This ones for you. I come from a long line of men who worked the mines of PA. My Father, both Grandfathers, my Great Grandfather, and other relatives all had coal in their blood.
My Grandfather had black lung. Your posts have always interested me. I'm glad you're coming top-side.

It's a workin' man l am
And I've been down under ground
And I swear to God if ever see the sun
Or for any length of time
I can hold it in my mind
I never again will go down under ground.

At the age of sixteen years
Oh he quarrels with his peers
Who vowed they'd never see another one
In the dark recess of the mines
Where you age before your time
And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs.

It's a workin' man l am
And I've been down under ground
And I swear to God if ever see the sun
Or for any length of time
I can hold it in my mind
I never again will go down under ground.

At the age of sixty four
Oh he'll greet you at the door
And he'll gently lead you by the arm
Through the dark recess of the mines
Oh he'll take you back in time
And he'll tell you of the hardships that were had.

It's a workin' man l am
And I've been down under ground
And I swear to God if ever see the sun
Or for any length of time
I can hold it in my mind
I never again will go down under ground.

It's a workin' man l am
And I've been down under ground
And I swear to God if ever see the sun
Or for any length of time
I can hold it in my mind
I never again will go down under ground.

It's a workin' man l am
And I've been down under ground
And I swear to God if ever see the sun
Or for any length of time
I can hold it in my mind
I never again will go down under ground.

God I never again will go down under ground.

Happy retirement!

Keith

Happy retirement!

Keith

Happy retirement!

Keith

^^^Up for Randall^^^

That kid is phenomenal!

If this is how it really is, why would anyone do it?

Maybe pride? Family has been in it forever/ history?
Not to dismiss the dangers of mining, but it is not in the top 10 of most dangerous jobs it the America.
Fishing, logging and roofing
Pit mining seams to be 2x in injury or death
Underground mining injuries, using statistics show most of the injuries come from operational error or equipment malfunction

Maybe the union rep is a pansy……….

I never thought working underground was a bad job. I did it for 37 years, most of it in seams less than 42”. I was mine foreman for many years in a mine that was 34-36 inches high. I enjoyed my time underground. I never spent a single day on workman’s comp…never had a lost time accident. I’ve been retired ten years now, but I still consider mining to be a good way to make a living. Lots worse jobs than working underground.

From my experience, I felt strip miners had it worse. Never liked working on the surface.

I will walk iron as high as you want it built. 4" beams no problem, hang from a spider lift 600' off the ground sure. No one on the job willing to make it out to that point yep I will get it.

But I wouldn't work in a 3' hole under ground for $500 an hour. I would need to be able to stand up and have a clear exit. Each person is built for different task.

Guys I have been on the job for days straight since I gave my notice. Just time off to sleep. I have told them for years to get a miner Shot Blast Certified for the day I retired. Again and again they kept putting it off. This time went I went to Deborah the head of HR my wife went with me and she laid it down Flat and Cold that I would be taking next Wednesday as my last day underground. Now they are trying to get Dave Certified by then. The law states very clearly that there has to be a certified Demolitions man on site for their to be blasting and Continuous miners don't always cut it. Thanks for the post boys and I think most of us underground do it because of the money as number one but as a Family tradition as well. I have Uncles Cousins a Brother and even my father was an Underground mole for a while. It can get in your blood that is for sure. Also I know a lot of men that could not handle it in low coal. One kid we actually had to Miner tape him like a Mummy to keep him from trying to stand. He just freaked out and could not do it. He works on the strip now. Good worker too. I just want to retire and enjoy my career from the Porch next to my wife. And I want to be able to Hunt Fish and Trap every day while I am retired.

The ATF started heavily regulating explosives in the mining industry about 15 years ago. I went to a face to face meeting meeting with them at the Pittsburgh office, and I got assigned a field agent to walk me through the hoops for compliance. Good guy.

There were two classifications the ATF uses in the industry…..Responsible Person and User/ Possessor. Both require that the applicants submit fingerprints are must pass a federal background check. All the Mine Foreman and Superintendents in the company were in the Responsible Person class. I signed for all shipments for 21 mines. Responsible Persons could receive shipments of explosives /caps and were responsible for their safe and secure storage, either in an outside magazine or in one underground.User / possessor is just what it sounds like….someone who has state shot firer certification and will do the underground tranport and blasting. In Pa, the state has a two day class, and you get you papers.

Interesting thing, when I crossed the Canadian border to go moose hunting, the border patrol there asked me about the ATF approval. It came up with my name/ SSN when they scanned my passport.

If the employer doesn’t has anyone ATF certified, either as RP or U/P, they’re unlikely to have someone approved by Wednesday.

Congratulations Randall, I don't know you but now you have the freedom to do whatever you dream about!! You'll love retirement!

There is some union song that should be playing now….. lol
Horses
Two homes
Don’t sound like you are suffering other then what is now called

Tough life in a hole….

I like crawling into a pipe or under a house
It is a Happy Place

Otters suck because they are aggressive, coons suck because they go out of their way to jump on your head

I have been telling them for two Years. RP Certification took me months. Either way I am gone on Next Thursday and they will have to just use the continuous Miner no matter how many Bits they chew up in that Slate.

Riding Horses with my wife, Camping with my wife Visiting the Grand kids then spoiling them rotten and then Giving them back to their Mother and Father and then during Hunting Fishing and Trapping season enjoying that. I will still stay in touch with my crew but beside Mine Rescue I will never go back under.

Enjoy your retirement Randall, you deserve it.

Congratulations on retirement. Not to derail the thread but I figured this would be a good place to ask.
I found this when I was in high school working at a body shop stripping the interior out of a 1965 impala.
I believe it is a tag that miners hung when they were in. But I could be wrong. It’s made of brass. I figured y’all may know.

I believe that is from a Rail Road but could be gone. Now in the mines you have a round Button glued to the side of your Miners hat. The switchboard can tell who and how many are down there and exactly where they are. Makes it easier to find the Bodies.