The mining industry is probably one of the most hazardous industries to be operating in. Even though mining incidents don't occur that frequently (that we know of) the reality is that anything can go drastically wrong at any moment. I recall a few months ago when a whole team of mine laborers were contained inside a mine after a shaft collapsed - the entire world stood by and watched until these workers were eventually saved, using some of the most advanced mining equipment available on the planet.
With regards to the apparatus used in mines, no short cuts should be taken! If you drive a motor vehicle with a poor quality tyre, the tyre will ultimately burst and you might end up rolling your vehicle. The same goes for mining equipment - If you use inferior mining equipment, or perhaps not the right mining equipment for the actual job involved, this can cause a lot of injuries and perhaps also a number of deaths.
Let's take a look at some of the various pieces of mining equipment that are utilized in mines today:
I often drive on the highway on my way to work and then hear on the radio station that a specific street will be closed for several minutes later the day because of blasting that will take place. If there is a stubborn bit of rock in the way of a mining procedure (for example if the miners are constructing a tunnel and the rock is preventing progress) a blasting machine will be used to basically explode the granite rock so that it is easy to remove. This is naturally done from a safe distance and a detonate switch will only be pushed once all the necessary safety measures have been taken.
Back in the day, miners had to use shovels to dig - obviously this method was demanding and time consuming and a lot of miners almost certainly passed out because of exhaustion. Luckily today, miners could make use of a very popular piece of mining equipment, called an excavator. These vehicles either move ahead tracks or standard wheels (much similar to your car or other vehicle) or have hinged arms with buckets for hands which is then used for digging and doing away with earth.
If the miners need to get rid of large sections of earth, drills are often used to create a few openings in the surface. These openings are then filled with explosives and by the press of a button large pieces of earth are literally blasted out the way. Drills may also be used to drill down to oil and other chemicals which is located far below the earth, so that these substances can be piped to the surface.
It is of vital importance that mining equipment is properly taken care of and serviced often. As mining is often restricted to very restricted spaces, something can go very wrong, very fast! The correct equipment combined with the proper safety gear will go quite a distance in insuring the safety of our miners!
