Tummie Modongo

05.00 AM

(Home to Site) I awake from my slumber, ready to conquer a new day. The first 30 minutes are for showering, getting into my Uniform (underground/office uniform, dependent on anticipated day tasks) and Breakfast. By

05.35 AM

I embark on a five-minute drive to work. There is an option to travel using the Anglo Bus, but I prefer to use my car as it offers flexibility on what time I can drive to work.

05.50 AM

(UG)Around this time, I’m in my PPE and at the go line, ready for the Prestart meeting.

06.00 AM

This is a good time to interact with my crew, go around the hall to read safety reports, check the status of my cap lamp together with my self-rescuer, learn about my work area, know my escape ways in the mine and make last-minute checks with the team to ensure that we have all the right tools for the task.

(Office) On days that I’m not going underground, I usually treat myself to a nice cappuccino while I await the prestart meeting. I always attend prestart meetings, even on days when I’m not going underground because it helps me stay up to date with production performance, Incidents and learnings and conditions underground.

06.10 AM

Go time. We load up tools, equipment and supplies into the drifty. A drifty is a car that transports people into the pit.

On office days, I go back to the office and catch up with the team on tasks that are required for the day.

06.20 AM – 4:45 PM

After the Prestart meeting, I catch up with the tech services team and get my daily tasks. I also spend a good hour going through my emails, to see if there are any requested deliverables from other departments. I like to populate my diary with the tasks that I have to complete. It helps me remember tasks, stay on track and prioritize them. My typical work involves, mine planning and gas drainage production reporting, design work and alteration of the mine design, site introduction of new equipment. Etc.

Apart from completing tasks the whole day, I attend different meetings throughout the day. At around 9.00 am, there is a daily meeting that discusses our previous 24hr tasks, and the upcoming tasks we have for the next 24hrs. I usually prepopulate the meeting report with the task I have in my diary. Other meetings are with other departments to discuss any interactions that the department might have in a 5-weekly space.

While underground, I assist my crew with their day-to-day tasks. While assisting the crew, I also try to understand why we have to carry out the tasks. I sometimes have to collect data so as to complete reports when I come up to the surface. Depending on the task at hand, I might come out to the surface early if it's a quick task [Technical Services tasks such as geological inspections, Safety inspections, Survey Sights for guiding the continuous miner to mine in the right direction etc.]  or spend the rest of the day inside the pit [working with development, longwall, gas drainage and ventilation crews]. 

In the picture below, I was assisting the gas drainage crew with drilling gas drainage holes. The work involves drilling according to a drill plan that targets an area on a longwall panel that has been deemed to release a high volume of gas. This allows the gas to be released and captured and ensures that when the area is to be mined in a later time, it doesn’t have a high level of gas.

I was off-siding the drill rig. This involved sticking drill rods into the drill rig to extend the drill rod that’s moving into the panel. I was also conducting a VFL – which is a tool we use for observing a task, scrutinizing its risks and ensuring that it's safe for the operators to continue with it. I had to go through the work procedures of the tasks, and the personal risk management details of each member of our team, and identify work hazards in the work area.  After the VFL, I write up a report and give feedback to other departments on what I observed and recommended in terms of safety improvement.

05.00 PM

I come up to the surface, put away my Underground PPE and take a well-deserved shower. When Working in an underground coal mine, you are bound to be covered in coal at the end of the shift. A shower and change of clothes are a must before I proceed home or back to the office.

05.15 PM

Home time. I drive back home and have a feed. I love myself a good steak and vegetables provided by the Mess at the camp (Kitchen/ Dining area).

I finish off the day by going to the gym / calling my overseas family / hanging out with friends at Workers club (popular restaurant in Moranbah) and on some days, fly my drone as pictured below.

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