Student Journal - Ballarat Student Chapter - Mining Engineering Students Vacation Work
Stawell Gold Mines’ long running student vacation program provides aspiring Mining Engineers with valuable hands-on experience in an underground mining environment. I have been fortunate to be a part of that program over the last couple of years, gaining practical skills and industry insight working alongside seasoned professionals.
This year my roles focused on general mine services and assisting charge-up which included driving the Integrated Tool Carrier (IT). Building on my previous experience last year, where I gained my LV ticket, worked as a nipper and assisted charge-up.
Working a 7:7 roster, I completed 12-hour shifts, followed by 7 days off rotating days and nights, experiencing the full cycle of underground operations. A highlight this summer was operating the IT. Navigating through tight underground spaces, working the basket, and transporting heavy loads gave me a real appreciation for underground logistics - and a few interesting stories about tight squeezes!
Every shift kicked off with a safety toolbox meeting reinforcing the serious responsibility of looking out for yourself and your crew. Commencing each task I completed my step backs and prestart reviews, reinforcing safety awareness and accountability into my daily routine.
In mine services, I was responsible for keeping production moving - replacing and repairing vent bags, extending air, water and firing lines as development progressed, and assembling isolators, headers and pressure reducers in the workshop. I also worked on identifying faults in the firing line and managing air and water pressure through-out the mine to prevent downtime.
Assisting charge-up was a key component of my role - clearing areas post blast, monitoring gas readings and assessing air flow before re-entry. Washing down headings to suppress dust and remove residue and careful inspection of the site to identify potential misfires or areas needing secondary blasting. Working under the close supervision of experienced shotfirers I loaded explosives, setup initiation systems, and planned blasts. Suddenly, every thing I was learning in my university studies on explosives, sequencing and blast design became reality and allowed me to take a more methodical approach to blast design and understanding how well-planned blasts optimise productivity and minimise downtime.
This was a physically demanding and challenging role, yet highly rewarding. To wrap up the summer, I spent two swings in the technical office polishing my Deswik.CAD and Deswik.UGDB skills, creating the engineering plans I use daily underground. I contributed to drill and blast designs, charge plans, stope reconciliations, break-through checks and the daily production statistics reports. Seeing how mine planning, geology, survey, and geotechnical teams work together gave me a newfound respect for the coordination needed to keep the mine running efficiently.
This experience was not just about learning, it was about being a part of a team and being a part of the action. From charging up a heading to creating drill designs for a stope, I gained a broad and practical understanding of how a mine works. As I progress in my mining engineering degree, I look forward to applying these skills, particularly when optimising drill and blast designs and mine planning, whilst working towards my long-term goal of obtaining my First Class Mine Managers’ Ticket.
