At the Vinogradovsky open-pit coal mine, a branch of Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya Company JSC, an excursion was held for 7th-grade schoolchildren from School No. 12 in Belovo. About a dozen children saw the impressive landscapes of the mine, learned about how an open-pit energy coal mining enterprise operates, what equipment is used to extract minerals from the earth's interior, and how to become a specialist in the coal mining industry.
The meeting began with useful gifts: the children were given real miners' helmets and high-visibility vests as souvenirs, which are important elements of the equipment of the open-pit mine employees.
After completing the mandatory safety briefing while at the enterprise, the schoolchildren were taken to the control room and told how the department's specialists perform operational control of the work process at the mining sites around the clock. Then the children were taken to the viewing platforms of two operating mining sites, where they could observe how various excavators, BelAZ trucks, bulldozers and loaders work, find out where the overburden is taken and why there are railway tracks on the territory of the open pit, as well as how coal from the workings gets to the warehouses of sales companies.
Why is an excavator called a walking excavator, how and why is electricity supplied to a mine working, what size is the largest excavator in a quarry, how much coal can be mined in a year, how roads are built and waste heaps are formed... These and other interesting facts were conveyed to the children by the deputy chief engineer for mining operations Vyacheslav Shibut, the head of the production control and labor protection service Sergey Efimov and the head of the HR directorate Oksana Krasulina.
"We tried to organize a spectacular and comfortable excursion that gives a comprehensive idea of the work of our enterprise. We are happy to support the interest of young people in the professions of the coal mining industry and hope that a visit to our open pit will become a kind of inspiration for studying mining and obtaining a specialized education.
For our experienced specialists, who have dedicated decades to coal mining, this is an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and motivate schoolchildren to join our ranks in the future,” says Oksana Krasulina.
To fully appreciate the gigantic scale of the equipment used in coal mining, the children were taken to the territory of one of the sites, allowed to take photos near the tracks and in the bucket of the P&H 2300 XPC excavator, as well as near the 200-ton BelAZ.
The final stop of the excursion was the observation deck next to the enrichment plant, where part of the coal mined at the open pit undergoes various stages of cleaning and quality improvement. At the end of the meeting, all guests of the open pit were treated to a hot dinner with sweets.
"We approached the open pit mine with a request to conduct a tour within the framework of the Unified Model of Career Guidance "Ticket to the Future", which helps our children decide on their future profession. This is our first experience at a coal mine and, I must say, it is very positive. Seeing a panorama of a mine working in reality and watching how giant special equipment works is a truly vivid impression. In addition, we were accompanied by real professionals who spoke about their work in a very lively and interesting way. Such a passion for mining can really infect young people and become an impetus for choosing a professional path," shares her impressions Tatyana Shmakova, a social worker at Belovskaya School No. 12.
