Vacancy at Cornish Metals Ltd
Winder Driver
Salary
£ 32,000 - £ 51,000
South Crofty Mine, Pool, TR15 3QT
Vacancy listed
01/05/2025
Application deadline
31/05/2025
Details
Role requirements
The current operational focus of the Company is centred around the dewatering of the mine, refurbishment of the historic New Cooks Kitchen Shaft and facilitating access to the old levels of the mine in preparation for tin extraction.
The current operational focus of the Company is centred around the dewatering of the mine, refurbishment of the historic New Cooks Kitchen Shaft and facilitating access to the old levels of the mine in preparation for tin extraction.
As we begin the next exciting phase of the project to re-start mining at South Crofty we are pleased to announce that we are now recruiting for Winder Drivers to expand our existing team.
We are looking for enthusiastic individuals, who, as well as being passionate about Cornish mining will have a meticulous and safety conscious approach. No specific qualifications or previous winder experience is necessary, although experience in operating safety critical equipment in a solitary setting would be desirable (e.g. HGV driver, train driver, crane driver).
All training will be provided, both on and off site, following recognised national occupational standards and best practice.
Employment will be conditional on a medical report which the Company considers satisfactory, from a doctor chosen (and paid for) by the Company. Cornish Metals is an equal opportunities employer and are committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace. A copy of our Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Policy is available on our website.
Principle responsibilities/Role tasks
Specific duties as part of the role include, but are not limited to, the following: -
Specific duties as part of the role include, but are not limited to, the following: -
- Making and keeping safe the winder work area, ensuring rigorous safety standards and established practices are followed and upheld.
- Following procedures and safety standards for all work undertaken.
- Conducting Two-Minute Risk Assessments (2MRA’s) for all work tasks undertaken.
- Maintaining your personal work equipment and safety gear to a suitable standard to ensure compliance.
- Undertaking internal and external training as required by the Company to ensure suitable competency for the role.
- Cooperating with all operational team members to ensure work efforts are coordinated and conducted safely and efficiently.
- Operate, control, monitor and maintain the winding engines and associated winding apparatus.
- Operate and control shaft signaling, and communication systems related to shaft conveyances in conjunction with the banksman, or other appointed signalers.
- Conduct daily maintenance and housekeeping activities on the winding engines and associated equipment and report defects and concerns that cannot be dealt with competently as part of your role.
- Operate and control site Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems associated with winding and ancillary equipment, including the dewatering pumps.
- Ensure compliance at all times with the relevant National Occupational Standards for Shafts and Winding, the Mines Regulations 2014, Company Policy, Risk Assessment Method Statements (RAMS)/Standard Operating Procedure’s (SOPS) and the Manager’s Rules.
- Working within the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) recommendations on all winding, hoisting and shaft equipment.
- Providing official daily reports to your line manager, detailing work carried out and maintenance/repair requirements.
Successful candidates will be expected to undertake any other duties reasonably required, appropriate to safety, and the skills and experience requirements of the role.
Working Environment
Cornish Metals Ltd will supply you with all the necessary PPE required to work safely and do all it reasonably can to protect you from risk of injury and ill health, including completion, and maintenance of, risk assessments and implementing systems of work designed to protect your health and safety. Despite this, you will hold a significant amount of personal responsibility for the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues. The winder operating controls are above ground in purpose-built cabins however, when acting as Banksman, or filling in for other roles within our crews, you will be required to work underground. In this environment:
Cornish Metals Ltd will supply you with all the necessary PPE required to work safely and do all it reasonably can to protect you from risk of injury and ill health, including completion, and maintenance of, risk assessments and implementing systems of work designed to protect your health and safety. Despite this, you will hold a significant amount of personal responsibility for the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues. The winder operating controls are above ground in purpose-built cabins however, when acting as Banksman, or filling in for other roles within our crews, you will be required to work underground. In this environment:
- Due to ventilation (both natural and mechanical) the mine workings are often draughty.
- You will be walking over muddy, uneven, and loose ground, with steep gradients and climbing ladders whilst wearing protective footwear, coveralls, and harnesses.
- It is often a very noisy environment and you will be required to wear hearing protection regularly.
- You may be required to operate handheld tools which may be heavy and loud and exhibit high levels of vibration.
- Manual handling of heavy loads up to 20 kg (it being impossible to mechanise most of the physical tasks in the mine environment).
- You will frequently work at height and/or from ropes or fall restraint equipment, you will be required to train in the use of and wear fall arrest equipment.
- South Crofty is a deep, underground mine. The main access shaft, New Cooks Kitchen Shaft, is approximately eight hundred meters deep. Miners must adhere to strict safety protocols and regulatory requirements to ensure the wellbeing of yourself and your colleagues in such a remote environment.
- To reach the deeper levels of the mine, the primary access is via a small 8-person cage, with an emergency second means of egress provided with a 4-person ‘bullet cage’ of 800mm diameter.
- Parts of the mine can be narrow with restricted height. You will often be expected to work in confined spaces accordingly.
Functions that are considered intrinsic to the role are:
- Climbing ladders (in dark and wet conditions), especially in underground areas to access different levels of the mine and as a means of emergency/alternative exit.
- A good base level of fitness and ability to undertake manual handling to enable the basic role requirements to be performed.
- The ability to ride inside the shaft cages, which are of limited dimensions.
- The ability to wear fall-arrest harnesses and associated restraints.
- Shift work, working day shifts, night shifts and weekends, on a rolling shift pattern.
You will be offered, and expected to cooperate with, a (free) health assessment at regular intervals, especially once night work commences.
Key relationships
The role will directly report to the respective Shift Boss, with frequent interaction with the Mine Captain, Mechanical and Electrical Foremen and Mine Manager.
The role will directly report to the respective Shift Boss, with frequent interaction with the Mine Captain, Mechanical and Electrical Foremen and Mine Manager.
Effective communication between the Winder Driver, Banksman and underground employees is essential in ensuring personnel and materials are safely and efficiently conveyed in the shaft.
Skills and experience
The key skills, qualifications and experience which are expected for this role are:
The key skills, qualifications and experience which are expected for this role are:
- Proven track record as an effective team worker.
- A suitable level of fitness.
- The ability to fully understand and observe strict health and safety guidelines and work procedures.
- Excellent verbal and effective written communication skills.
- No specific prior qualifications are required, but a willingness to undertake and actively participate in training and competency courses, both on site and away from home is essential.
- Ability to undertake Two-Minute Risk Assessments (2MRA’s), for which specific training will be provided.
- High degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Experience of working within a regulated safety system, with a pro-active approach to workplace health and safety.
- Ability to multitask.
- Calm and collected approach under pressure.
- Proficiency with Human Machine Interface (HMI)/Scada Interface Systems.
- A ‘can do’, positive attitude.
Desirable
- Previous experience of working in mining, quarrying, tunnelling, or construction industries.
- Previous experience working safely with fixed or mobile plant.
- No prior experience is necessary, although experience in operating safety critical equipment in a solitary setting would be desirable (e.g. HGV, train driver, crane driver, etc.)
- Previous experience in safety critical roles.
- Current driving licence, or alternative ability to efficiently undertake the duties of the role or the travel to work.
Salary
A starting salary of £32,640 during the training period, rising to a minimum basic salary of £34,680 following successful completion of the training. Potential total earnings could be circa £51,000 per annum through successful on target award of safety, shift, and productivity bonuses.
A starting salary of £32,640 during the training period, rising to a minimum basic salary of £34,680 following successful completion of the training. Potential total earnings could be circa £51,000 per annum through successful on target award of safety, shift, and productivity bonuses.
Hours of work
The role is subject to a shift system, each working cycle consists of four shifts of 11 hours on four consecutive days, followed by four consecutive days off, in accordance with the rota notified to you by the Company no later than seven days before the start of each shift rota.
You are entitled to a paid meal break of half an hour each day, to be taken at such times as specified by your line manager. The shift system equates to an average of 38.5 hours per week, over a calendar year.
You could be required to work a shift at any time between the hours of 7am and 7am the following day Monday to Sunday (in accordance with the above-mentioned rota).
The role is subject to a shift system, each working cycle consists of four shifts of 11 hours on four consecutive days, followed by four consecutive days off, in accordance with the rota notified to you by the Company no later than seven days before the start of each shift rota.
You are entitled to a paid meal break of half an hour each day, to be taken at such times as specified by your line manager. The shift system equates to an average of 38.5 hours per week, over a calendar year.
You could be required to work a shift at any time between the hours of 7am and 7am the following day Monday to Sunday (in accordance with the above-mentioned rota).
Benefits
Health and Dental Cashback
Life Insurance
Enhanced parental leave and sick pay
Income protection insurance
Enhanced pension contributions
Employee Assistance Programme
Personal days