The mining life is not for everyone. Miners work long hours, often far from home, in one of the most physically-demanding positions out there. While it’s up to the executives, the managers, and the other stakeholders to install the best designs for an underground or open pit mine with the safety of the workers in mind along with the efficiency of the job itself, it’s up to the workers themselves to get the job done every day. The differences between the many kinds of mines, especially open pit mines and underground mines, are many, and miners tend to prefer one over the other.
Every mining site has its natural and man-made characteristics that make it unique. Efficient mining companies design their mine to fit the natural formations they are trying to reach and the materials they are trying to extract. Miners are usually involved in almost all of the processes in the life of a typical mine, from exploration to construction and extraction.
There’s an obvious distinction between open pit mines and underground mines that leads to the main differences from the miners’ perspectives. Open pit mines allow for heavy machinery and workers to do their jobs in the open and usually with more maneuverability. Open pit mines don’t have to safeguard against loss of air and cave-ins, but they do have their own set of strict safety guidelines that save lives. While there isn’t as much of a danger of cave-ins, rock slides and other hazards due to the structural integrity of the material the miners work in are still present.
Underground mines of course have many potential hazards, and it can be more difficult to find problems before they become emergencies due to the difficulty of supervisors and stakeholders at times to communicate with workers and inspect problems with safety or work operations. Underground operations usually cause many more difficulties than normally occur in open pit mines, but without constant supervision and strong safeguards, either type of mine can be dangerous for workers.
Open pit and underground mines are often in remote locations that require miners to work and live on mining camps for long periods of time, which can cause psychological problems that manifest themselves in dangerous situations. These camps are usually tightly regulated in terms of drugs and alcohol, which can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness, but working away from one’s family and friends can take a toll over the life of a mining operation. Working underground is usually a hot, noisy, humid, and dark business, but working in an open pit mine can expose workers to weather conditions, which can cause problems as well.
Working in the mining industry in any capacity is hard work that demands exceptional concentration and talent in order to stay safe in the environment of heavy materials, heavy equipment, and hard work. Ensuring the work is safe and efficient is part of the mine operator’s job and the stakeholders’, performing well and within the safety parameters is the workers’ job, in an open pit mine and an underground mine.
