NVQ training for Rusha surface mine workers
Banks Mining provide high-level health and safety and IT training to all plant operators at Scottish site
THE latest investment by Banks Mining has provided high-level on-site health and safety and IT training to all plant operators at the company’s Rusha surface coal mine, near Breich, in West Lothian.
The Rusha employees all completed a Level 2 NVQ which focused on health and safety awareness and was then followed up with a practical IT training course. The training was carried out by Edutrain, an Edinburgh-based education and training company.
Richard McClelland, managing director of Edutrain, said: ‘Many of the operators we assessed are trusted with highly expensive items of plant and, as such, know the importance of maintaining their operator competence in what is a safety critical industry.
‘While in the past operators required little or no knowledge and understanding of information communication technology (ICT), things are changing with technology playing an increasingly significant role, so it’s getting ever more important that operators of modern plant are comfortable with ICT.’
Banks Mining say they are committed to the development of their employees at the site, who mostly comprise of locals from in and around West Lothian. Members of the team at the mine are also being funded through courses at Kelvin College, in Glasgow, to help them to gain valuable qualifications while benefiting from practical on-site experience and a wage.
Rusha site manager Ian Ritchie said: ‘It is of great importance to us that the team that operates in the mine is fully confident, competent and capable of operating to the highest standards. Development with care is our ethos and that very much extends to our staff.
‘We take great pride in operating in a safe, responsible and efficient manner, to ensure that our people have a safe and rewarding place to work that meets our customers’ needs.’
Banks Mining estimate that the Rusha site will contribute more than £5 million to the local economy every year through wages and other supply chain contributions, and in addition to the people employed on site, it will also support a number of other off-site jobs in related transport and supplies activity.
The Hamilton-based employer has been operating at the surface mine since 2012 as part of a planned seven-year project. The coal extracted from Rusha is used for industrial, domestic and coal-fired power generation in both Scotland and England. Once coaling is complete, the 154ha site will be fully restored and landscaped to a mixture of woodland and agriculture.
