Meeting different cultures and people
Brian Choto
Expat Heavy Duty Mechanic/ Technician
Summary
With over 22 years of experience in the mining and mechanical industry, my expertise spread across most aspects of underground trackless mining technology. After graduating from Mutare Polytechnic as a class one trade tested Diesel Mechanic, I joined KW Blasting as a diesel mechanic where I worked on light vehicle, trucks, air compressors and component repairs to include engines for a period of 4 years. I then joined Sandvik Mining and Construction South Africa, where I have honed my expertise in hydraulics, electro-hydraulics and machine maintenance and planning for 3 years before joining Samancor Eastern Chrome Mines, Styldrift Platinum, and Northam Booysendal Platinum Mines holding various positions as a Diesel mechanic, Master Artisan and later promoted to Maintenance Supervisor. Currently working at Sandvik Mining and Construction Tanzania as an Expat Field service technician covering Barrick Gold Mines situated in Tarime (Nyamongo) and Bulyanhulu in Kahama areas and also Geita Gold Mine. My core competencies lies in maintaining, fault-finding, electrical/hydraulic schematic reading and servicing complex mining machinery, mainly SANDVIK underground equipment, drill rigs/ bolters equipped with THC 560, THC 561 drilling circuits both double and single boom DD210L, DD211L, DS211L, DL321, DL210, DD321, DD421, DS421 Cable bolter, Load haul & dumpers LH006, 115, 207, 208, 410, 514, 517, 621 and Dump trucks Toro 40D, 50D, TH430, TH515, TH540, TH545i & TH663i ensuring high level of operational efficiency. At Sandvik our team excels in training/ equipping mechanical teams with technical knowledge, fault-finding, equipment audit, maintenance and solving intricate mechanical and electrical issues, which has been central to my work experience. I have acquired extensive experience in EPEC systems and passionate in experiencing new cultures, desire for personal and professional growth, achieving targets, looking for increased responsibility and willing to embrace new challenges.
Technical support professional skilled in resolving customer issues and optimizing system performance. Proven ability to adapt to evolving technologies and ensure smooth operations. Reliable team player focused on achieving results and adapting to changing needs.
Experienced with diagnosing and resolving technical problems efficiently. Utilizes strong communication skills to convey complex information clearly. Track record of providing exceptional customer support and ensuring system reliability.
Knowledgeable HD Mechanic with comprehensive background in product support and troubleshooting. Successfully resolved technical issues, enhancing user experience and system reliability. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information clearly and collaborate effectively with team members.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
4025
4025
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Language
Work History
Expat Field Service / Product Support Technician
SANDVIK MINING AND CONSTRUCTION TANZANIA
07.2024 - Current
- Company Overview: Barrick Gold Bulyanhulu Mine
- Safety leader – ensuring a healthy and safe environment for all employees by actively promoting and fostering the development of a pro-active site safety behaviors
- Detailed reporting on equipment condition
- Ensuring that equipment are maintained in a safe and cost-effective manner
- Committing to Zero Harm to environment, employees and mobile equipment
- Component and equipment repairs
- Transfer knowledge to local customer technicians daily
- Complete root cause analysis on failed components/ equipment
- Prioritize and schedule follow up services/ maintenance plan / backlog
- Develop and review component change out plans for each customer
- Helping customer in proper maintenance planning and ensuring that all planned works are executed according to Sandvik standards both engineering and safety
- Daily checking of equipment, fault notification and job risk assessment
- Provide technical training and arrange workshops on all equipment
- Mechanical Maintenance
- Conducting mechanical maintenance, deployment, troubleshooting, replacement, repair, and testing of Sandvik equipment according to OEM specifications and safety standards to ensure equipment availability and optimal mining operations and production
- Performing preventive maintenance routines and inspections
- Ensuring a work order before the remedial or repair work is carried out
- Raise a job card for work to be carried out, if any problems are identified
- Accomplish work objectives by determining work schedule
- Attend to items on the maintenance planning schedule, as and when required
- Perform installations, maintenance and repair activities, in accordance with OEM specifications
- Troubleshooting technical and / or operational problems
- Performing routine maintenance on all mechanical equipment and ensure effective functioning, including but not limited to maintenance of Sandvik LHD/Trucks/drills, and support equipment
- Perform a variety of other maintenance tasks, such as breakdowns and preventative maintenance
- Disassemble and assemble various major components for repair works
- Ensuring that all lock-out / tag-outs are completed, before any work is carried out
- Providing information in terms of damages to equipment and components
- Assisting in making more complex repairs
- Working within established procedures and operating manuals, as set out by the OEMs and best practice
- Checking that daily and rotational quality targets are achieved, including First Stop After PM (FSAPM), Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) and Mean Time To Repairs (MTTR)
- Conducting daily inspection and lube services to the machines
- Collecting oil samples from mining fleet using best practices to minimize contamination
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by promptly addressing and resolving product-related issues.
- Stayed current with industry developments through ongoing professional development activities such as webinars, conferences, and trade shows participation.
- Delivered top-notch customer service, effectively managing high call volumes and maintaining a professional demeanor under pressure.
- Implemented new procedures that streamlined workflows while maintaining high-quality standards for customer support services.
Maintenance Foreman
Northam Platinum Booysendal Mines
06.2023 - 06.2024
- Company Overview: Limpopo South Africa
- Attending Maintenance / Mining Pre-Shift Meetings each shift
- Ensuring that the necessary lockout procedures are in place before commencing work on any equipment
- Conducting required inspection to maximise equipment availability
- Assessing potential hazards and make necessary changes to eliminate or control them, reporting to supervisor as per policy
- Strong in schematics/ diagram reading and interpretation both Electrical and mechanical
- Analyzing failed parts and components and correct malfunctions(RCFA)
- Ensure that all underground equipment are mechanically and electrically maintained in accordance with company policy and to the same specifications as provided for by the OEM
- Maintain a clean and safe workspace, and abide by workplace health and safety policies and procedures
- Equipment and job status handovers with mine supervisors and cross shift artisans
- Equipment audits and ensure SOPs are known and adhered to by employees
- Identification of potential hazards and ensuring appropriate action is taken
- Carry out troubleshooting, fault finding and corrective maintenance on hydraulics, engines & transmissions
- Removing of machine components and replacement
- Planning, ordering and following up of spares
- On job training on mechanical, electrical and boilermaker artisans and trainees by conducting PTOs
- Creating and signing off job cards
- Project management on PDS installation on machinery (Level 9 man machine interface), equipment rewiring, mini rebuild on equipment and construction work within my area of responsibility
- Revising Trackless Mobile Machinery Standard operating procedures
- Adherence to safety procedures
- Safety leader
- Conflict management between subordinates
- Limpopo South Africa
Underground Fitter/Diesel mechanic
Royal Bafokeng Platinum Mine
10.2020 - 09.2022
- Company Overview: Rustenburg
- Attending Maintenance / Mining Pre-Shift Meetings each shift
- Conducting operator pre-start checks on mobile plant and light vehicles prior to operation
- Cleaning and maintaining cleanliness of underground vehicles/machinery
- Assessing potential hazards and make necessary changes to eliminate or control them, reporting to supervisor as per policy
- Ensuring that the necessary lockout procedures are in place before commencing work on any equipment
- Conducting required inspection to maximise equipment utilization
- Ensuring that the OEM and critical control safety systems are maintained to the highest integrity
- Providing breakdown mechanical repairs to mobile equipment as necessary to surface and underground equipment
- Analyzing failed parts and components and correct malfunctions(RCFA)
- Using diagnostic equipment and techniques to perform component replacements on electrical, hydraulic, mechanical systems
- Assemble, install, repair and maintain hydraulic pneumatic, electronic units
- Rebuild, adjust and service a variety of components such as engines, transmissions
- Differentials, steering systems, electrical, suspension and monitoring systems
- Service fuel and fuel injection systems, emission control, lubricating and power assist equipment
- Diagnose and repair internal combustion and diesel engines and hydraulic system lift mechanisms
- Ensure that all underground equipment are mechanically and electrically maintained in accordance with company policy and to the same specifications as provided for by the OEM
- Make up hydraulic hoses as required
- Ensuring pre-start service and repair documentation is completed in a timely and accurate manner
- Ensuring the maintenance foreman is aware of the necessary procurement of spares and consumables required to continue smooth operation of the workshop
- Carry out scheduled servicing to mobile equipment in a safe manner and in accordance with procedure, regulations and the relevant service sheets
- Reading and interpreting service and spare parts manuals
- Reporting all equipment faults to the maintenance foreman for scheduling into the workshop weekly planning
- Maintain a clean and safe workspace, and abide by workplace health and safety policies and procedures
- Equipment and job status handovers with mine supervisors and cross shift operators
- Adjusting system pressures, fitting wheel motors, hydrostatic tramming pumps, transmission, torque converters, engines, cylinders and frame related components
- Understanding and fault finding on CANBUS system
- Rustenburg
- Applied strong problem-solving skills to address unexpected challenges that arose during the fitting process.
- Measured, marked, cut, bored, fitted and installed various piping or structural components in accordance with blueprints and job specifications using hand and power tools.
- Followed safe work practices, which included fall protection and personal protective equipment.
- Reduced downtime by performing preventative maintenance on equipment, ensuring smooth operations.
Maintenance Artisan / Trackless Foreman
Samancor Eastern Chrome Mines
02.2010 - 10.2020
- Company Overview: Steelpoort, LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA
- Promoted the development of sound engineering and maintenance practices
- Ensured maintenance system were understood and complied with by the maintenance team
- This included overseeing compliance to the Weekly Maintenance Plan and providing feedback daily on issues that prevent the daily plan being executed effectively
- Review planned maintenance schedules to ensure all required activities are recorded and the correct resources and spare parts are available
- Maintaining open communication with the team, providing feedback and achieving maintenance goals
- Dedicated commitment to health, safety and environmental responsibilities
- Ensured that all safety incidents and hazards are correctly documented and followed up
- Identification of potential hazards and ensuring appropriate action is taken
- Communicate regularly with Maintenance Superintendent to ensure maintenance schedules and equipment is correctly isolated for maintenance when required
- Actively lead by example and contribute to improvements in safety culture and processes to ensure ongoing, practical improvements in safe work practices
- Ensure all personnel are trained to the required competency level and all training records are kept with the responsible department
- Ensure respective roster is effectively managed to ensure adequate personnel are available to carry out the required work, this includes the effective communication of this roster to the work team
- Review on a regular basis sick leave within the work team to identify patterns of behavior and compliance to leave requirements
- Complete thorough investigations as required
- Maintenance on underground trackless mobile equipment
- Fault-finding on hydraulics, engines, transmissions
- Major component replacement
- Planning and scheduling equipment for maintenance
- Performing fault-finding on machines
- Identifying areas of non-conformance and initiating corrective and improvement action
- Ensuring the availability of the machines for production
- Leading and performing apprenticeship training to learners
- Manage performance against set targets and competencies
- Couch and counsel employees to ensure improved performance levels
- Manage risks by ensuring the legislated safety, health and environmental standards are maintained
- Supervising the engineering trackless team by ensuring that discipline is maintained at all times
- Root cause failure analysis (RCFA)
- Contractor management onsite
- Ensuring that spares are available
- Project management
- Steelpoort, LIMPOPO, SOUTH AFRICA
- Oversaw daily operations of the department, ensuring smooth workflow and timely completion of tasks.
- Inspected completed work to verify quality standards and compliance with criteria.
- Adapted workflows in response to changing environmental conditions or unexpected challenges encountered during construction activities.
- Implemented efficient work processes to boost overall productivity while reducing costs.
Maintenance Artisan mechanic/Charge hand
Sandvik Mining and Construction South Africa
05.2007 - 01.2010
- Company Overview: LONMIN Lebowakgomo & Hossy shaft Rustenburg
- Supervising maintenance crew
- Maintenance on drill rigs, UVs and LHDs
- Ensuring less down time
- Ordering of spares
- Assisting and supervising apprentices
- Semi rebuilding machines
- Fault-finding on hydraulics, engines and transmissions
- Doing planned task and safe behavioral observation
- Drifter maintenance
- LONMIN Lebowakgomo & Hossy shaft Rustenburg
4.1 Artisan Diesel mechanic
K.W Blasting Zimbabwe
06.2003 - 04.2007
- Semi rebuilding of surface rigs
- Maintenance on air compressors for mining
- Maintenance on trucks and light vehicles
- Field service
- Engine overhauling, gearbox overhauling, re-hosing on rigs
Education
National certificate in mechanics -
Mutare Polytechnic
05.1999 - 03.2002
Class one trade test - undefined
Industrial Trade & testing dept.
High School Diploma -
Biriiri High School
Zimbabwe 04.2001 - 11.1997
Basic rigging certificate - undefined
Accredited Comprehensive Training
Competent B certificate - undefined
Mining Qualification Authority
Occupational Health & Safety certificate - undefined
Mining Qualification Authority
S.A.P certificate -
Online Training
South AfricaS.A.P Plant Maintenance certificate -
Online Training
South AfricaTeam building certificate -
Inhouse Training
ZimbabweAdvanced hydraulics and pneumatics certificate -
Msasa Training Centre
ZimbabweSupervisory management - undefined
LOUIS ALLEN
First Aid certificate Level 1 -
EMS Training Centre
Polokwane, South AfricaSkills
Self-Motivated Work Ethic
Personal Information
- Passport Number: FN445620
- Date of Birth: 12/21/80
- Gender: Male
- Driving License: C1 or Code 10
- Marital Status: Married
Identity No
8012215936185
Interests
To experience new technology and management styles
Timeline
Expat Field Service / Product Support Technician
SANDVIK MINING AND CONSTRUCTION TANZANIA
07.2024 - Current
Maintenance Foreman
Northam Platinum Booysendal Mines
06.2023 - 06.2024
Underground Fitter/Diesel mechanic
Royal Bafokeng Platinum Mine
10.2020 - 09.2022
Maintenance Artisan / Trackless Foreman
Samancor Eastern Chrome Mines
02.2010 - 10.2020
Maintenance Artisan mechanic/Charge hand
Sandvik Mining and Construction South Africa
05.2007 - 01.2010
4.1 Artisan Diesel mechanic
K.W Blasting Zimbabwe
06.2003 - 04.2007
High School Diploma -
Biriiri High School
04.2001 - 11.1997
National certificate in mechanics -
Mutare Polytechnic
05.1999 - 03.2002
Class one trade test - undefined
Industrial Trade & testing dept.
Basic rigging certificate - undefined
Accredited Comprehensive Training
Competent B certificate - undefined
Mining Qualification Authority
Occupational Health & Safety certificate - undefined
Mining Qualification Authority
Supervisory management - undefined
LOUIS ALLEN
S.A.P certificate -
Online Training
S.A.P Plant Maintenance certificate -
Online Training
Team building certificate -
Inhouse Training
Advanced hydraulics and pneumatics certificate -
Msasa Training Centre
First Aid certificate Level 1 -
EMS Training Centre
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