Mining jobs: know before you go

The recent skyrocketing price of some minerals and commodities has seen mining companies struggling to find enough personnel to keep their operations running efficiently, and the race is on to extract as much pay dirt from the ground in the fastest possible way.

Never have we seen so many ‘New to industry’ jobs advertised, enticing new blood into the sector with the attraction of good pay and family-friendly rosters.

However, mining isn’t for everyone, and there are many things to consider before deciding whether this line of work is a viable option. So, let’s take a close look at some important aspects of working in the mining industry, to help you decide whether or not it’s a good fit for you – and for your family.

Unless you decide to live in a local mining town close to work, you will not get to see your other half or spend time with the kids daily. These things will instead be conducted via telephone or video call, provided you are lucky enough to have coverage while away.

If you are a FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) or DIDO (Drive In, Drive Out) worker, you will more than likely be housed in a camp while on swing (rostered time at work).

A cabin-type room (known as a ‘donga’) usually comes complete with a bed, TV, fridge, and ensuite, and this is where you’ll rest your head while away.

Mine sites and camps can be situated in some very remote areas, so having to get home mid-swing for a family emergency can be a logistical nightmare – sometimes it can take days to get back to loved ones.

Working away can be detrimental to relationships, with partners being left to look after the household or act as a solo parent for a large portion of the year.

Single parents can struggle if they don’t have the freedom of joint custody with their ex or are without a safe network of family or friends to take care of the kids while away.

The site you work at determines where you stay. Most camps have a gym, convenience store, and pub, with some of the larger ones offering things like swimming pools, basketball and tennis courts, bowling greens, a golf range and so on, so it pays to do your research when weighing up your job options.

The camp mess provides buffet breakfast and dinner. An assortment of food for lunch and smoko is also available to pack yourself and take to site.

Catering for hundreds or even thousands of hungry mouths per sitting is no easy task, so don’t expect Michelin Star-quality food. The standard of the chefs will determine how well you eat while away but it’s all part of the package and supplied to you at no cost.

Most of these places now try to cater for the growing variety of dietary needs required for today’s workforce.

Oh, and limiting visits to the desert bar will also help to keep your waistline under control!

A push from some mining companies to see gender equality in the workforce has seen woman elevated up the list when applying for some ‘New to industry’ positions. Indigenous Australians are also encouraged to put their hand up for this line of work.

Commitment to safety is a must in this business and should be reflected on any CV.

New starters typically begin their production open-cut mining journey as a haul truck operator. This usually involves carting spoil (dirt or rock) from a dig unit and transporting it to a dump site.

Traineeships usually see operators learning the trade with a mentor in the cab for a set number of hours before going solo on minimal supervision.

Once this happens a trainer will have to be always working in proximity and be contactable until the trainee is deemed to be fully competent and ‘passed out’ to operate the piece of equipment on site.

Mining is a 24/7, 365-days-per-year operation, so you need to be prepared to miss out on birthdays, weddings, special occasions, kids’ sports, funerals, and milestones.

Half of your work time will be performed on night shift. Human bodies are not designed to be awake let alone work through the small hours of darkness, and this can take its toll on some people, both physically and emotionally.

Good rest is essential to perform at your peak, so if you’re a person who struggles to stay awake at night or has trouble sleeping during the day, then you will battle with this part of the job.

From an operator’s perspective, open-cut mining is not much different from civil cut-and-fill earthmoving operations, only utilising much larger equipment to move huge volumes of spoil quickly.

Civil accreditations are now being recognised in the mining sector, making it somewhat easier to transition between industries.

Experienced civil machinery operators don’t usually find it too hard to adapt to driving the larger mining gear, but small tweaks are sometimes required to help people perform their tasks in a safer, more productive manner.

Being a production-oriented industry, everyone involved must do their part to keep machines moving efficiently to meet targets and fill orders on time.

The other side of the coin is that a lot of the civil vehicle conductors find the environment of mining to be quite mind-numbing when the emphasis is on moving dirt fast, with not much attention given to how good the final product looks.

This article offers only a small glimpse into the production mining sector. Needless to say, plenty of careful consideration should be made before moving into this industry.

Long hours, shift work, and living away from home and loved ones can all take a toll.

Only a few of the issues encountered in this job have been highlighted here, so if anything does not sit too well, then maybe a different profession would suit you better.

Production is only part of the overall mining process; many various occupations are also relied upon to keep operations running smoothly.

Maintenance departments encompass fitters, boilermakers, and high-voltage electricians to name a few, and these roles are kept busy servicing equipment on a regular basis. Attending machinery breakdowns is usually a priority, especially if the broken bit of gear hampers production.

Engineering, geology, planning, surveying, environmental aspects, health and safety, dispatching, and computer programming are just some of the other professions required to run operations efficiently.

Getting your foot in the door can be very hard. Although there’s an influx of ‘New to industry’ jobs available, large numbers of people are vying for these positions.

If you don’t succeed when applying, ask for feedback as to what you can do better to help elevate yourself in the future.

You may make many applications before experiencing success but learn from each effort and put that knowledge to good use the next time.