9:45 PM 06/03/09
(click on pictures to enlarge)
I had a good day training today. The men are more relaxed around me and are asking lots of questions, all most too many. Most of the supervisors are South African and they yell at the men, call them names and will not give them any guidance on the jobs they assign to them. When the supervisors talk to me they tell me how stupid the Africans are. Why do people think this is the way to treat another human being???? The skill level of these students are much better than the group in Tanzania last year. All three have worked on heavy equipment in the past, they are all in their 20's, and very eager to learn about the trucks. The equipment at the mine is in poor,poor,poor along with poor maintenance conditions. The three Komatsu trucks are only 6 months old and are really beaten up. The condition is the same as most trucks 16 years old. I've pointed out many maintenance and safety items to them. All three expressed many thanks and stated no one has ever told them about these things. I think they may start changing.
I have been at the mine for three full days and they have had three damaged equipment property. Today one of the new Komatsu's was ran into by the loader and destroyed the grease injectors on the rear. I was talking to the shop foreman (from South Africa) he said the mine has 43 haul trucks. Today he has 24 of them down for maintenance repairs or equipment damage. The mine has given him only 4 mechanics to do the repairs, of course he says they are too stupid to do any repairs.
On the way back to the motel, we saw the spring bucks again. What a beautiful animal! When a car stops to look they seem to pose for them. We go to the mine around 6:30 AM, on the way we pass dozens of kids going to school all walking from Solwezi about 2 miles. They are dressed in clean uniforms, the boys have ties on and the girls all have matching dresses, and they are looking sharp. The people are very poor and still they dress their kids to go to school. What happened to the schools in America?
The red dust was blowing again today. I've got dust in ever pore of my body. I think I will have the dust with me forever. Talk again tomorrow.
Attached are pictures of the truck damage.
This truck ran into the back of another.
I had a good day training today. The men are more relaxed around me and are asking lots of questions, all most too many. Most of the supervisors are South African and they yell at the men, call them names and will not give them any guidance on the jobs they assign to them. When the supervisors talk to me they tell me how stupid the Africans are. Why do people think this is the way to treat another human being???? The skill level of these students are much better than the group in Tanzania last year. All three have worked on heavy equipment in the past, they are all in their 20's, and very eager to learn about the trucks. The equipment at the mine is in poor,poor,poor along with poor maintenance conditions. The three Komatsu trucks are only 6 months old and are really beaten up. The condition is the same as most trucks 16 years old. I've pointed out many maintenance and safety items to them. All three expressed many thanks and stated no one has ever told them about these things. I think they may start changing.
I have been at the mine for three full days and they have had three damaged equipment property. Today one of the new Komatsu's was ran into by the loader and destroyed the grease injectors on the rear. I was talking to the shop foreman (from South Africa) he said the mine has 43 haul trucks. Today he has 24 of them down for maintenance repairs or equipment damage. The mine has given him only 4 mechanics to do the repairs, of course he says they are too stupid to do any repairs.
On the way back to the motel, we saw the spring bucks again. What a beautiful animal! When a car stops to look they seem to pose for them. We go to the mine around 6:30 AM, on the way we pass dozens of kids going to school all walking from Solwezi about 2 miles. They are dressed in clean uniforms, the boys have ties on and the girls all have matching dresses, and they are looking sharp. The people are very poor and still they dress their kids to go to school. What happened to the schools in America?
The red dust was blowing again today. I've got dust in ever pore of my body. I think I will have the dust with me forever. Talk again tomorrow.
Attached are pictures of the truck damage.
This truck ran into the back of another.
Along with a picture of the red dust blowing all the time
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