Key Attributes Mining Roof Bolters Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Olivia Williams

Monday, August 17, 2015

Mining roof bolters operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.

The core tasks that mining roof bolters are likely to carry out include:

Drill bolt holes into roofs at specified distances from ribs or adjacent bolts.
Force bolts into holes, using hydraulic mechanisms of self-propelled bolting machines.
Remove drill bits from chucks after drilling holes, then insert bolts into chucks.
Test bolts for specified tension, using torque wrenches.
Position safety jacks to support underground mine roofs until bolts can be installed.
Position bolting machines, and insert drill bits into chucks.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that mining roof bolters would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for realistic work environments. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 100%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.6%

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 87.6%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 85.6%

The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.6%

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%