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Drill and Blast

Driller

Driller

Are you physically fit, like hands-on work and have a taste for adventure? You might want to consider a career as a Driller.

Drillers work closely with Health and Safety teams and Geologists to assemble, position and operate drilling rigs and related equipment for mineral exploration and production.

“This isn’t ordinary work. You need to have a sense of adventure and a willingness to learn and understand the machinery. A good driller will always think ahead so they don’t run into any trouble and are able to think on their toes,” former diamond driller George Horsham told Swick Mining.

Activities

Drillers perform practical, hands-on work, often with tools and machinery. Common tasks include working with mechanical equipment, operating drilling rigs, checking for errors or defects, taking samples of ore and packaging them, recording performance details and logging details of the operations.

Work Environment

Drillers usually work outdoors and venture into enclosed spaces, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and working closely with Health and Safety teams. It can often be hot, dusty, loud, and high risk, and would suit physically fit people who enjoy manual work of a technical nature.

Knowledge

To work as a Driller it is important to have sound understanding of public safety and security and a basic understanding of mechanics, transportation, engineering and technology.

Skills

Skills required include operation monitoring, equipment and systems control, quality control analysis, coordination with others, and critical thinking.

Specialisations

  • Directional Drillers drill wells at multiple angles rather than just vertically.
  • Exploration Drillers run site operations on mineral exploration and investigate sites suspected of gold reserves.
  • Jumbo Operators operate a single or double boom jumbo drilling rig for underground development mining.
  • Power Tong Operators control the equipment that threads sections of drill casings into the wellbore.
  • Raise Drill Operators create a circular vertical or horizontal excavation between two existing levels or tunnels in an underground mine.
  • Rock Drill Operators operate a tractor-mounted rock drilling machine to drill explosive-charge holes through hard materials to facilitate blasting operations.
  • Stope Miners extract ore from an underground mine, leaving behind an open space known as a stope.
  • Tool Pushers are also known as rig managers, responsible for supervising drill operations.

Prerequisites

To secure work as a Driller, you need to have some high school education, with a diploma or the following certifications.

Driller

Offsider

Offsider

Are you physically active, a great team player and eager to learn on the job? You might want to investigate a job as an Offsider.

Offsiders or Drillers Offsiders help to move, set up and operate drill rigs and secondary equipment to drill holes for mineral exploration and production.

Activities

Offsiders conduct pre-start checks of light vehicles, downhole equipment and assist the driller with rig checks. They maintain trailer stock levels and ensure equipment are kept to standard levels, ensure practices are followed, identify potential hazards and communicate effectively to the driller or supervisor.

Work Environment

Offsiders work closely with Drillers outdoors and venture into enclosed spaces, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). It can often be hot, dusty, loud, and high risk, and would suit physically fit people who enjoy manual work of a technical nature.

Knowledge

To work as an Offsider it is important to have basic understanding of mechanics, transportation, engineering, technology, public safety and security.

Skills

Skills required include being adaptable, coordinating work with other people, active listening, operation monitoring and critical thinking.

Prerequisites

To secure work as a Offsider you need to have a drivers license and some high school education. Experience will be regarded however not usually required as on the job training is generally provided.

Offsider

Shot Firer

Shot Firer

Are you a problem solver that is fascinated by coordinated explosions in a safe environment? Becoming a Shot Firer might be a job for you to consider.

With safety at the forefront, Shot Firers position explosives in bore holes, connect wires, fuses, detonate cords to explosive cartridges, and prime explosives at mine sites.

Activities

Shot Firers are problem solvers, making decisions as they regularly handle and move objects and do physically active work, while keeping up to date with technology and monitoring people and processes to ensure all safety regulations are being followed.

Work Environment

Shot Firers work predominantly outdoors, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and taking responsibility for the health and safety of others. It can often be dirty, loud, and high risk, and would suit analytical people who enjoy manual work of a technical nature.

Knowledge

To work as a Shot Firer, it is important to have a sound understanding of public safety, government regulations and a basic understanding of mechanics, mathematics, engineering and technology.

Skills

Skills required include monitoring, reading comprehension, critical thinking, coordination with others and active listening.

Prerequisites

You can secure work as a Shot Firer without formal qualifications, however, a Vocational Education Training (VET) course in a relevant mining field as well as one year of experience or more would be highly regarded.

Certificate IV in Surface Coal Mining – Open Cut Examiner (RII40215)

Shotfirer

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