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Working Underground

Ds

Ds

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Apr 26, 2006
Messages
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So I got a job offer to start working underground, (coal mining). The moneys damn good! start off at $18 an hour, work 6 12hour days.
Later I was told that I can make $100,000+ a year after working their for the first year.

My thing is..

working underground, I've heard stories of people dieing, and just freaking out being down there.

Since I'll be doing electrician work I'm the highest risk to get electrocuted. I actually knew someone who died underground being shocked to death.

I think this will be a good thing for me.. who knows. If I stick with it I can make the big $.

anyone have any experience working underground?

would you work underground?
 
My father and many members of my family have been coal miners. You shouldn't do it. It might be attractive at first, but think about this- after 10-15 years of work your back and knees will probably be permanently fucked up, you will probably have black lung and other respiratory problems, and you will not be in decent health. And the company will let you go like it was nothing.

So you'll make pretty good money for a while, and then you'll be fucked later in life. The health problems of career coal miners are not pretty in my experience.

And you shouldn't work strip mines or work as a scab (never cross picket lines), or you're a disgusting, terrible person.
 
it's official, i will be underground starting on July 25th.

wish me luck.
 
I am entirely too claustrophobic to work underground....I couldn't do it day in and day out. I like my leather desk chair and view of the city lol...

Good Luck man, the money is awesome!

Edit:

You make more than me...I would rather make less and feel more comfortable...

2nd edit:

You do right now assuming 72 (hours) x $18 x 50 (average work weeks in a year) -$64,800
def more than me..
 
Last edited:
Good luck man. If i lived in Western PA or West Virginia i might do it. I've done construction for 3 summers in my life, roofing houses. 100 degrees and humid as hell, hauling 80lb. bundles of shingles up four stories. I've mostly worked office jobs and sales jobs (i have a Bachelor's now, but have roofed since getting it because i'm unemployed) so doing this kind of work made me feel like a REAL MAN =-)

That being said, i was thankful as hell every time the summer ended, it's brutal work man. I'd do it for as long as you HAVE to, but make it a point to talk to guys that have been doing it for 2, 5, TWENTY years. Get a true sense of what doing this work will do to you long term, and try look into something that's a little less grueling and is at least a little fulfilling. It's a rare person that can do that kind of work for years, stay relatively healthy, and keep a balance in their life. A very rare person. If you don't like what you hear from the elders, and there aren't many prospects where you are, you'll probably need to beef your education and move a little closer to somewhere with more prospects.

Make sure you find out more particulars about this "Make a hundred grand in a year" thing. Almost every job i've had has had the same kind of pie in the sky vague future promise associated with it.

$18/hr x 40 hrs = $720 x 52 weeks = $37,440/yr. (IF you get paid time off, or don't take 1 vacation day all year). $100,000 means you'd have to get almost triple what you're getting now per hour or work an INSANE amount of hours.

If you pay for your own place, pay electric, heat, gas, cable, car payment, insurance, cell phone, food, entertainment, a toy or two $37K a year goes really quick. My last job paid $43K a year and i had very little left after paying everything. Cost of living is probably lower where you are but still. If you're staying with your parents save as much cash as possible in case you get injured or something.


***Edit*** Sorry, just noticed the "Six 12-hour shifts". Holy flying fuck that's a lot of time in a coal mine. Where i live a Master Electrician makes over $100,000 a year for essentially dicking around and working 30 hours a week. If that's an option you might look into doing electrical work on houses, you'll have a lot more longevity.
 
First, I have done grueling work which makes me appreciate the desk job all the more.

Second, he said 6, 12 hour shifts, 72 hours a week. $1296/week, $67392/year.
 
Its dangerous work not long ago 20 or 40 people died in an explosian at the Brookwood mine near Birmingham. Cave ins happen fire happen electrocution happen. But then again people die from shootin heroin everyday and that never stopped me so what the hell you gotta do what you gotta do. goodluck drew
 
6 * 12-hour shifts a week? that's a pretty gruelling work schedule...

alasdair
 
D's, I'm starting to think that you won't have any time to spend that money when you have it. I sure hope it's a seasonal position. A friend of mine works 10-12 hour days, six or seven days a week. She looks like death every time I see her.
 
there's a reason for it being so highly paying. it's not fun work. i personally don't see how working in such a horrible environment is worth any amount of money, it's a personal choice, good luck, i wish you all the best.
 
thanks for the support guys, i don't think it will be all that bad. the money is good, the benefits are real good, its unionized so if i can stick with it then i (and future family ;)) will be set for life!
and in case something were to happen to me down there then my loved ones would be set.
it is hard labor, this is like going back in time, besides the advances in machinery and tools, they still did the same thing that i'll be doing.
it's a continuous mine, meaning there's a driller down there that drills constantly. and the process of transporting the coal and methane is through the tunnel system. automatic conveyor belts, and special rail systems.
nothing is an open flame down there because of all the methane, like the machines down there don't run on gas, and your helmet light also is controlled through a box you wear.
kaboom otherwise, lol nah they have a ventilation system set up that pulls all the methane and keeps you cool down there.
i'll let you guys know how it is. :)
 
started coal mining school today! was pretty cool learning the different type of coal mining method systems, and how the mine runs, basic safety and hazards. going underground tomorrow! so i'm pretty siked about that.

Once I complete the course I'll start work in the mines, I'll be on the roof bolting crew, so my job is going to be supporting the roof with large 16' bolts.

Starting off I'll be making $23.55 an hour, going to be working 10 hour shifts 6 days a week for the first 90 days, and after that I will be allowed to work 12 hour shifts,. and after that I'll be able to work any shift.

I highly advise this to anyone who's out there struggling to find a job, It's booming in the mining business, it doesn't have to be just underground. look into your area!
 
daaamn I have asthma...I'm getting wheezy just thinking about it...
I would definitely die if I were ever put in the mines by a conquering nation...
 
i used to be a miner 20 years back. good money, but thats because its danger money. stay safe and stick with your union. if it ever looks dodgy don't do it and look out for your mates.

DON'T GO TRIPPING UNDERGROUND
 
blister said:
i used to be a miner 20 years back. good money, but thats because its danger money. stay safe and stick with your union. if it ever looks dodgy don't do it and look out for your mates.

DON'T GO TRIPPING UNDERGROUND
Click to expand...

lol story please.
 
Hi, I'm new to this site. I've just found out that I got a job underground. Start in the next week or so. How are you going with it D's? Still working underground?
 
I'm in the mining business, but in a plant on surface, doing 12h day/night shifts. When you get in young, you have a lot of energy. But, with years, your body starts hurting and you're always tired. I'm Lucky that I got a few promotions and what I do now is less hard on the body. I'm not doing overtime anymore too.

I'm lucky that I didn't got into debt while I was doing overtime. A bunch of coworkers are heavy into debt, they are tired, their body hurts, but they have to work and work to pay these bills for stuff that they don't have the time and energy to use.
 
Hey D's! Go for it! I got a job as a greenhorn Gold Miner right after from graduating from university teacher's college and working as a teacher for 3 years. I was teaching when I applied because I just wanted to try something different. I got paid to train and then for 3 years there I worked my way up the ladder in jobs starting out shoveling gravel into ore cars and breaking giant bolders on the "Grizzly" with a sledge hammer, then ore train driver, then cage tender, then drift miner where I got my ticket in the Steel Workers Union and graduated with my Miner's I qualification to drill and blast. It was real fun , almost like being in a war getting paid 10X more than teaching to blow shit up! I heard coal mines are extra dangerous to work in cause of the extra soot in the air you have to breath. You should be OK for a few years as an electritian and you won't get electrocuted as long as you follow proper proceedures. Save up big bucks to start your own commercial grow. Which is what I did. After 3 years I got enough money saved up, got bored of mining (getting seriously injured several times) and moved out to BC and started commercial green house growing and built on my hobby growing talents to go large scale. I learned by "The School of Hard Knocks". Now you can actually go to schools and pay to be taught how to grow commercially and get your license! One of the hardest things I had to learn was how to trim all the Bud I was growing fast. I went from hand trimming to buy these big expensive auto-trimmers. They broke down a lot cause they used blades which would jam up with resin. I eventually found a bladeless trimmer called a Toms Tumble Trimmer which never broke down cause it didn't use blades and was a fraction of the cost of the other machines I tried, trimmed my Buds super fast and even left all the resin on my Buds! Now I got 5 to trim my 4000 plants! So go coal mining G's and you'll never know where you end up. Keep your nose clean and live right and you'll go far and do great things if you make the choice! All the best!
 
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