Explore occupational profile

Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
Search the OaSIS

83100.00 – Underground production and development miners

Underground production and development miners drill, blast, operate mining machinery, and perform related duties to extract coal and ore in underground mines and to construct tunnels, passageways and shafts to facilitate mining operations. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Blaster - underground mining
  • Chute blaster - underground mining
  • Diamond driller - underground mining
  • Drift miner
  • Driller - underground mining
  • Hardrock miner apprentice
  • Hoist operator - underground mining
  • Miner
  • Mining machine operator
  • Powderman/woman - underground mining
  • Raise miner
  • Roadheader operator
  • Scooptram operator
  • Shaft inspector

Core competencies

  • Operation and Control to ensure equipment performs optimally, reducing the risk of breakdowns and improving the overall productivity of the mining operation
  • Equipment and Tool Selection, and Setting Up to select the appropriate drilling machines or explosives to blast and remove ore, coal or rock from the working location
  • Control of Settings to adjust settings of drilling and blasting equipment to suit varying rock conditions and mining requirements
  • Reaction Time to respond quickly to sudden changes, such as equipment malfunctions, gas leaks or unexpected geological conditions
  • Attention to Detail to carefully follow procedures, monitor equipment conditions and inspect work areas to identify any issues or hazards that could affect the mining process
  • Knowledge in Geological Resources to determine the most effective techniques for mining specific resources and assess potential hazards, such as unstable rock formations or gas pockets

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Set up and operate drills and drilling machines to produce a designated pattern of blasting holes
  • Operate diamond drills or other specialized drills such as raise boring machinery to test geological formations or to produce underground passageways
  • Set up and operate mining machinery to shear coal, rock or ore from the working face
  • Load explosives, set fuses, and detonate explosives to produce desired blasting patterns and rock fragmentation in underground mines
  • Operate scooptram, load-haul-dump (LHD) machine or mucking machine to load and haul ore from stopes, drifts and drawpoints to ore passes
  • Perform duties required to ensure safety and to support the mining advance, such as scaling loose rock from walls and roof, drilling and installing rock bolts, extending and installing air and water pipes, operating ore loading machinery, inspecting mine shafts, operating hoists that transport people, equipment and materials through mine shafts, and constructing timber supports and cribbing if required
  • Perform routine maintenance of mining machinery.

Additional information

  • Mobility is possible to other occupational groups in underground mining such as underground service and support occupations.
  • Mobility between these sectors is somewhat limited by differences in production technologies.
  • There is mobility between employers within each of the three following sectors: underground coal mining, underground hard rock mining and underground potash, salt or soft rock mining.
  • Progression to mining supervisor is possible with experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction (73402)
  • Mine labourers (85110)
  • Supervisors, mining and quarrying (82020)
  • Underground mine service and support workers (84100)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

8 – Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations

TEER

3 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training

Major group

83 – Occupations in natural resources and related production

Sub-major group

831 – Occupations in natural resources and fisheries

Minor group

8310 – Underground miners, oil and gas drillers and related occupations

Unit group

83100 – Underground production and development miners

Occupational profile

83100.00 – Underground production and development miners

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.