To demonstrate this, we have listed some of the industries and problems faced at companies that we have worked with in the past. Coal, gold, lead, tin, nickel. Open cut, underground, room and pillar, retreat, longwall, open stope. The high cost of today's mining equipment necessitates running all equipment for as many hours as possible every week. Maintenance requirements frequently cause conflicts with production activities.
Labor costs are a significant portion of the cost of mining.
This results in lean staffing which, in turn, results in many problems associated with overtime distribution and absenteeism. The marginal cost of additional production can make spot market sales very lucrative. Equipment costs vary widely from one manufacturing operation to another. If the equipment is expensive, companies strive to get the maximum utilization out of every piece. Under both scenarios, shiftwork becomes a byproduct of growth.