It’s All Mine

Nottinghamshire is famous for its coal deposits but it also has huge deposits of gypsum that is used in the production of products as diverse as plasterboard, ceramics, paint, food, and dentistry. Extracted from opencast mines, the deposits are found about seven metres below ground in local mudstones.

So Mansfield MSST Paul Cobby's past experience as a plant fitter proved a good grounding when he was called out recently to help in both of the county's major mining industries.

Key Machine
The first call came from Caledonian Mining which had found a leaking hydraulic hose on one of its Komatsu excavators. "The excavator is the key machine at Bantycock Quarry where they mine alabaster for British Gypsum," Paul says. "This is the machine that loads the company’s trucks so it was vital to get it back into production. I'm pleased to say we had the excavator back in action very quickly.”

No sooner had Paul repaired the Komatsu than he was called to repair the main pump hose on a Caterpillar excavator being used by East Midlands Demolition to demolish parts of the former Clipston Coal Mine facility.

Waiting for the Swamp Call
Paul Cobby started with Pirtek in 2006 and now holds a City & Guilds Health and Safety certificate together with a safe driver award. He says enjoys working with plant and the variety his job involves. “Working for Pirtek is a great job,” he concludes with a smile. “You can guarantee the next the call will be in the middle of the night to say a customer has had a breakdown in the middle of a swamp. But it’s all part of the job."