Mining Mill Operator Training
Occupational Endorsement Program
Mining Mill Operator Training

AMIT 129: Syllabus

COURSE INFORMATION

Title: Surface Mine Safety

Department/Number: AMIT 129

Credits: 1

Prerequisites: N/A

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Names: Tathagata Ghosh, Brian Ellingson

Office Hours: by Appointment

(You may also schedule appointments with the Admin Asst. (907 479-2436)

Telephone/Email: 907-479-2436     beellingson@alaska.edu

COURSE READINGS/MATERIALS

Course Textbook:

Wills’ Mineral Processing Technology, 8th edition
B.A Wills, James Finch PhD, Butterworth-Heinemann publisher, 2015

Supplementary Readings: as provided

Any Supplies Required: Notebook or 3 ring binder to store handouts

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Rights of miners, introduction to the work environment, ground control, hazard recognition, first aid and explosive safety. Course fulfills the Mine Safety Health Administration requirements for surface miner training. Students are awarded MSHA certificate upon completion of the class.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF GOALS

The goal of the student is to gain broad knowledge of the Mill Operator Technician role in modern mining industry safety. This class will give special emphasis on the Alaskan mining mill operations processes, terminology, process drawings, regulatory agencies, equipment and procedures.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

  1. Identify the role of a mill operator technician in safety.
  2. Understand and explain the terminology utilized by mill operator technicians with mining safety systems.
  3. Understand and explain safety issues related to mine transportation.
  4. Understand and explain safety issues related to conveyors.
  5. Understand and explain safety issues related to Health and Housekeeping
  6. Understand and demonstrate Hazard Recognition as applied by MSHA..
  7. Understand and explain safety issues related to mine explosives and blasting.
  8. Understand and explain mine emergency evacuation, and causes of mine emergencies.
  9. Understand and explain safety issues related to fires and firefighting.
  10. Understand and explain safety issues related to mine ground control.
  11. Understand and explain safety issues related to mine electrical hazards.
  12. Understand and explain safety issues related to chemical hazards.
  13. Understand and explain safety issues related to mine crusher and mill operations, including maintenance.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Instructional methods will include lectures, reading assignments, homework, labs, the use of the Blackboard system, and other digital media.

CLASS ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Assignments and due dates will be provided through the Blackboard system.

COURSE POLICIES

Students are expected to comply with the University Student Code of Conduct available for review at:

https://www.uaf.edu/catalog/current/academics/regs3.html#Student_Conduct

CLASS POLICIES

Classroom Ground Rules:

  1. Turn off cell phones during class. If you must maintain cell phone contact, put the ringer on vibrate and leave the class room to receive a call.
  2. No laptop computers are allowed during class without instructor’s permission.
  3. If you are late for class by over 15 minutes you will receive .5 attendance point. Please find a vacant seat and be seated with a minimum of disturbance to the class.
  4. Respect instructor and classmates.
  5. Restrict talking or conversations that do not include the entire class or add value to the class discussion.
  6. If you do not understand a concept, idea, or explanation, you should ask the instructor or classmate to explain it in a different manner.
  7. All tests will be administered in a closed book- no notes format.

Homework, Class Notes, Power Point presentations, notebooks and Blackboard:

Students are expected to submit legible homework written in a manner suitable for the assignment. Shorthand answers will not be accepted. Answers must communicate the content of the question. The process of writing out both the question and the answer helps the student to retain the information. As an employee you will be expected to communicate clearly in your written communications and this class expects the same level of communication.

As a student you are responsible for taking notes and making certain you understand the information presented. A notebook is a good way to capture and retain this information. Information not covered in your assigned reading will be made available in lecture, in a digital format, or in hard copy. All Class assignments will be initiated from Blackboard. (You may be directed away from Blackboard but you will start in the Blackboard Assignments folder.)

Class Attendance and Participation

Class attendance and participation is very important for meeting the course objectives. Attendance will be taken at the start of each class. Students who are working a rotating shift schedule or missing class on a regular basis need to make prior arrangements with the instructor. The student’s participation portion of the grade is based on the quality (not frequency) of your participation. Those receiving high grades in class participation are those who:

  1. Have prepared for class by completing reading assignments prior to the lecture.
  2. Understand and have completed all assignments neatly, accurately and on-time.
  3. Participate in class discussions by sharing experiences or asking/answering questions.
  4. Present Safety Huddle discussions.
  5. Are willing to volunteer for in-class demonstrations and exercises.
  6. Class participation will be an earned grade for each scheduled class. If you are late you will lose .5 point for class participation. If you are absent you lose the entire point.
  7. Unexcused absences will lose one attendance point. Excused absences will lose .5 attendance point. Excused means that you notified the instructor before the beginning of class. (As you would do if you were notifying an employer.)

Make Up work Policy

Homework and assignments turned in later than the test covering the assignment will receive zero credit and may not be evaluated. Keeping up with class work is expected. If you cannot be present for a test you should contact the instructor beforehand and schedule a time to make up the test. Tests not scheduled for make-up within a week will be scored as a 0.

EVALUATION

Grading Scale                                                                                             Evaluation System

A = 100-90%                                                                                                   Exams                                                                       30%

B =     89-80%                                                                                                   Homework                                                           20%

C =     79-70%                                                                                                   Attendance/Participation         20%

D =     69-60%                                                                                                   Final Exam                                                         30%

F =     59% or less

* Plus and minus grades will not be submitted

* The Final exam is comprehensive and will be drawn from material covered over the entire semester.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Extensive support services are available for the student and can be found on the web at: www.uaf.edu/sssp/. Students are encouraged to form study groups with their peers. The instructor is available to assist students on an as scheduled basis. Students are encouraged to take full advantages of all these services.

DISABILITIES SERVICES

UAF has a Disability Services office that operates in conjunction with the College of Rural and Community Development’s (CRCD) campuses and UAF’s Center for Distance Education (CDE). Disability Services, a part of UAF’s Center for Health and Counseling, provides academic accommodations to enrolled students who are identified as being eligible for these services.If you believe you are eligible, please visit https://www.uaf.edu/chc/disability.html on the web or contact a student affairs staff person at your nearest local campus. You can also contact Disability Services on the Fairbanks Campus at (907) 474-7043, fydso@uaf.edu.

UAF Title IX

University of Alaska Board of Regents have clearly stated in BOR Policy that discrimination, harassment and violence will not be tolerated on any campus of the University of Alaska. If you believe you are experiencing discrimination or any form of harassment including sexual harassment/misconduct/assault, you are encouraged to report that behavior. If you disclose sexual harassment or sexual violence to a faculty member or any university employee, they must notify the UAF Title IX Coordinator about the basic facts of the incident.

Your choices for disclosure include:

1) You may confidentially disclose and access confidential counseling by contacting the UAF Health & Counseling Center at 474-7043;

2) You may access support and file a Title IX report by contacting the UAF Title IX Coordinator at 474-6600;

3) You may file a criminal complaint by contacting the University Police Department at 474-7721