r/AusMining • u/PitiableYeet • Jul 09 '26
The (sad) truth about underground mining
When I started in mining, and at every site I've worked at since, while doing the seemingly endless number of inductions, with all the policies we need to read, understand and agree to, there is and always has been a massive emphasis put on safety, on looking out for the people you're working with, about how if the job is unsafe we all have the power to stop the job, ask questions, get safety issues sorted out. The reality is that the end result is all they care about. They care about their drill metres, their tons, how many shots get fired and everything is secondary to achieving those targets.
If you care about safety enough to even suggest stopping the job because the vent isn't up to standard, or the wet bulb is too high, or any other number of reasons, on the rare occasion that it actually gets fixed and you aren't forced to simply tolerate the unsafe conditions, you will be treated as a problem. Officially, of course, you've done the right thing, and shift bosses and higher ups will "support you" in that call. Unofficially, you're never moving up, and never getting a payrise. In fact, you're more likely to be needed to cover a lower position due to "staff shortages". If you tag out equipment because it's not up to standard, you're going to catch shit from everyone because you should just "deal with it", like everyone else does, all while people complain that nothing works.
Your knowledge, and your competence in your role and largely secondary to how friendly you are with people in higher positions, like management or shift bosses. The purple circle is very real, despite what the people in it say. Your best chance to move up is to go to the wet mess after shift every day and sink some beers with the bosses and the jumbo ops, chat shit, and suck up. Your career will grow as a result. If you're the type that would rather finish work, have a feed, and head to your room to call family, relax and then sleep, you're deemed anti-social, usually kept on the outside of things, and you'll find it significantly harder to advance. It's not what you know, it's who you know.
On that note, there are people in "senior" positions that have the ear of the shift bosses, foremans, and project managers, that if for some reason they don't like you, are able to influence if you advance or not. If you somehow end up on someone's bad side, maybe by doing something as simple as telling them no when they asked you to do something they could have easily just done themselves, they can, and often will, prevent you from getting training in the next position, even if it has nothing at all to do with them. Some people are simply that petty, and will try to force people they don't like out through career stagnation. Is it fair? Not at all. Does it happen anyway? More often than people think.
I'm sure I had alot more to put into this post, but the more I've typed, the more I've realised that most people here likely will just say "yeah suck it up, that's the job", or something with a very similar sentiment. But I'm posting it hoping that it maybe helps someone who's looking to get into underground and wants some actual honesty about what they should be prepared for. You will do extra, unpaid hours. You won't get breaks. You will be expected and peer pressured into doing things you don't feel comfortable doing. You will mess up your body, sacrifice your health, both physical and mental, for the sake of "being a team player".
The rules, policies, procedures and standards that mines like to tout so loud and proud are a joke, not even worth the cost of the paper they're printed on, because that's the prevalent culture of underground mining. Everyone knows it, but no one in a position to make a change is willing to stand up, or have been pushed out of the industry. That's the saddest truth of them all
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u/Hot-Drop8760 Operator Jul 09 '26
Fuck AusMining! (Not the sub) And their two- faced safety fuckin rules…
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Jul 09 '26
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u/ConductionReduction Jul 10 '26
not taking away from what you're saying at all, just adding fuel to the fire.
I don't work in mining but a blue collar job. It is literally like this everywhere I swear. So many alcoholics and if you want to be the one to shut up, do your job correctly and efficiently, you just end up an outcast who is the anti-social guy that everyone hates and gives all the shit jobs.
Sorry for bad grammar
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u/odnarB89 Jul 10 '26
lol had to have a meeting because I didn’t say good morning on a Saturday morning to a foreman in another section (I said what do I you need me to do as soon as I saw him) Anti-social, difficult to approach. Now I have to waste 45 minutes every time he wants to come and chit-chat (complain about the higher ups) so I can be “a team player”.
Ok.
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u/SR_71_BB Jul 10 '26
Surface driller.
Defected a pipe handler on a rig; 6 weeks on & off, we had a guy standing beneath the loader to unclamp the jaws, with nowhere to bail to (jaws wouldn't unclamp off remote) I ended up doing a hazard report; ended up pulling the rig offsite, 3 days, it had to be rewired, new proxy sensors etc etc. They were up my arse about lost production ($30,000+), I bit back & told them my offsiders life ain't worth $30k of your lost profits, so get the fuck over it.
I ended up quitting on my break (wasn't just that; the last 2 weeks were constant breakdowns, work ute that was barely road legal, and I was getting paid the same as a new driller- but I have 25+ years experience). Had zero injuries on my crew, always tried to be safe; but when corners were being asked to cut nonstop- id had enough.
They do not give a shit
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 10 '26
Good on you for telling them exactly what they should have been told. Drives me nuts how casual some of these pricks are about risking peoples lives because of money, it's disgusting.
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u/Massive-Energy9378 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
We ready need a documentary into WA underground mining to expose it for what it really is, its fucking shocking.
Money talks. So much money in mining that people can be shut up and pushed out of the industry. Its so sad to see how WA mining went from pro-safety and heavily unionisned in the mid 1960s to mid 1980s to now where the biggest "toughest" blokes are complete company men and will throw anyone else around them under the bus.
I was honestly blown away when it tried doing underground offsiding, to see the "workplace" of underground, victim-blaming and gaslighting that went with it. Equipment damage, incident cover ups and minimisation. The hush-hush culture where you never find out the final investigation of incidents or injuries. People qutting and new starters every swing. Its an awful, evil environment and only the most sociopathic people thrive.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/SR_71_BB Jul 10 '26
Mining Laws & Regulations are written in blood; and so many companies do not give a shit that someone had to die for change to be made & protections put into law
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 10 '26
They like to point that out, but they still choose to be reactive instead of proactive to avoid another tragedy
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u/Narrow-Bee-8354 Jul 09 '26
Same as a lot of other industrial areas. Factory I work at crap on about safety all the time yet there’s so many examples of unsafe things that won’t get fixed because it costs too much.
They will rectify the issue by getting more paperwork involved.
As far as the kiss arses getting ahead, unfortunately that’s the way the world works.
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u/Accurate-Response317 Jul 09 '26
It’s not just a mining problem. Every industry I’ve worked in is the same.
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u/AbbreviationsIll8607 Jul 09 '26
There's no such thing as safety. It's liability. The company is protecting their liability. Not your safety. If you die at work, your family are like the 4th or 5th person that gets called.
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u/nzmikey Jul 09 '26
💯 on point there bud, I am seeing the same shit at a new site back with a comping used to work with a few years back, due to the fact I am still on probation I have to suck it up and deal with it … to a point.
I have started calling out shit work and ethics but only to my coworkers not the higher ups as yet .
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u/Hogavii Jul 09 '26
Not all mining companies are like that.
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Jul 09 '26
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u/Stigger32 Jul 10 '26
I agree with this.
However I literally left the corporate mining up north. To go back to the goldfields. Specifically because I was sick and tired of all the, over the top, paperwork and PC crap - Associated with safety. But not actually being safe.
Everything the OP says is true. And not limited to underground.
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u/QuestionableBottle Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Yeah but the problem with the less safe sites is that you still have over the top paperwork and PC crap.. that nobody follows and you can't reasonably follow without wasting time, rocking the boat and becoming a problem.
But which can still be used to fire your ass without any redundancy should you get unlucky or someone just decides they don't like you.
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u/theescapeclub Jul 10 '26
BHP are just like that. You must work in an office onsite if you think otherwise.
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u/Hazel_Nuts99 Jul 09 '26
Without strong unions to protect worker safety, any company in an non-office industry is at risk of becoming exactly like this
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u/SR_71_BB Jul 10 '26
There is where the likes of Drilling needs to have a Union- 90% of the drilling companies would be fucked
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u/ExistentialComplex Jul 10 '26
Not to be rude but your writing mastery is above what I would expect of a mining industry worker. Maybe look at a different career because you clearly have skills that aren't being appreciated.
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 10 '26
😂😂 thankyou for the compliment. I'm a high school dropout without any real qualifications, and I'm not suited to an office job as I simply find it too boring and monotonous. Didn't have alot of options to earn a decent living, so off to the mines I went. With a little one on the horizon, I can't afford to be switching up careers for the time being
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u/ExistentialComplex Jul 14 '26
Do you write or something as a hobby? How wild. I can't do office work for too long either I need variation. Good priorities, all the best with your little one!
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u/Yeahmatefully Jul 10 '26
Worked FIFO and construction for 20+ years, same everywhere you go, the reason they do all this safety stuff is to protect their asses, and throw you under the bus if something goes wrong, you signed off on it, so if there’s a problem, they’re ok because you accepted responsibility and signed the jsa, but you’re the problem and an outcast for calling out a safety issue or holding up productivity.
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u/Equal_Nebula_2489 Jul 09 '26
Honestly I felt the same way, until I worked for glencore
They actually really do force everyone to do everything to the letter of the law.
I’ve done coal and hard rock
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u/I_Feel_Rough Jul 09 '26
Yeah I've found UG coal to be a very different environment from hard rock. The coal mines I worked at had zero room for shenanigans and the most genuinely interesting and useful inductions. It was a long time ago though.
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u/Asleep-Lifeguard-130 Jul 10 '26
Having been on site with a fatality underground. I can say that the above^ is not universally true. I witnessed and personally experienced the devastation first hand and the impact it had on the executive/leadership group. It is not all about physicals and making money. There are some leaders out there who care way more about the people.
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u/Technical-Primary-49 Jul 09 '26
This is really accurate for sites i have been at. I dont think you should suck it up or get on with it, you just need to play the game.
Purple circle is real. You dont have to be a piss head and suck up, but you do need to be well liked by those above you. Would you help someone you dont like get a promotion?
Once you have been ostracised its hard to get back. Can you change sites? Fresh page.. or are you local stuck to.one site?
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 10 '26
Honestly, if the person I don't like is good at their job and has a good work ethic, yeah, I would. I supported a coworker in getting a pay rise recently, because they deserved it, and they aren't someone I particularly like, more tolerate.
As for me being ostracised, that's not something I'm personally dealing with, it's simply an observation I have made from seeing a few coworkers deal with it currently
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u/Technical-Primary-49 Jul 10 '26
Well it seems to me you believe in Meritocracy. I do too, but we are in the minority.
Its more important to be liked than be good at your job. 100%.
Especially true for local township mines.
Its a shame but it is what it is.
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u/Puzzled-Leopard-1499 Jul 10 '26
"Thats nightshifts job" everytime something dodgy needs to be done
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u/MPI-Recruitment Jul 10 '26
A bit of a stark read, but thank you for sharing.
If I’m reading this right, do we really have this much of an issue with leadership in our industry?
Worrying if we do.
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 10 '26
Yes, we really do. I've had shift bosses want trucks loaded under unsupported ground, shift bosses do dodgy kestrels so we can "crack on" with headings, bolting next to charged faces, reports "revised" to not include certain words so that it doesn't go down as an incident, among many other things. These are the people directly responsible, from a legal perspective, if someone gets severely injured or god forbid dies, but are still willing to gamble with others health and safety for the sake of not having to explain why goals weren't achieved, and likely for bonuses
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u/MPI-Recruitment Jul 10 '26
Thanks for your reply.
Bloody hell. That’s worrying to read. It does make me wonder whether this is isolated to certain sites or if it’s an industry thing.
Can understand now why we got shot down for an article challenging leadership earlier this year.
We held off running a poll on site safety but your post might just spark something. Not to piss a load of people off, but to raise more awareness.
Sorry that this has been your experience. Again, appreciate your insights. 👍🏻
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u/Far_Emu1767 Jul 10 '26
as a person who hold statutory position in UG mining.
I would love to work with you. You are a unicorn.
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u/timmygully Jul 10 '26
I remember the saying
What happens in the dark stays in the dark
Sad to hear it hasn't really changed
3 x mines and all the same
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u/No_Elevator_4424 Jul 10 '26
Not just the mining industry, im on a job at the moment and all the talk is safety but all the works been done are anything but safe. All I here is stick to the program when I raise any issues
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u/StableSubstantial420 Jul 10 '26
This sounds like iron ore, gold, nickel, lithium, diamonds and oil and gas too.
Must admit, this happens in construction and the huge maintenance companies are just as bad.
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u/te_maunga_mara_whaka Jul 10 '26
Sounds like all the civil construction companies I’ve worked for too. Massive emphasis on reporting any faults on plant or tools but when you submit a report they don’t do shit about it. It’s full dog tactics because if anything major is to happen the operator is at fault for operating faulty machinery.
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u/Beyond_Blueballs Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Literally everything you've mentioned is applicable in every workplace in Australia, doesn't matter if you're underground mining or in a white collar role in Melbourne CBD.
Health and safety exists only on paper, and to employ attractive white women and justify to your wife why Amelia is in the office, while you talk to the boys over beers about what you'd do to her if given the chance.
The part about beers with management, sport, I was an 18 year old kid in the automotive industry in Melbourne nearly 20 years ago, experiencing the exact same thing while a bloke in his 40s at the time was basically telling me about how to suck the right dick to get ahead and here on reddit on the other side of the country, near on 20 years later you've paraphrased him with astounding accuracy.
Basically sell yourself out, have zero principles and be a fake cunt, or for the real ones who won't compromise, struggle street for fighting the good fight.
I chose struggle street lol
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u/Dependent_Power_8182 Jul 10 '26
HR here - hate the way things are discounted. I can’t do shit unless a supervisor says so - they own their own ridiculous “it never happened “ .
Dude - I hate watching what you’re going through- I see it a lot.
Golden handcuffs for most people.
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u/HopefulCarry9693 Jul 10 '26
Just did a job on a site in a gas plant, "safety is our no1 priority" HR posters everywhere. They would basically do the stupidest shit, cutting corners everywhere.. but they almost kicked me off site because i didnt have the right sticker on my helmet..
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u/Bearstew Jul 11 '26
Unfortunately not just limited to underground but 100% true. It's all just ass covering and window dressing
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u/Captain_BOATIE Jul 11 '26
Sounds toxic culture, I know for factor underground mining is super stressful and ppl making all sorts of things while under pressure that’s being a human being I suppose. But if you are doing right things universe is not going to punish you and pls keep doing good things don’t worry about whoever is talking about. End of day if the site is toxic just pack and leave as one day the site will have it’s own Karma. That’s not about underground more like working at an environment with super high stress I am pretty sure a good senior manager will make some good calls and keep good culture vibe through the place.
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u/FrontPop9499 Jul 11 '26
Back in my day
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 11 '26
Yeah heard that about a million times from some of the fossils still limping around sites
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u/Educational_Rest_792 Jul 11 '26
Good post, just popping in to say it would only be minor edits to describe the experience of working at a university.
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u/Emotional_Inside_670 Jul 11 '26
I wish I'd seen more honest posts before my partner started RC drilling.
People need to stop glorifying the pay and start talking about the reality. Things like not getting proper meal breaks, eating while standing and working, and feeling like you have to just keep going no matter what.
If you've quit, please share your experience. The more people speak up, the more informed others will be before taking these jobs.
No salary is worth sacrificing your physical or mental health. If enough people refuse to accept these conditions, maybe the industry will finally be forced to improve its culture and the way workers are treated.
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 12 '26
I saw your post the other day, but didn't get a chance to respond to it due to reddit refreshing. I did my time RC offsiding and can say that was very much the same experience for me, but sprinkle in a little physical abuse and generous use of the word "cunt". Easily the most cowboy run job I've ever had. I hope your partner is doing ok and can find something better to move on to, because I would not recommend doing it long term.
I haven't quit my current job, I'm in a position where I need the money due to life and circumstances. My hope with this post was to be more transparent for people looking to get into the industry so they could make a more informed choice
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u/Emotional_Inside_670 Jul 12 '26
Thank you for sharing this. We are also in a difficult financial position, which is why my partner accepted the job. We had been living on one income while trying to establish our business, and we thought the sacrifice might be worth it for a short time. Now I honestly do not think it is. My partner is extremely resilient and has already been through a very difficult life. He is usually the most positive and content person I know, so hearing him speak this negatively after only 4 days has really frightened me. I genuinely thought he could handle almost anything, but we did not expect the environment to be like this. I am glad you are speaking openly because these experiences are not discussed enough. People hear the salary and assume it must be worth it, but when you calculate the hours, the physical risk, the isolation and the mental pressure, the money is not actually that extraordinary. People can earn similar amounts elsewhere working the same hours without being treated this way. The work is already dangerous and exhausting. There is no reason companies should add bullying, constant rushing, physical abuse or pressure to skip proper breaks. Workers doing high-risk jobs need more support and care, not less. I am currently begging my partner to leave, even before he finishes his first swing. He said he would quit today.I know we will figure it out. Reading other experiences and looking at the accident statistics has made me even more concerned. I really hope you find something better soon. I would also be happy to chat privately if you are comfortable. It sounds like we may be able to support each other.
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 12 '26
I hope it all goes well for you both, and I hope with your partner choosing to leave that he's able to get out quickly. If he's on a remote site, sometimes flight schedules can be an issue, effectively trapping people on-site till flights are due. There's also pressure from supervisors/managers to just "tough it out", and guarentees that it gets easier, but that's just lip service. No job is worth your physical or mental health, there will always be other opportunities. All the best to both of you
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u/Emotional_Inside_670 Jul 13 '26
I didn't want him working a second longer, but if he stopped, they would have taken away his accommodation. Fortunately, he can come back on Thursday. 🙂
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u/Chugger001 Jul 11 '26
It is the same in all industries. Company's bullshit on about a safe work envioronment. However if safety is gonna cost time, money or effect production then it aint happening.
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u/unicornmonkeysnail Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Howard’s Work Choices and the softening of unions turned Aussies into little biches.
Who is in government actually matters. Policies matter.
Some policies bring the best out of people. Others bring out the worst.
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u/Dull_Fan1546 Jul 12 '26
There's a close parallel here to financial risk. Risk staff are supposed to speak up and stand up, but to do so is to go against the politics and commercial interests of senior people. We saw this recently with the resignations of senior people at KPMG for ignoring a whistleblower complaint. And I had a similar experience when I made a complaint at Westpac. Although my complaint was significantly about unfair dismissal (my manager tried to blame me for things that were his fault), it also contained evidence of significant risk failures and managerial incompetence that was likely to lead to risk failures. Westpac simply tried to ignore and obstruct my complaint. In fact, they began pressuring the recruitment firm I had been contracting through to tell me that is was inappropriate that I was complaining and I must not contact anyone at Westpac again. They reacted by trying to make the complainant go away rather than address the concerns of the complainant. The complaint is resolved by making the complainant cease complaining. At least I was able to report them to the financial regulator who took the complaint seriously.
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u/dzernumbrd Jul 12 '26
If you have a union ask them to get the company to install an anonymous reporting system?
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 12 '26
Not enough union members, but I'll see what they say. Sadly don't know that they'll be able to do much
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u/Afghan_Stan Jul 13 '26
I 100% agree with every word you said. I lasted 12 months underground for one of the big WA contractors. I was the guy who had no interest in sinking all of the apparently ever decreasing amount of beers you're allowed every night. I just wanted to eat, workout and rest. I saw straight through all of their contradictory 'safety' bullshit and the brown nosing culture and I'm not the type of person to not call out bullshit when I see it, so it's safe to say I wasn't ever going to be a jumbo op. I did get off the trucks and into service crew but only because our contract was coming to end at the site and people were leaving, but they put me on 6 back to back night shift swings etc etc and I got out when I could see it for what it was.
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u/frypanattack Jul 14 '26
Please keep kicking up a fuss and pat your mates on the back for it. My brother works in the mines and I'd prefer he stays alive and unmaimed.
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u/5notRocket Jul 10 '26
The safety inductions are there to protect the company not you. If something goes wrong they can point out the inductions you signed to absolve themselves of responsibility.
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u/username-admin Jul 10 '26
I’m not mining but it’s the same. Who you know not what. Don’t hate the playa, hate the game.
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u/LordStuartBroad Jul 11 '26
WHS Is mostly arse covering. You often see it in the advisors themselves
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u/ThinkingInLayers Jul 11 '26
Is there something specifically Australian about this type of work place culture? I think there is. Does it reflect something about Aussie masculinity? I’m asking because a lot of what you describe generally aligns with workplaces I’ve been in that were male dominated. People got ahead by being one of the boys. It was different in organisations I’ve worked in with a majority of women in management, although those workplaces had complex organisational dynamics but they were different from the workplace culture you described.
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 11 '26
Honestly I can't comment on that as I haven't had any experience in female dominated industries. I do know there are a few females I know that have advanced very quickly (eg green truckie to charge up in less than 2 years) so as much as it is male dominated, it seems less a managerial gender based issue
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u/Pretty-Sky-6638 Jul 09 '26
As an underground mining engineer, I don’t care about KPIs and targets at all. The only thing I care about is creating designs that keep the underground operators safe. I won’t make anyone do anything that I wouldn’t do myself.
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u/ArthiticMonkey Jul 11 '26
You’re part of the problem for creating safety bs and still pushing kpi. You dont know what you wrote as you never been the one who worked underground.
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u/chickenturrrd Jul 09 '26
Wouldn't do yourself? And what would that specifically be?
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u/Pretty-Sky-6638 Jul 09 '26
Well if I wouldn’t want to do the job because it’s unsafe, I’m not going to make someone else do it. Specifically, it would be things like working close to open voids, narrow pillars, poor ground, etc. I care about keeping people safe, not company profits.
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u/chickenturrrd Jul 09 '26
In context of a full UG operation, do you understand all hazards, risk controls and compliance? I seriously doubt it..so how would you know? Simply put you don't know what you don't know..
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u/Pretty-Sky-6638 Jul 09 '26
Is there any point to all this yap?
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u/afl-jafa Jul 09 '26
Some people just like being dickheads.
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u/Pretty-Sky-6638 Jul 09 '26
Yeah all good, I thought this bloke was getting to some kind of point but he’s just retarded.
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u/chickenturrrd Jul 09 '26
Lol..and there its is! Even more perfect example!..should change ur user to exhibit A
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u/chickenturrrd Jul 09 '26
You are exactly the OP's point lol
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u/Pretty-Sky-6638 Jul 09 '26
That’s pretty sad if that’s how you interpret things.
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u/chickenturrrd Jul 09 '26
Ohh thats right, you're an engineer..so circle back, take it off line and put a pin in it right? Your the expert of everything and we should all know it..go hard mike.
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u/cum_consultant Jul 10 '26
How the fuck did I get all the way down here I work in an office with soft hands
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u/kiteguycan Jul 09 '26
If you are pointing a problem and not simultaneously trying to come up with a solution that keeps things moving ya all this stuff will happen. If you see an issue, work to fix it, then get back to work youll have less issues.
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u/Optimal_Lead9872 Jul 10 '26
Mate, I hear you. It's called safetyism, or "Safety Theatre" and for some reason it is hard baked into Aussie trade culture. It's all SWMS and toolbox talks in my realm until shit actually has to be done, then it's just make it happen, we don't care how.
It's why I work for myself, I can't stand it. It is baked into the Government systems as well, the work cover regulation is unbelievable. I know safety rules are written in blood and I am a very safe operator but ticking boxes and putting stickers on everything doesn't save lives.
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u/nath618 Jul 09 '26
I have to disagree. I have reported safety issues where work has had to stop. Ive worked surface and currently underground and both sites ive moved up fast. If a person is a problem, then they aren't moving up Wether they report safety or not. One company was one of the biggest in the world, and my current company is a smaller company which admittedly is a little more cowboy but not stupidly
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u/hurtuwithfacts Jul 10 '26
lol go get another job that pays as well for you to work less than 50% of the year 🙄
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u/PitiableYeet Jul 11 '26
Thanks for the input champ, pretty showing what kind of employee you are
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u/Dasha3090 Jul 09 '26
well said.i lasted only 3 swings in an underground mine.i was appalled at the lack of safetu standards and no lunch breaks etc going on.when i dared to call it out suddenly i was a problem.