
Working Underground
To work underground is not without its perils.
The Perils of Working Underground in the Mines
It is and remains a dangerous job. There are numerous safety procedures in place that are there to make it a safer place. When I started to work in the mines years ago, it was before the time of a lot of the new legislation to make it a safer place. I used to work there when you had to use a little common sense to stay out of the accident zone.
Safety Gear for Underground Work
Getting dressed for the work underground entailed having a lamp with a battery and rescue pack. These hung from the strong belt around your waist. Common sense should tell you that you must keep it on at all times.
Then there is the issue of safety boots with the steel toecaps. Because of the amount of water in puddles all over in the mine, you opt to wear gumboots to keep your feet dry. The gumboots don’t give you the luxury of having the steel toecaps. So, don’t drop anything on your feet.
The Descent into the Earth
Getting underground was quite the experience as you had to get into an elevator. Of a kind that you have never been in before. None of that finery and decor. Only a steel cage that can accommodate about 50 people. When all hundred are in and you are standing like sardines in a tin, then the gates close and the rattling starts. You plummet into the Earth at an amazing speed. Your ears pop and it is dark. You feel that warm earthy temperature and know that the workday has started.
After a minute you arrive deep in the bowels of the Earth and you get out onto a landing of a rough sand road with pockets of water. From here you have to walk to your different stations and places of work. The lucky few have a vehicle to fetch them. It is normally a very battered and bruised Isuzu bakkie. Can only do 4×4 low range in reverse, first and second gears. It’s better than walking through all the water puddles. When you get to your work station various jobs await you.
Daily Operations and Safety Measures
If you are on recovery and breakdowns then you are in the workshops. The miners will go to the front of the diggings. The drill team will go to their drills. And the clearing team will get into their front end loaders and clear the paths of blasted rock. The rock will be carried to the crusher to be broken into smaller pieces and then taken to the surface via a conveyor belt. On the surface it will be processed more and more until the diamonds are extracted.
Meanwhile underground there is the steady hum of fans and the soft beat of workings in progress. Even to move around and check on different things means that you have to be ever vigilant and observe the safe passages and stay out of the way of the front end loaders. Specially designed vehicles that are no higher than what you are tall. They need to have low clearance to fit in the tunnels. They also can drive in either direction with the equal amount of ease, with the driver seat positioned sideways and the steering articulated in the middle. It is the perfect vehicle for underground conditions. They have right of way and are usually bigger than you, so get out of their way. There are special passing spots for the mine vehicles and small alcoves to duck into if you are walking. Just stay out of their path as they make their way to and from the crushers.
The Hive of Activity
The place is a hive of activity with everyone knowing exactly what to do. From the miners to the blast chiefs to drill boys. They are the ones at the heart of all the action. And then there are still the mechanics, and crusher operatives. They are the ones that keep things running smoothly. The clearing gang that move the rock, they make the way for people to move. Don’t forget the electricians that keep the lights on. Without the lights and fans nobody would even be able to go underground. In the case of failure, all vehicles must be stopped and the whole place has to be shutdown. Without the fans the heat is oppressive and the dust will start creeping in from the tunnels.
Then there is the boss man who keeps it all together and makes sure that all is running smoothly, that everyone is doing their job and that the quota of rock is being removed every day. He has to work with the underground surveyors to make sure that they are drilling and digging in the right direction as well as keep all in order.
Working underground is an exciting but dangerous profession.

Peter Waddell grew up in Kimberley, South Africa. He worked as diesel fitter and is now retired, living in China, writing, reading, cycling, exploring, taking photographs and married to a teacher

