«Toothy handshake» ultimately
14.08.2014
Best in Profession – 2014 Competition
Best in Profession, an annual competition devoted to the Miner’s Day has been finished at Bogatyr Coal company. This year an honorary right to put a final end to the production contest for prize places has been given to miners operating the technique, which reaches all places and even can get something from under the ground. The capacity of the “toothy five” fluctuates from 4 to 18 cubic meters as it’s quite long.
Serious production battles were in full swing at coal mining and overburden sectors of Bogatyr mine during three days – from the 6th to the 8th of August. Drivers of bucket and rotary excavators competed in knowledge of the theory and practice on the «battlefield» having demonstrated their knowledge, jewellery workmanship and accuracy. This year the number of competitors is more by 7 persons – prestige of the competition is enhancing and participants are younger according to Vladimir Ovsyannkiov, a member of the commission and the deputy chief engineer of Bogatyr mine.
The first day drivers of EKG excavators came to «ring». They had to catch a cable loop and close an open bandbox set on edge by one of the bucket teeth, invisible from cab, by means of abutment – rear end of a bucket as it was previous years. One should note that is not easy. That was why not each driver could catch a loop, which diameter is only 25 cm and not everybody could close a small carton box by bucket, which weight exceeds those of the carton box by 20 million times on the average. Konstantin Chernoivanov, an excavator driver of the overburden and dump operations #1 has won in this nomination. Andrey Romasev, UDR-2 and Sergey Kolesnikov, UV&OR-2, the winners of last year became as the awardees of the competition, having taken the 2nd and 3rd places. By the way, Andrey has closed the box by bucket so easy that the members of the jury asked him to fulfill an encore. And he did not keep them wait for long - the second attempt also was fulfilled masterly; the box was closed fully.
The next day drivers of walking excavators have joined the competitive racing. They are called as the “walkers” in professional slang. They, like careful and quick waiters had to carry a small tank with water in their buckets for the distance of 7 meters and put the bucket on the ground accurately having the water not spilt. Sergey Ovsyannikov, a driver of overburden and dump operations sector #3 has managed this task well with his brilliant knowledge of the theory. His colleagues Vladimir Korobov (UV&OR-2) and Sergey Kavun (UV&OR-3) have taken the second and third places. The last day of the competition, on August 8, drivers of five teams, who run the biggest technique of the mine – rotary excavators, strived for the victorious’ palms. Each team consisted of three persons - a senior driver, a loading driver and an electrician-driver. All of them fulfill different functions on excavators, having worked harmoniously as a single mechanism. That was why each of them had own theoretical and practical tasks. In the practical part the senior drivers were evaluated according to time spent for loading of gondola wagons with coal and according to that how they have prepared the track well for work. Different roughness and other embarrassments have been made beforehand on this track. The jury determined the winner having summarized these indicators. It was Pavel Nakonechny, a senior driver of SRSk-2000 #1106. Dmitriey Naak, working at SRSk-2000 #1105Yu took the second place and Nabi Kozhamberdinov, a driver of the SRSk-2000 # 1146 took the third place.
Vadim Kocherga, a driver of SRSk-2000 #1105m, a repeated winner in this nomination became as the best driver of loading of this year, who has fulfilled quite intensive process of loading rolling stock with coal quicker, more exactly and evenly than others. Viktor Orlov, a driver of SRSk-2000 # 1106 took the second place, having yielded only 0.3 points to the winner. Anatoliy Shneider, a driver of SRSk-2000 #1145 became the third of awardees.
Faultiness resulted in full stop of an excavator has been made in the apparatus placement in order to check the professionalism and skill of electricians-drivers. The competitors had to explain and eliminate the reason of the “breakage” for speed. Andrey Peshkov, a driver SRSk-2000 #2147 could to fulfill it quicker than others. Andrey Bobylov, a driver of the SRSk-2000 # 1105 was awarded the second place. Denis Krylov, a driver of the SRSk-2000 #1146 was given the third place.
Alexandr Efremov, an excavator driver of the overburden and dump operations #1, who took the 1st place and Marat Tusumbekov and Denis Shestakov, representatives of UDR-3, who took the 2nd and 3rd places became as the winners and awardees of age to 29.
All the participants of the Best in Profession were given small presents. The titled excavator operators will be congratulated a bit later, on the twenties of August at ceremonial measure devoted to the professional holiday of miners – The Miner’s Day.
Marina PONKRATOVA
Photo by author and Elizabeth MAINENGER.
