CUSTOM UNDERGROUND SEATS from Modern Motor Trimmers

Underground trucks and equipment are designed specifically for the environment that they are working in. Miners regularly consider not only the space available for a piece of equipment to operate within, but all other ‘spaces’ that the machine may need to venture through to get to its place of work. In addition, hanging ventilation or mine-service structures will also play a part in defining the physical size restrictions at play when selecting suitable equipment.

Mining underground is different, not to mention difficult and challenging.

We know that safety is of paramount importance in all mine environments, and more so underground. The underground operator needs to wear and have access to rescue packs, devices that are physically worn around the waist with straps or harnesses. Sometimes referred to as self-contained self-rescue devices (SCSR), these are portable devices that provide an oxygen source for those times when the surrounding atmosphere is either contaminated with toxic gases, or when immediate oxygen levels are low.

But how does an operator sit comfortably on a normal seat with these units strapped to their waist?

You wouldn’t put a normal piece of earthmoving machinery in the underground environment, so why would you do the same with seats? On a standard seat the normal supportive ‘wings’ would get in the way, leaving the operator vulnerable to back injury due to being forced to sit in an unnatural, uncomfortable position.

At MMT we now have a range of custom underground seats based on the ISRI Mining/Construction range. These seats feature a cutaway section designed especially with the SCSR in mind. With six options of seats available, we can offer seats rated up to 150kg, either air assisted or with manual controls. All seats are fully reclinable and can be further modified for your specific needs.

Call us for more details, or ask us to design something that will suit your specific requirements.

MEET THE TEAM: Tony Mobilia

We’d like to welcome Tony Mobilia to MMT who has joined us working in the Sales & Customer Service Area. Many of you may have bumped into Tony before, as he has over 24 years experience within the industry.

Having worked with other brands during the course of his career, over the last few years Tony has been keen to expand his horizons and get involved with the ISRI product.

“I have known the MMT people for a while and I had always wanted to work with a more modern product, which can certainly be said of the ISRI range.” says Tony. ”When the chance came up to work here I jumped at it. The ISRI range is a technologically more advanced product than what I had been previously working with. So I just reckon this opens up a great set of applications which will be pretty exciting to be involved in.”

Garry Spouge, Managing Director of Modern Motor Trimmers says Tony’s skill set will allow the business to grow even further. “We just think with Tony having been exposed to different sets of people and circumstances, he will allow us to open our eyes to different opportunities that we may not have focused on before.”

Tony hopes this sentiment is correct. “ I hope to be able to bring a few new ideas into the business, and use some of the contacts that I have made over the years to open a few doors. For myself I’m looking forward to getting involved in the mining industry and learning a few new things myself”.

Tony’s favourite part of the job is to get out and meet customers, so there’s a good chance that you’ll see him out on the road sometime soon.

MAINTAIN YOUR OWN BODY : Invest in yourself

Every day as we drive around our great state, we see a whole range of different cars on the road.  For the most part they look in pretty good shape.  It seems like people are doing a good job at keeping up regular maintenance schedules, whether they are doing this themselves or sending them out to the dealer.

It only makes sense to be looking after your investment.

This not only prolongs the life of the car, it helps you maintain your warranty, it helps the car hold it’s value, not to mention reducing the long term costs you will incur.  Overall, this just gives you some peace of mind.

If we’re so pedantic with our cars, why don’t we look after ourselves the same way?  The last two issues of MMT News featured ways in which you can help maintain your health at work by setting up, maintaining and changing out your seats at regular intervals.  If you don’t get this right, you end up uncomfortable, tired and may have back problems.

In continuing this theme, we want to ask - why not make an investment in yourself?  To have a reliable body, you need to maintain your back. Sitting in an uncomfortable and un-ergonomical seat all day could lead to future problems for your body.

Make sure you know how to set up your seat properly, keep up regular maintenance, and change them out when required.  Your back and family will thank you for it. 

INVEST IN YOURSELF

REGULAR MAINTENANCE
BENEFIT	Car	YOU
Prolong Life	Yes	Yes - certainly quality of life
Maintain Warranty	Yes	The healthier you are, the easier it is to get health cover
Holds Value	Yes	A sore back would certainly reduce your ability to contribute at work and at home
Long Term Cost	Yes	A healthier you reduces your medical bills
Peace of Mind	Yes	Healthy body - Yes