Bugged at work
The word “Tinnitus,” even with “tin” in its name, has nothing to do with mining. In fact, it’s a medical term for “humming” or “ringing” in the ear but at this time of year, I suppose it does become a medical issue of epidemic proportions for the mining industry too, particularly for those working in the field.
Because mining and exploration are both in full swing during the summer and early fall, exposure to whirling drills and other rotating machinery has a direct impact on the hearing of the men and women working in close proximity to equipment.
But there’s also the ‘humming’ from insects and other flying nuisances that make working in the field all that more challenging.
For those of you who have experienced the unrelentless onslaught of bugs welcoming new blood in camp, you can relate to just how difficult the working conditions can be thanks to the constant bombardment of bites and stings.
No matter how much protective clothing one wears, the humming and buzzing can be a major distraction and in one case I experienced in Yukon a few years ago, it can be mind altering.
It can drive a sane person ‘nuts,’ and in the case I just mentioned, the individual had to be removed by helicopter from a remote site because of an anxiety attack caused by the constant presence of insects.
As we’ve all heard, even hardier animals such as bears, wolves and gigantic moose can be driven to near insanity by swarms of miniscule combatants. The phrase ‘Strength in Numbers’ has never been truer. A frenzy of flies can bring the hardiest of four-legged animals to its knees, and the two-legged variety is that much easier.
In any event, working in the field is far more difficult than many can imagine and it’s a credit to those on the front line of mining for what they put up with for the sake of the industry, and a paycheque.
Mind you, many in the field right now, particularly those first-time geology students working in swamps and marshes or equally nasty places, are probably saying to themselves “no amount of money is worth this” because, like I said earlier, insects can drive you nuts.
However, without advanced geological exploration, most of today’s mines wouldn’t exist and the industry should be thankful for all of the ‘nuts’ out there who are determined to make that next discovery.
Finding the “Mother Load” is in every geologist’s make up and I bet that many of those sitting comfortably behind their Bay Street desks at this very moment during “field” season secretly wish they were in a camp somewhere anxiously awaiting core to be brought up and cut and boxed for a closer look.
It’s this anticipation that gets the adrenaline flowing and there’s nothing more exciting than wetting a section of core and having a profile of the once unknown confirm positive.
Unlike other professions, mining is still a hit-and-miss business and even with advances in exploration technology, the odds for a miss are still there and will never go away.
Kind of like the bugs at work.
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