MINING INSIGHTS

LEARN THE LINGO

Where pineapples are not good for you, and circles are purple

There’s a lot of fun in figuring out what slang terms really mean on a mine site. Many are widely used and accepted, although you may come across some terms specific to the state that you work in. Kinda like the parmi versus parma debate…

Common mining industry terms

  • Back to back: The person who shares your role/position or camp room when you’re on R&R

  • Camp/Village: Where your accommodation is

  • Carton/box/slab: Currency due when you stuff up, it’s your birthday, or you’re the newest person

  • Copy/rogie: Message received loud and clear

  • Crib: Food you take to site to eat during shift

  • Crib room: Lunchroom on site

  • Dirt farming: What we do every day - move the bad dirt to get to the good dirt

  • Donga: Portable, pre-fabricated building, used for camp rooms and office blocks

  • Dry mess: Dining area where meals are served, often bistro-style

  • Dumpie: Dump truck, or dump truck operator

  • Gingerbeers: Engineers

  • Handover: Shift/swing changeover meeting

  • Instant dirt/dirt: Instant coffee

  • Living the dream: Generic response to “how you going?”

  • Pineapple: An undesirable punishment, intended to evoke the image of having a spikey fruit inserted somewhere painful

  • Pos comms: Positive communications, making contact on the two-way

  • Purple circle: A group of individuals appearing to receive special privileges

  • R&R: Rest and relaxation - your time off between shifts

  • Rock licker: Geologist

  • Safeties: Safety glasses

  • Shift: The length of working time in one day

  • Smoko: Short 10-15 minute break for tea, coffee, whatever (even if you don’t smoke)

  • Sparkie: Electrician

  • Swing: The length of working days on site

  • Take 5/Take Time: Pre-task hazard identification handbook (sometimes goes by another name)

  • Toolbox/prestart: Pre-shift meeting, covering safety, tasks, targets and news

  • Wet socks: It’s flooded

  • Wetty/wet mess: Pub where you can purchase alcoholic drinks

  • Window licker: Heavy machinery operator

  • Window seat: The result of engaging in an act which gets you on the next flight home

“That’s a pineapple”

Acronyms - ain’t nobody got time for that

There are hundreds, if not thousands of acronyms used in the mining industry, and it’s important to know that some may have multiple meanings or differ between operations. Knowing the basics is a great start, so we’ve provided a list of the most common terms below.

  • ALARP: As Low As Reasonably Practicable

  • BIBO: Bus in Bus Out

  • D&A/DAS: Drug and Alcohol Screen

  • DG: Dangerous Goods

  • DIDO: Drive in Drive out

  • ERT: Emergency Response Team

  • FIFO: Fly in Fly out

  • HAZMAT: Hazardous materials

  • HSE: Health, Safety and Environment

  • LAHA: Living Away From Home Allowance

  • LTI: Lost Time Injury

  • MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet

  • OH&S: Occupational Health & Safety

  • PPE: Personal Protective Equipment

  • PTW: Permit to Work

  • RDO: Rostered Day Off

  • R&R/RNR: Rest and Relaxation

  • ROM: Run of Mine

  • SLAM: Stop, Look, Assess, Manage

  • SOP: Standard Operating Procedure

  • SSE: Senior Site Executive

  • SWI: Safe Work Instruction

  • SWMS: Safe Work Method Statement

  • SWP: Safe Work Procedure

  • VOC: Verification of Competency

  • WAH: Work at Heights

  • WHS: Workplace Health and Safety