8132 — Mining and quarry workers and related operatives

What this occupation covers

Quarry workers erect supports in underground workings, set and detonate explosives to loosen rocks and set up and operate drilling equipment to extract coal and other minerals from the ground, and operate machinery to wash, crush or separate stone and ores.

Typical duties

inspects blasting area, drills shot holes, inserts explosives and detonates charges to loosen large pieces of rock, coal or ore

assembles drilling and cutting tools, operates controls to start machines and to regulate the speed and pressure of cutting and drilling

erects timber or metal supports to shore up tunnel and assists tunnel miner with the excavation of vertical shafts and underground tunnels

operates heading, ripping and cutting-loading machines to remove material from working face and monitors conveyor carrying away loose material

conveys goods and materials to and from the workface, loads and unloads mine cars and transfers materials from underground and surface conveyors to bunkers, tubs and rail trucks

operates agitators/vibrators to separate minerals and ensures that screened, filtered, crushed and separated material is discharged to appropriate chutes or conveyors

performs other mining and quarrying tasks not elsewhere classified including digging clay from open pits, operating high-pressure hoses to wash china clay from open pit faces and otherwise assisting miners

Entry routes and qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in land drilling operations at level 2 and processing operations (extractive industries) at level 3 are available. There is a minimum age limit of 18 for underground work.

Sponsorship information

Ineligible. Actual duties, sponsor, applicant, salary and any transitional or shortage-list conditions must be checked.

DBS assessment

No code-wide DBS assessment is assigned. Check actual duties, activities, workplace, frequency and jurisdiction. This code does not determine the level of check.

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