Rigger - Mining Maintenance - Underground Maintenance Surface

Palabora Mining Company (PMC); Limpopo; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Palabora Mining Company (PMC) is seeking a skilled Rigger Ropes-person to maintain fixed plant equipment, diagnose faults, and optimise process reliability. You will lead rope rigging, operate winders, cranes and CLD, while ensuring legal compliance and safe working practices.

You will train apprentices, manage spares, and participate in root cause analysis, with a focus on reducing downtime and improving equipment availability in a mining environment.

Qualifications

• Must hold a Proof of Trade certificate as a Rigger Ropes-person with results.
• Minimum 3 years’ rigging ropes experience.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience working on shafts and winders.
• Extensive knowledge on friction winders and Koepe winders.
• Knowledge of legal requirements with shafts and winders.

Responsibilities

• Maintenance work and fault finding on shafts, winders ropes, external parts, and all legal requirements.
• Housekeeping in area of responsible section.
• Ensure personal safety and report incidents.
• Train and coach artisans and apprentices.
• Complete administration tasks (spares requests, RCA).
• Seek improvement opportunities for the business.
• Understand drawings and operational philosophies.
• Maintain equipment and systems to high reliability.
• Handle first line calls on mechanical failures for fixed plant equipment.
• Maintain rigging and lifting facilities and equipment.
• Operate and maintain Clamp Lifting Device (CLD).
• Maintain shaft conveyances, attachments, elevators, and overhead cranes.
• Remove and install head, tail and guide ropes on shafts and winders.
• Ensure cranes, elevators, winders are compliant with legal requirements.
• Fabricate slings and lifting gear.
• Fault finding and problem solving.
• Attend stand-by duties and underground shifts when required.
• Control spares and consumables.
• Navigate WinCC systems (Winders SCADA).
• Plan and manage stock levels in area; support maintenance planning and SHEQ.
• Ensure adherence to SHEQ standards.

Education

Proof of Trade certificate (Rigger Ropes-person)

3+ years rigging ropes experience

3+ years shafts and winders experience

Knowledge of friction winders

Knowledge of Koepe / Friction Winders

Knowledge of legal requirements with shafts and winders

Tools

WinCC/SCADA systems

Job description

The incumbent will be responsible for maintenance of all mechanical equipment on the fixed plant equipment and optimisation of process reliability to ensure maximum availability of the plant equipment and optimal unit cost of production.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Carrying out maintenance work, fault finding on the Shafts, Winder ropes, external parts and all legal requirements.
• Housekeeping in area of responsible section.
• Responsible for personal safety, fellow workers and for reporting any safety incidents or accidents.
• Training and coaching new Artisans and Apprentices.
• Effectively completing administration duties e.g., spares requests, RCA (root cause analysis), etc.
• Seeking out improvement work to benefit the business.
• Educating and familiarising oneself with the related drawings and functional and operational philosophies.
• Doing proper daily routines and ensuring that the equipment and systems are operating to the highest level.
• Responsible for first line calls (standby duties) on all mechanical failures related to specific fixed plant equipment.
• Maintenance of all rigging and lifting facilities and equipment.
• Operation and maintenance of Clamp Lifting Device (CLD).
• Maintenance of shaft conveyances, attachments, elevators, and overhead cranes.
• Removal and installation of head, tail and guide ropes on shafts and winders.
• Ensuring that Cranes, Elevators and Winders are in good working condition and comply with legal requirements.
• Making up slings and other lifting facilities and equipment.
• Fault finding and problem solving.
• Attend to Stand-by duties.
• Willing to work shifts underground when required.
• Controlling maintenance spares and consumables
• Navigation of Win CC systems (i.e. Winders SCADA and Underground).
• Managing stock levels of spares in his area, Plan and manage own work.
• Assisting Supervisor in compliance with planned maintenance system and legal compliance.
• Ensuring adherence to SHEQ standards.

Intrinsic Qualities:

• Must have good verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to safe work practices.
• Ability to work in a team environment and independently.
• Good understanding and knowledge of planned maintenance principle.
• Knowledge of full lock coil and half lock coil wire winding ropes.
• Knowledge of shaft barrel maintenance.
• Replacement, maintenance, and repairs of winder ropes.
• Must be willing to work at heights in a shaft.
• Must be a self-starter requiring minimal supervision.
• Good working knowledge of the core process.
• Must be adaptable to change.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Qualified Rigger Ropes-person (Proof of Trade certificate and statement of results to be attached).
• Minimum of three years’ rigging ropes-person experience.
• Minimum of three years’ experience working on shafts and winders.
• Extensive knowledge on friction winches and winches in general.
• Extensive knowledge on shafts and winders especially on Koepe / Friction Winders.
• Knowledge of legal requirements with shafts and winders.