Mining knowledge center
Mining glossary
Definitions for people working with mine production, safety and training records. Regulatory terms should be checked against the applicable rule.
- Annual refresher
- Training repeated on the applicable schedule; Part 46 requires at least eight hours every 12 months.
- Bench
- A working level or step in a surface mine pit.
- Berm
- A raised ridge of material used at an edge or alongside a travel way; design depends on applicable standards and site conditions.
- Billable tonnage
- Material quantity eligible for payment under the particular contract, which may differ from all material moved.
- Blast area
- The area affected by a planned explosive shot and its safety controls.
- Bulk density
- Weight per unit of loose or compacted material volume, used for a stated conversion.
- Competent person
- A person meeting the relevant rule’s knowledge and ability requirements for the assigned duty; the precise definition depends on the regulation.
- Corrective action
- A documented step taken to address a condition or cause, with a responsible person and completion evidence.
- Cut
- A section of material removed to reach a planned grade or deposit.
- Cycle time
- The full time needed for one loading, travel, dump and return sequence, including waits.
- Daily operations report
- A reviewed summary of a site's production, equipment, conditions and exceptions for a workday.
- Defect
- A reported equipment condition that needs evaluation or repair.
- Dispatch
- The assignment and coordination of trucks, equipment and crews for the work period.
- Downtime
- A period when equipment or a process is unavailable for its planned work.
- Dump point
- The designated location where material is unloaded.
- Equipment utilization
- A stated ratio of operating time to scheduled or available time; always identify the denominator.
- Experienced miner
- A regulatory training classification based on qualifying experience and training, with details set by the applicable rule.
- Face
- The exposed surface of material where excavation or extraction occurs.
- Fines
- Smaller particles in a screened material stream, defined by the operation's size specification.
- Grade
- A slope or elevation specification for a road, bench or finished surface.
- Ground control
- Measures used to manage the stability of mine openings, slopes or surrounding ground.
- Haul road
- A route designed and maintained for mine transport equipment.
- Haulage
- Moving mined material from a loading area to a dump, plant or stockpile.
- Highwall
- The exposed steep face of a surface excavation.
- Hour meter
- An equipment counter used to record operating hours for utilization and maintenance.
- Imminent danger
- A regulatory safety concept requiring immediate action; consult the governing MSHA rule and site procedure.
- Idempotent submission
- A system operation designed so a retry does not create a duplicate record.
- Load count
- The number of completed material-hauling loads attributed to equipment and a shift.
- Lockout/tagout
- A procedure to control hazardous energy during maintenance under applicable rules and site procedures.
- Mine ID
- The identifier associated with a mine in regulatory records.
- MSHA
- The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
- New task training
- Training associated with assignment to a new task under the applicable training rule.
- Overburden
- Material covering a deposit that may be moved to access the target material.
- Part 46
- MSHA's training rule for specified surface nonmetal mines including sand and gravel.
- Part 48
- MSHA's training rule for underground mines and surface mines outside Part 46's scope.
- Payload
- The material weight carried by a truck on a trip, distinct from the truck's empty weight.
- Pre-shift inspection
- An equipment condition check performed before work according to site procedures and applicable rules.
- Production target
- A planned output for a specified site and period, such as short tons per month.
- Reconciliation
- Comparing source counts, scale records and summaries to explain differences.
- RLS
- Row-level security: database policies controlling which records a signed-in user may read or change.
- Saleable yield
- Saleable product divided by measured feed over a defined period, stated as a percentage.
- Scale weight
- A recorded measured weight, often used to replace a planning estimate for a load.
- Screening
- Separating mined material into size fractions using screens.
- Short ton
- 2,000 pounds; different from a metric tonne of about 2,204.62 pounds.
- Site hazard awareness
- Instruction about hazards at the particular mine or location where a person will be present.
- Stockpile
- Material accumulated at a designated location for processing, storage or shipment.
- Task training
- Instruction specific to a task or equipment assignment, documented under the applicable rule.
- Toolbox talk
- A focused discussion of a safety topic, often held before work; participation alone is not a training certificate.
- Truck cycle
- One complete loop from loading through dumping and return to the next load.
- Ventilation
- The planned movement of air through underground workings to manage conditions and contaminants.
- Work date
- The date assigned to an operational shift in the site's local timezone.
- Working place
- An area where miners work, subject to the applicable examination standard.