Weir Minerals has announced a collaboration with TAFE New South Wales to bring targeted rubber liner training to Australia, the first program of its kind that will offer nationally recognised education.

 

Darryl Crawford, quality assurance and training officer at Weir Minerals, said the task of rubber lining is one that requires both proper training and experience. Since it is used in mining as well as general industries it is an economical way to boost the life of a plant and its equipment. To date, a program of this kind has not been available anywhere in Australia.

“The installation of protective coating by untrained applicators can lead to very expensive failures resulting in unplanned downtime for repairs and relining, or even a catastrophic failure of the critical equipment,” he noted.

That, along with the ability to offer a steady stream of well-trained liners to the industry, was the impetus for Weir to work with TAFE NSW to customise a traineeship program to focus on this specific skill and knowledge.

Head Teacher of Industrial Painting and Blasting at TAFE NSW Ian Squire added that Weir Minerals employees across the country will be taking the training programme within a Certificate III in Surface Preparation and Coating Application that has been tailored specifically for rubber liners.

“Our TAFE NSW teachers [will] work closely with Weir Minerals in contextualising our training delivery and assessments to fit their business needs,” Squire said, noting trainees will learn laying-up rubber lining and lag pulleys, cutting polymer materials and preparing surfacing for coating. 

“TAFE NSW is proud to work with industry leaders Weir Minerals to deliver crucial training to their rubber liners and fill the skills gaps that exist in the sector.” 

Experienced rubber liners can complete the training in two years. Beginners will need three years to finish and receive their certification. This course will run in Australia in conjunction with the Weir Minerals global training programme to ensure that the consistent high quality of rubber lining is available to the industry.