The competition program comprises 20 professional categories in which the mine’s employees will be tested through the end of July. Specific competition rules have been developed for each category.
Operators of ESh walking draglines and P&H electric excavators recently demonstrated their skills in a competitive setting.
In the first part of the assessment, the operators underwent a theoretical knowledge test covering workplace safety and equipment operating procedures. Subsequently, they completed a series of practical tasks.
Walking dragline operators raced to knock water bottles off three pedestals using the bucket and performed three complete cycles of excavating and dumping overburden onto the spoil pile.
Five contest participants admitted that the tasks did not pose a challenge, but rather served as just another work assignment requiring patience and focused attention at the control console.
Vladimir Chernyshev, a competition participant, has been working at the Vinogradarsky open-pit mine for about 15 years, and for the last seven years as a P&H excavator operator.
Operators of P&H electric excavators, controlling the bucket, lifted and moved the bucket precisely to the designated coordinates, and also lifted, moved, and precisely inserted the rod into the "socket" (a cylindrical stand). To a large extent, our precise and rapid actions depend on work experience. The machinery is large and requires skill to maneuver. Sometimes the information on the control panel is insufficient, so it is important to understand the equipment's capabilities.
Operators of the Komatsu PC-1250 hydraulic excavator underwent tests assessing the precision and responsiveness of their machine handling.
In addition to a theoretical exam, miners Andrey Burtsev, Alexander Prokhorenko, and Alexander Yagudin competed in driving a nail into a log using the excavator bucket and pouring water from a bottle attached to the bucket into three containers up to specific fill marks.
Dump truck and shift bus drivers also underwent maneuvering tests. The competition courses included sections designed to evaluate skills such as high-speed maneuvering, reversing, navigating tight circular turns, and gauging vehicle dimensions, among others.
The competition results will be announced at a ceremony marking Miner's Day in August.
