Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

Description

Conduct sub-surface surveys to identify the characteristics of potential land or mining development sites. May specify the ground support systems, processes and equipment for safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction or underground construction activities. May inspect areas for unsafe geological conditions, equipment, and working conditions. May design, implement, and coordinate mine safety programs.

Tasks

Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores.
Design, implement, and monitor the development of mines, facilities, systems, or equipment.
Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.
Examine maps, deposits, drilling locations, or mines to determine the location, size, accessibility, contents, value, and potential profitability of mineral, oil, and gas deposits.
Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.
Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.
Monitor mine production rates to assess operational effectiveness.
Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines.
Lay out, direct, and supervise mine construction operations, such as the construction of shafts and tunnels.
Devise solutions to problems of land reclamation and water and air pollution, such as methods of storing excavated soil and returning exhausted mine sites to natural states.
Evaluate data to develop new mining products, equipment, or processes.
Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions.
Supervise, train, and evaluate technicians, technologists, survey personnel, engineers, scientists or other mine personnel.
Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically.
Implement and coordinate mine safety programs, including the design and maintenance of protective and rescue equipment and safety devices.
Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts.
Design mining and mineral treatment equipment and machinery in collaboration with other engineering specialists.
Conduct or direct mining experiments to test or prove research findings.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Geography: Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Work Activities

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Work Context

Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results: How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Interests

Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Work Style

Analytical Thinking: Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Innovation: Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Related Occupations

Architectural and Engineering Managers

Civil Engineers

Industrial Safety and Health Engineers

Marine Engineers

Petroleum Engineers

Electrical Drafters

Civil Engineering Technicians

Mechanical Engineering Technicians

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

Lay Titles

Design Engineer

Engineer

Exploration Engineer

Geological Engineer

Geologist

Geophysical Engineer

Mine Analyst

Mine Development Engineer

Mine Engineer

Mine Engineering Manager

Mine Engineering Supervisor

Mine Environmental Engineer

Mine Equipment Design Engineer

Mine Expert

Mine Exploration Engineer

Mine Inspector

Mine Manager

Mine Production Engineer

Mine Safety Director

Mine Safety Engineer

Mine Safety Manager

Mineral Engineer

Mining and Oil Field Equipment Design Engineer

Mining and Oil Field Equipment Test Engineer

Mining and Oil Well Equipment Research Engineer

Mining Engineer

Ore Dressing Engineer

Planning Engineer

Project Engineer

Safety Analyst

Safety Director

Safety Engineer

Safety Inspector

Safety Representative

Safety Supervisor

Seismic Engineer

Validation Engineer

Validation Specialist

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $40.54 hourly, $84,320 annual.

Employment (2008):: 7,640 employees