto shuttle cars. Longwall mining also entails cutting and loading the coal onto a face conveyor to exit the mine and reach the surface, but the machine employed is called the longwall shearer.
Room-and-Pillar Mining
A commonly used productive and flexible method for extracting coal from deposits located at a dip of less than 50°, room-and-pillar mining incorporates a degree of ore loss for large- and small-scale projects. However, work going on at various production points on site boosts productivity. This mining method is based on a grid system of coal pillars left in place as roof supports to hold up the overhead rock mass, and open rooms where coal extraction is carried out. The sequence of operations is adapted to the rock conditions and the ventilation requirements. Similar to conventional drifting, drilling and blasting techniques are used to mine the coal.
The room between the pillars serves as the drift (horizontal or subhorizontal openings or tunnels created in the rock in a mine). It is used for various purposes, such as haulage, ventilation or exploration. Eventually, when the pillars are removed, the roof collapses and can cause subsidence at the surface (when the ground sinks due to underground material movement, a significant reason being the removal of mineral resources, such as coal, through mining).
Room and pillar dimensions are based on rock conditions and the potential rock stress changes predicted due to mining. Critical to the method is optimising the sizes of the rooms and pillars so that the maximum coal is extracted, leaving the smallest pillars intact while ensuring maximum safety. In work areas with large roof spans, overhead rock is supported by cable and rock bolts. Precise drilling and good blasting practices prevent pillar failure by minimising overbreak and blast damage. The production area consists of roadways for transporting coal, equipment and other materials.
Two types of room-and-pillar mining methodologies are continuous mining and conventional mining.
Continuous Mining
A widely used method, continuous mining employs a hydraulically operated machine called a continuous miner to cut, extract and load the coal in a single step. Metal arches or hydraulic jacks support the roof during coal extraction. Working remotely or sitting or lying in the machine’s cab, continuous-mining machine operators move the machine into the required area, positioning its cutting wheels, which are attached to hydraulic lifts, against the coal by manipulating levers. The machine’s mechanical arms collect the coal ripped off the seam and fallen to the tunnel floor and dump it onto conveyors that carry it to shuttle cars or other conveyor belts for transportation out of the mine.
Conventional Mining
Unlike continuous or longwall mining, this methodology consists of separate steps and requires more workers than the other methods. It involves blasting coal from the seam, which is collected and loaded. Driving a self-propelled cutting machine into the working area, cutter operators saw a channel along the bottom and sides of the coal face to make the blasting more effective by relieving some of the pressure it causes. After assessing how deep the undercut is on the coal face and where holes should be placed, drilling-machine operators bore the blast holes in which they place explosive charges, which, on detonation, shatter the coal. Next, loading-machine operators drive electric loading machines to the work area. Manipulating levers, they direct the movement of mechanical arms to scoop up the loose coal, loading it onto shuttle cars or conveyors that carry it out of the mine.
Longwall Mining
This method also uses a single operation to cut and load coal but uses a specialised machine called a longwall shearer whose plow blades or cutting wheels move back and forth across the face of the coal seam, loosening and slicing the coal in a single slice. The machine automatically loads the mined material onto a conveyor system for transportation to the surface. Using a manual or remote control, longwall-mining machine operators advance the shearer while monitoring the control system’s lights and monitors and staying alert to unusual sounds to detect any equipment malfunction and address it in time.
Critical to longwall mining is the series of hydraulic supports that stand opposite the section to be mined and hold up the roof in the work area. They are interconnected self-advancing structures lined up along the length of the coal face. Each unit also connects with each pan of the AFC (armoured face conveyor). As the machine mines the face, the operator and face personnel move the roof supports forward, which allows the roof behind the supports to cave in gradually.
Some Tools, Machinery, Equipment & Systems Used in Mining
Miners carry and use tools, including pickaxes, hammers, chisels and shovels. In addition to chutes, conveyor belts, crushers, feeders, mills, mixers & agitators, roasters, screens and stackers, they use highly specialised and heavy equipment and machinery for different mining activities and depending on the type of mining method employed. The machinery is no-emission but highly powerful and capable of moving tons of rocks in enclosed, unfavourable and extreme mining environments.
Surface mining typically uses:
Underground mining typically uses:
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
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Extracting “black gold” or coal from the earth’s surface or its depths puts your courage, willpower and physical endurance to the test but helps power different parts of the world. It takes specialised skills and knowledge, extreme alertness, compliance with rules and impeccable teamwork to forge a safe and successful career as a Coal Miner. However, the challenge remains to make coal mining even safer and more environmentally friendly than ever before.
Maintain your physical health and emotional well-being. Be prepared to face any challenge on the job and try to remain calm in situations of extreme stress. Take refresher training in essential procedures and safety rules.
Drone technology is currently used in coal mining for environmental monitoring, volume measurement and photogrammetric mapping to digitalise the mining process.
What do Coal Miners do?
A Coal Miner would typically need to:
Accredited
