Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Underground Safety Technician

🎯 Role Definition

The Underground Safety Technician is a hands-on safety professional responsible for implementing, monitoring and improving safety systems and protocols in underground mining or tunneling environments. This role focuses on atmospheric monitoring, gas detection, ventilation verification, ground control inspection, emergency response and mine rescue readiness, ensuring compliance with MSHA/OSHA regulations and company safety standards. The Underground Safety Technician partners with operations, engineering and emergency teams to identify hazards, control risks, deliver safety training, and maintain life-saving equipment and records for continuous safety improvement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Surface Safety Technician or Safety Assistant
Mine Technician / Underground Utility Operator
Field Maintenance Technician with underground experience

Advancement To:

Senior Underground Safety Technician
Mine Safety Officer / Safety Supervisor
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Manager
Mine Rescue Captain / Safety Trainer

Lateral Moves:

Ventilation Technician / Ventilation Officer
Risk & Compliance Specialist
Environmental Technician (mine water & air quality)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct routine and emergency atmospheric monitoring underground using fixed and portable gas detectors (CH4, O2, CO, H2S, VOCs) and record results to ensure a safe breathing environment and regulatory compliance.
Perform systematic ventilation inspections and verification, including airflow measurements, ventilation control device checks, and corrective actions to maintain positive airflow and dilution of hazardous gases.
Inspect, test, calibrate and maintain life-saving and monitoring equipment such as self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs), gas monitors, oxygen monitors, telemetry systems, and communication devices; schedule and document manufacturer-recommended maintenance and calibrations.
Lead and participate in mine rescue and emergency response teams, conducting regular drills, readiness assessments, and after-action reviews to improve response times and procedures.
Conduct thorough ground control and roof support inspections (bolting, mesh, shotcrete) and identify hazards related to falls of ground; recommend and verify corrective ground support measures with maintenance and engineering.
Perform confined space entry evaluations, implement entry permits and controls, and supervise confined space operations to ensure safe conditions for personnel.
Execute daily pre-shift and in-shift safety inspections, identify unsafe acts/conditions, issue work stoppages or corrective action requests, and follow through to completion.
Lead hazard identification and job safety analysis (JSA/JHA) sessions with crews, develop specific controls for high-risk tasks, and verify that controls remain in place during work.
Coordinate and deliver safety training for underground crews on topics such as gas detection, SCSR use, evacuation procedures, lockout/tagout, fall protection, and electrical safety, maintaining training records for audit.
Manage and audit permit-to-work systems, hot work permits, and isolation procedures to maintain compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
Monitor and enforce personal protective equipment (PPE) use, respiratory protection programs, and personnel tracking systems underground; ensure correct PPE selection and fit testing where required.
Investigate incidents, near-misses and safety violations underground; lead root cause analysis, produce comprehensive investigation reports, recommend corrective actions and verify implementation.
Operate and evaluate ventilation modeling tools and assist ventilation engineers with airflow modeling, regulator settings and booster fan operations to optimize underground atmospheric conditions.
Maintain and manage safety documentation, logs and regulatory reports (MSHA/OSHA reporting), ensuring timely submission and audit readiness.
Install, test and troubleshoot underground safety systems including inercoms, telemetry, fixed gas panels and alarm systems; coordinate repairs with maintenance and vendors.
Conduct risk assessments for new mining faces, development headings, or construction activities underground and develop mitigation plans in consultation with engineering and operations.
Support contractor safety management underground by reviewing contractor safety plans, delivering site-specific orientations, and auditing contractor compliance to site rules.
Monitor and control fire hazards underground through inspection of ignition sources, maintenance of firefighting equipment, and implementation of combustible material management practices.
Implement and monitor isolation and lockout/tagout programs for underground mobile equipment and electrical systems, ensuring energy control procedures are followed during maintenance.
Participate in safety committee meetings and cross-functional reviews to communicate underground safety trends, corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
Execute specialist inspections for diesel particulate matter (DPM), noise, illumination and environmental parameters underground; recommend engineering or administrative controls as required.
Provide technical support during start-ups, panel changes or re-entry operations after incidents or controlled shutdowns, verifying the environment is safe for personnel re-entry.
Coordinate rescue equipment caches and staging areas, ensuring SCSR refresh schedules, breathing air systems and rescue chamber readiness meet operational requirements.
Maintain surface-to-underground communication protocols, personnel accountability systems and muster procedures to ensure seamless coordination during normal and emergency operations.
Work with industrial hygienists and medical personnel to support occupational health monitoring (fit testing, baseline exposures) and to address long-term exposure controls underground.

Secondary Functions

Support development and continuous improvement of site safety programs, procedures and standard operating practices specific to underground operations.
Assist in preparing budgets and procurement requests for safety equipment, spare parts and training simulations used for underground safety initiatives.
Contribute to the collection and analysis of safety performance metrics and KPIs (TRIF, LTI, near-miss reporting rates) to drive data-informed safety improvements.
Support cross-functional projects such as new development projects, equipment introductions and process changes by providing safety input during planning and commissioning.
Participate in regulatory inspections and third-party audits as the subject matter expert for underground safety systems and procedures.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Atmospheric monitoring and gas detection (portable and fixed systems) — hands-on operation, calibration and troubleshooting of CH4, CO, O2, H2S sensors and multi-gas monitors.
Ventilation inspection and air flow measurement using anemometers, smoke testing and ventilation modeling fundamentals.
Mine rescue operations and emergency response: SCSR operation, rescue drills, surface-to-underground rescue coordination and breathing air systems.
Confined space entry procedures, permit-to-work systems, and isolation/lockout-tagout implementation for underground equipment.
Ground control and roof support inspection knowledge including bolting, mesh, shotcrete assessment and understanding of rock mechanics basics.
Regulatory compliance expertise with MSHA, OSHA, local mining codes and company HSE standards including incident reporting and recordkeeping.
Maintenance, calibration and repair of safety instrumentation: telemetry, inercoms, fixed gas panels, alarm systems and portable detectors.
Hazard identification, job safety analysis (JSA/JHA), root cause analysis and incident investigation techniques (e.g., 5 Whys, RCA).
Fire prevention and control capabilities specific to underground environments, including portable firefighting equipment and fire suppression systems.
Diesel particulate matter (DPM), noise and illumination assessment and practical mitigation strategies underground.
Basic electrical safety and isolation for underground power systems, breakers and starter control circuits.
Proficiency with digital safety management systems, incident reporting software, and Microsoft Office (Excel for logs and data tracking).
First aid, CPR and occupational medical response certification; advanced trauma or occupational health training preferred.
Use and supervision of personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protection programs and fit testing protocols.

Soft Skills

Strong situational awareness and sound judgement in high-risk, dynamic underground environments.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for delivering clear instructions, incident reports and training.
Leadership and team facilitation skills for guiding emergency teams, delivering toolbox talks and leading safety meetings.
Problem solving and critical thinking to identify root causes and implement practical, effective controls.
Resilience, adaptability and composure under pressure during emergencies or operational disruptions.
Collaborative mindset to work cross-functionally with operations, maintenance, engineering and contractors.
Attention to detail for meticulous recordkeeping, inspection checklists and regulatory documentation.
Training and coaching ability to transfer safety knowledge to frontline crews and new employees.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED; vocational certificate in mining technology, industrial safety, or related field preferred.

Preferred Education:

Associate's degree or diploma in Mining Technology, Occupational Health & Safety, Industrial Hygiene, or equivalent.
Certifications such as MSHA Part 46/48 instructor, Confined Space, First Aid/CPR, Mine Rescue qualifications and respiratory protection fit testing.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mining Technology / Mine Safety
Occupational Health & Safety (OHS)
Industrial Hygiene
Mechanical or Electrical Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–7 years of hands-on underground mining or tunneling experience with at least 1–3 years in a dedicated safety role underground.

Preferred:

5+ years of combined underground operations and safety experience; proven experience in mine rescue, ventilation work, atmospheric monitoring, and regulatory compliance.
Demonstrated history of incident investigation, emergency response leadership, and implementation of corrective actions in underground settings.