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View Full Version : coal miners in the USA, new tv show



bob10
18th December 2011, 03:38 PM
Just watched a show on Fox., Discovery channel, called Coal. About coal mining in the deep south of the US. It was a repeat, the show is on each Wednesday at 8.30. I don't know what these miners get paid, but it is not enough. I believe most of our mines are open cut, but anyone who works underground has my respect. Bob

Fat_Cook
18th December 2011, 04:34 PM
i'd say they'd be on good coin, i work in an open cut coal mine and i have to say its a pretty good gig, they should do an aussie version, then they would have no shortage of workers,

Graeme
18th December 2011, 04:40 PM
For many years I worked in the admin office of a coal mining company that had both underground and open-cut mines but had no desire to go underground. I'd seen enough pictures of buried miners after the roof had fallen in even though most survived unharmed due to the protective cages on the machines.

bob10
18th December 2011, 06:23 PM
I've had a chat to a brother-in-law working in the industry,and he tells me that we here have some of the safest mines in the world. The show in question portrayed the Americans as not so safe, and indeed , cowboys. Bob

Bigbjorn
18th December 2011, 06:32 PM
US coal miners are pretty poorly paid. If this show is set in a southern state, then it is likely that the state is a "right to work" state and has anti-union legislation. This is why Honda and others have their USA assembly plants in the deep south and not in Detroit or other northern auto manufacturing cities where they would have to negotiate with a very hard nosed United Auto Workers Union.

TimNZ
18th December 2011, 06:37 PM
I do like the show, and I do believe it is dangerous, but unfortunately the producers of these sort of shows have taken to really over dramatising every thing that happens, (or might happen).

Cheers,

ramblingboy42
18th December 2011, 08:18 PM
I do like the show, and I do believe it is dangerous, but unfortunately the producers of these sort of shows have taken to really over dramatising every thing that happens, (or might happen).

Cheers,

There is absolutely NO over dramatisation of the Potential Dangers of underground coal mining. The ultimate safety of all mineworkers is basically self controlled by identifying, controlling and ultimately eliminating any risks or hazards associated with their job . Australian miners do this every day, sometimes many times each day. In my instance it sometimes takes me 1-2 hrs to assess and put it in place all controls necessary to my ultimate safety and those around me. There cannot be a cost put on this and all mines have a similar or more extensive safety program.

TimNZ
18th December 2011, 08:38 PM
There is absolutely NO over dramatisation of the Potential Dangers of underground coal mining. The ultimate safety of all mineworkers is basically self controlled by identifying, controlling and ultimately eliminating any risks or hazards associated with their job . Australian miners do this every day, sometimes many times each day. In my instance it sometimes takes me 1-2 hrs to assess and put it in place all controls necessary to my ultimate safety and those around me. There cannot be a cost put on this and all mines have a similar or more extensive safety program.

Like I said, I understand what these blokes are doing is dangerous. My gripe is when the producers of these shows, lets take American Loggers as an example, speed up the footage of a logging truck on a gravel road then go over the top explaining how dangerous it is.

ramblingboy42
19th December 2011, 04:28 PM
yeah I understand what you mean, I was probably getting serious there, but the tv shows wont let a good bit of bull**** go past will they?

frantic
20th December 2011, 06:10 PM
Disasters - Bulli Colliery Gas Explosion - 1887 (http://www.illawarracoal.com/bullidisaster.htm)
Disasters - Mt.Kembla Colliery Gas Explosion - 1902 (http://www.illawarracoal.com/mtkembladisaster.htm)
These where local tragedys over 100 years ago but shows the problems faced by miners.
The other problem is O/S they have far more lax rules than we do here in NSW.They have a reactive safety system compared to our proactive and are controlled by big corp.'s with any disenting miners sacked.
Even other states are behind us in their laws as they have not suffered the same loss of life and do not have as strong a concentration of underground mines compared to around wollongong/newcastle, some of which date back 130 years+
P.S both these mines are still in use.