Mine Cutting or Channelling Machine Operator
Other Titles
Bore Miner Operator, Coal Miner, Miner Operator, Shear Operator, Shearer Operator, Underground Heavy Equipment Operator, Underground Miner
Operate machinery such as longwall shears, plows, and cutting machines to cut or channel along the face or seams of coal mines, stone quarries, or other mining surfaces to facilitate blasting, separating, or removing minerals or materials from mines or from the Earth's surface. Includes shale planers.
Mine Cutting and Channeling Machine Operators cut or channel mining structures using cutting and channeling machinery and related equipment. The workplace for such operators is quite risky and they are required to observe safety precautions during work. In this role, they cut or channel mines in order to facilitate the excavation of minerals or to open up new spaces for mining. They also prop up caves and other mining structures using timbers or other supports. A part of their job is to make sure that the cutting and channeling machinery operates normally. If the indicators on the machine reflect a malfunction or the machinery stops working, they perform repair and maintenance tasks.
Position jacks, timbers, or roof supports, and install casings, to prevent cave-ins.
Reposition machines and move controls to make additional holes or cuts.
Cut entries between rooms and haulage ways.
Observe indicator lights and gauges, and listen to machine operation to detect binding or stoppage of tools or other equipment problems.
Replace worn or broken tools and machine bits and parts, using wrenches, pry bars, and other hand tools, and lubricate machines, using grease guns.
Press buttons to activate conveyor belts, and push or pull chain handles to regulate conveyor movement so that material can be moved or loaded into dinkey cars or dump trucks.
Move planer levers to control and adjust the movement of equipment, the speed, height, and depth of cuts, and to rotate swivel cutting booms.
Cut slots along working faces of coal, salt, or other non-metal deposits to facilitate blasting, by moving levers to start the machine, and to control the vertical reciprocating drills.
Signal that machine plow blades are properly positioned, using electronic buzzers or two-way radios.
Drive mobile, truck-mounted, or track-mounted drilling or cutting machine in mines and quarries or on construction sites.
Move controls to start and position drill cutters or torches and advance tools into mines or quarry faces to complete horizontal or vertical cuts.
Advance plow blades through coal strata by remote control, according to electronic or radio signals from the tailer.
Determine locations, boundaries, and depths of holes or channels to be cut.
Signal crew members to adjust the speed of equipment to the rate of installation of roof supports, and to adjust the speed of conveyors to the volume of coal.
Remove debris such as loose shale from channels and planer travel areas.
Charge and set off explosives in blasting holes.
Signal truck drivers to position their vehicles for receiving shale from planer hoppers.
Monitor movement of shale along conveyors from hoppers to trucks or railcars.
Guide and assist crews in laying track for machines and resetting planer rails, supports, and blocking, using jacks, shovels, sledges, picks, and pinch bars.
Free jams in planer hoppers, using metal pinch bars.
Operation Monitoring→ Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking→ Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening→ Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operation and Control→ Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness→ Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking→ Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination→ Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Equipment Maintenance→ Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Quality Control Analysis→ Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Repairing→ Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Time Management→ Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Troubleshooting→ Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Controlling Machines and Processes→ Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material→ Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment→ Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings→ Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Handling and Moving Objects→ Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment→ Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic principles.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates→ Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Performing General Physical Activities→ Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards→ Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment→ Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical principles.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information→ Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Assisting and Caring for Others→ Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Install safety or support equipment.
Position safety or support equipment.
Operate mining equipment.
Position construction or extraction equipment.
Cut openings in existing structures.
Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
Monitor extraction operations.
Drive trucks or truck-mounted equipment.
Maintain extraction or excavation equipment.
Determine appropriate locations for operations or installations.
Remove debris or vegetation from work sites.
Operate detonation equipment.
Prepare explosives for detonation.
Assist skilled construction or extraction personnel.
Direct construction or extraction personnel.
Control Precision→ The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Arm-Hand Steadiness→ The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Multilimb Coordination→ The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Problem Sensitivity→ The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Reaction Time→ The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Depth Perception→ The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Hearing Sensitivity→ The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Rate Control→ The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Deductive Reasoning→ The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Manual Dexterity→ The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Far Vision→ The ability to see details at a distance.
Inductive Reasoning→ The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Response Orientation→ The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Static Strength→ The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Auditory Attention→ The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility→ The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Extent Flexibility→ The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Information Ordering→ The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g. , patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Perceptual Speed→ The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Trunk Strength→ The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Finger Dexterity→ The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Air samplers or collectors→ Atmospheric monitors
Air velocity and temperature monitors→ Integrated air velocity monitors
Anemometers→ Ultrasonic anemometers
Belt conveyors→ Armored face conveyors; Mine conveyor belts
Blow torch→ Burning bars; Cutting torches
Boring machines→ Raise bores
Bulk material carriers→ Shuttle cars
Combination wrenches→ Adjustable combination wrenches
Cone crushers→ Cone crushing equipment
Continuous mining equipment→ Channeling machines; Continuous miners; Cutting machines; Roadheaders
Detonators→ Detonation units
Dump trucks→ Heavy dump trucks
Ear muffs→ Protective ear muffs
Goggles→ Protective goggles
Grease guns→ Lube guns
Hard hats→ Miner's helmets
Jacks→ Hydraulic jacks; Screw jacks
Jaw crushers→ Jaw crushing equipment
Longwall shears
Personal computers
Picks→ Mining picks
Pneumatic hammer→ Jackhammers
Pneumatic rock drills→ Rock drilling machines
Power grinders→ Portable hand grinders
Power saws→ Electric chainsaws
Pry bars→ Crowbars; Pinch bars
Pulverizing machinery→ Grinding mills
Respirators→ Self-rescuers
Rock breakers→ Tractor drills
Scissor bolters
Shovels→ Mining shovels
Single gas monitors→ Methane monitors
Track bulldozers→ Mining bulldozers
Track excavators→ Power shovels
Tunneling machinery→ Tunneling machines
Two way radios→ Mobile radios
Realistic→ Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Support→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Relationships→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.