Kenneth van Wyk
A JACK OF ALL TRADES RIGGER IN THE PRODUCTION-INTENSIVE MINING SECTOR
“My unique skill set, coupled with my track record of excellent performance and years of practical onsite experience, makes me highly employable.”
Mining Riggers specialize in assembling and taking down mining equipment, scaffolding and moving heavy machinery. They are responsible for aligning and anchoring the machinery, attaching loads, controlling the movement of heavy equipment, and ensuring the rigging is safe for use. Meet Kenneth van Wyk, a Mining Rigger, employed at Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb. This is his story.
CHILDHOOD
Born and raised at Keetmanshoop in the //Kharas region, the youngest of six siblings, Kenneth wanted to become a medical doctor. This made sense to many, as Kenneth’s mother was a nurse.
“I guess the dream to become a doctor could be ascribed to the fact that my mother worked at a hospital. I knew more than your average kid about what doctors did and I thought that it would be cool to become one. Yes, that was the plan”, Kenneth shares.
However, not being able to pursue his dream upon completing Grade 12 at the harbour town of Luderitz, Kenneth started working with his brother, who was a carpenter.
“Look, my late father didn’t tolerate laziness. Yes, the emphasis was on our school work, but he also ensured that my brothers and I could work with our hands, in and around the house, as well. So, after finishing school, I couldn’t just sit idle at home. I’m the type that needs to keep busy, so I joined my brother and was able to earn a few bucks”, he recalls.
CAREER CHOICE
Kenneth’s father didn’t take well to his technically-inclined son not finding direction in life, approached family members in Windhoek to identify opportunities for the young boy. “My cousins in Windhoek, one was a mechanical engineer and the other a telecommunications expert, recommended that I enroll at the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology, at Arandis. They thought Fitter and Turner was an excellent option and that it would suit me well”, Kenneth notes.
Kenneth’s application for admission was successful. “It’s difficult to explain, but I felt right at home. I didn’t find it difficult at all to adjust. In fact, being surrounded by so many like-minded and technically talented peers, all eager to obtain a qualification, just motivated me to work hard and to give it my all”, he recalls.
The hard work and dedication paid off. At the end of the training year, Kenneth was amongst NIMT’s top ten Fitter and Turner trainees. “I was so proud. And so were my family members. The recognition you get from your classmates who start looking up to you, because they admire your talent and dedication. It helps in pushing you to do even better”, Kenneth adds.
BURSARY
Kenneth’s excellent performance did not go unnoticed. At the time, the Rossing Uranium Mine, with whom NIMT shares close ties, approached the institution to identify and recommend trainee candidates to be trained in the area of mining rigging.
“The mine’s bursary was for an opportunity to qualify as a rigger/ropesman, specializing in mining rigging. Now, at the time I didn’t have the slightest clue of what rigging entailed. So, how do I say yes to something when I don’t know what it was all about?”, Kenneth recalls.
Under pressure to respond to the bursary offer, Kenneth reached out to his telecommunications expert cousin in Windhoek to solicit his views. “My cousin made it clear. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. He explained that my trade of Fitter and Turner and its mechanical focus would actually stand me in good stead for training in this field. He also stressed that very few Namibians are appropriately qualified and that obtaining such a qualification would significantly improve my future job prospects, because riggers are highly in demand. It was really a no-brainer”, Kenneth recalls.
TRAINING
Kenneth’s intensive training at the Anglo American Engineering Skills Training Centre in South Africa covered aspects such as rigging equipment, hitch configurations, signal operations, load weight and centre of gravity, lifting and moving loads, as well as associated hazards and onsite safety management. “In as much as it was a new field, I settled in straight away. The fact that our trainers were seasoned and experienced industry experts also helped”, he emphasizes.
A big positive for Kenneth was that parallel to the rigging training, NIMT allowed him to continue with his Fitter and Turner training course. “Yes, I was training in South Africa, but I didn’t have to give up on my Fitter and Turner course. I think my trainers at NIMT had trust in me and knew that I would be able to complete both”, he shares.
Soon, Kenneth had both qualifications under the belt. In honouring his bursary obligations, he joined the Rossing Uranium Mine where he had the opportunity to apply his newly acquired rigging skills, under the tutelage and guidance of seasoned experts.
“I remember, on that very first day, the riggers had to move a massive acid storage tank with just two cranes. It was like a spectator show because the whole mine came to watch and observe. I wasn’t convinced that they would be able to. I had to swallow my words”, Kenneth adds.
FIRST JOB
That first onsite rigging experience at Rossing Uranium Mine, and the use of cranes on the day, made a lasting impact on Kenneth. “It excited me to know that soon I would be able to oversee such rigging processes myself. In fact, I remember thinking that I’ve definitely made the right choice; that mining rigging and ropesman work is what I wanted to do. That experience just had such a reassuring effect”, he shares.
The competencies he acquired as a qualified Fitter and Turner, stood him in good stead and soon Kenneth started to make a good impression on colleagues and supervisors, alike.
“Although two standalone trades, these two fields actually go hand-in-hand. So, whereas the rigging and ropesman competencies are applied towards moving and relocating the very heavy equipment and mining infrastructure, the fitter and turner skills, in turn, are applied towards properly installing and securing such pieces”, he explains.
“I’ll always look back at those first days as fond memories. I was given a golden opportunity and working with seasoned riggers and ropesmen, I was able to grow my skill set and develop a deeper practical understanding of this field. Make no mistake, it required effort and dedication. But, I didn’t disappoint”, Kenneth adds.
SEASONED JOURNEYMAN
Today, Kenneth takes charge of most rigging and ropesman assignments at Dundee Precious Metals Tsumeb.
Before joining DPMT, he also had rigging and fitter stints at other employers in the mining sector, including Swakop Uranium from 2018 to 2020, and B2Gold, outside Otjiwarongo, from 2016 to 2018.
“The reality is that there are not that many
Namibians aptly qualified in this line of work. My fitter and turner qualification makes my skill set quite unique and coupled with my track record of excellent performance and my years of practical onsite experience at uranium, gold and copper mines, I remain highly employable”, he emphasizes.
“This is exciting, but demanding work. You need to know what you are doing. Furthermore, mining is a production-intensive space and every minute counts. So, you need to play your part in ensuring that downtime is limited and that production is not compromised. Because, if production suffers, profits suffer. In the mining sector, production levels are everything. Lowered production often just dominoes into further challenges for the mine. So, you need to work with precision, accuracy and speed”, Kenneth adds.
SPECIALIZED WORK
Moving and installing big objects on mining site is not a task completed in a hurry. It requires a thorough appreciation of load weights, hoisting capacities and the working limits of equipment. Mathematical precision, determination, teamwork and quick-thinking ability are key. Kenneth ticks all the boxes.
“Standardised rigging techniques are necessary for a few reasons. Firstly, they are usually tried and tested, having been based on fundamental physics principles and engineering standards. My team and I are well-versed in these techniques. However, every situation is unique and brings with it its own set of challenges. So, at the end of the day, you need to come up with a solution. That’s where the experience comes into play”, he explains.
Safety is a key aspect of rigger work, because there are many variables at play while a rigger attempts to hoist a large object. Kenneth understands mining operations. He appreciates the risks and is always very safety-conscious.
“So, whenever you need to lift, or reposition a load, you should bear in consideration the weight thereof. The weight very much determines what equipment you are to select. To explain, I can’t lift a five ton weight object with a three ton sling. Furthermore, is it going to be a tandem lift or a critical lift?”, Kenneth adds.
LIFELONG LEARNER
Currently enrolled for a qualification in project management, Kenneth aspires to become a mechanical engineer and to set up his own company. “
The project management course is really just about the softer skills, and ensuring that I play catchup in this regard. But, the long-term dream is to qualify as a mechanical engineer. This is so, because I want to set up my own company through which I can then render engineering and other related services to mines and other industrial entities. I want my children to be involved, as well”, he shares.
Kenneth also dreams of setting up a local Namibian mining rigging training institution where more Namibians could be trained in this exciting field. “This type of training is not that readily available in our country. So, unfortunately, young Namibians wanting to enter this line of work still need to go to South Africa, or elsewhere, to access such training services. We need to change that. I want to change that”, he emphasizes.
His colleagues value Kenneth’s passion for the work he performs. They appreciate his commitment and technical acumen. To them, he is a team leader they look up to.
“This is exciting, but demanding work. You need to know what you are doing, because mining is a productionintensive space and every minute counts.”
FAMILY MAN
Time away from the mine’s smelter is spent with family or in his woodwork workshop at home. “The woodwork hobby is just part of my makeup and it’s rubbing off on my three sons. They enjoy being around me when I’m busy with my projects. Technically-inclined like their dad, I guess. In fact, the youngest one is already imagining working at the mine. When I leave for work, he picks up his bag and wants to come along”, Kenneth notes.
As far as his two daughters are concerned, Kenneth hopes that they too can become part of the family enterprise he plans to set up. “They can work with the books; the administration side of things. They’ll flourish in such an environment”, he shares.
Kenneth van Wyk. Meticulous, thorough and reliable. His in-depth knowledge of his occupation and equipment and his detailed approach to quality and high performance make him an asset to the mining sector. His story teaches us the value of persistence; that there’s only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.
You too can ‘Live Your Passion’ and become a Mining Rigger, like Kenneth.