[e-Magazine] The miner with the heart of a hero and the mind of a scientist

Pham Dinh Duan, an underground coal miner at Mining Workshop 14, Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company, was recently honored in the program "Honoring Vietnam". The miner with calloused hands from holding on to the drill and the pickaxe is not only a hero in the life-and-death battles underground but also a master of mining, the "father" of a series of initiatives worth hundreds of millions of dong. His story is an epic about the love of the job, the intelligence and courage of the Vietnamese miner in the new era.

Born in 1986 in the rice-growing land of Thai Binh , young man Pham Dinh Duan came to the mining profession as a matter of fate. The stories about the resilient miners, about the "black gold" of the Fatherland told by his uncles and aunts working in the mines every time they returned to their hometown, planted a strong inspiration in his heart.

“Just one sentence, ‘This guy is tall and big, good for mining’ made me pack my bags and leave my hometown for Quang Ninh to start a business in 2005,” Mr. Duan recalled.

In the early days of working in the mine, facing a particularly hard, toxic and potentially dangerous working environment, Mr. Duẩn was discouraged at times. But then, the miners' tradition of "Discipline and Unity" and the great role of the coal industry in the country's development tempered his will, turning difficulties into motivation. He threw himself into learning and working with all his passion and enthusiasm.

His brave heart and the spirit of "Miner - Soldier" were most clearly demonstrated in the thrilling rescue on April 15, 2023. A serious mine collapse occurred at Mining Workshop 4, burying and trapping two teammates. As soon as he received the summons, without a second's hesitation, Pham Dinh Duan immediately appeared, assigned to lead an elite rescue team.

The scene at that time was extremely complicated: the tunnel was steep, narrow, the geology was weak, and the rocks and soil were constantly collapsing. Time passed by every minute, and the hope of saving his teammates became increasingly fragile. With his extensive experience, understanding of every corner of the tunnel and sharp thinking, right at the scene, Mr. Duẩn came up with a bold idea and reported directly to the Deputy Director who was in command on the spot: " Dig the enamel furnace, use hydraulic support columns, to quickly approach the location of the two trapped workers".

This was an unprecedented rescue solution here, but it was the most feasible and safest option in an urgent situation. His proposal was immediately approved by the Company's Board of Directors and the Mine Rescue Center. Under his direct command, Mr. Duẩn and his teammates carried out the enamel furnace excavation at lightning speed. In a narrow space, with lurking dangers, the Vang Danh miners performed a miracle.

“I am truly happy that after nearly 15 hours with a lot of efforts from the leaders of TKV Group and the Company, the rescue forces and especially the team of skilled, elite and experienced miners of Vang Danh Coal, the Company successfully and safely rescued 2 workers trapped under the mine. I myself was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Company Director and a bonus of 20 million VND, and was commended and rewarded by the General Director of the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group”, Mr. Duan shared.

What is special about miner Pham Dinh Duan is that he has a Master's degree in mining. With this level of education, he could have chosen a lighter job. But no, he chose to stay in the mine, with the coal mirrors, the sound of drilling machines and his beloved teammates. He believes that book knowledge must be tested and shine in practical production.

And the mind of the engineer, the master has really shown its powerful effect hundreds of meters deep underground. During his working process, he has had dozens of solutions and technical innovation initiatives, of which 12 initiatives were recognized at the Company level, 1 initiative at the Group level and was awarded the Creative Labor Certificate by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor .

One of the most typical initiatives is "Processing and installing additional tape storage frames for the DSJ80/40/2x75 conveyor belt". Previously, this conveyor belt could only store 20-40m of tape before having to be cut, causing waste and requiring a lot of labor. With experience and technical calculations, he proposed to process 8 more tape storage frames. This solution helps increase the length of the cut tape to 75-80m, reduce the number of cuts, increase labor productivity and benefit the company by more than 231 million VND. This initiative brought him the prestigious Creative Labor Certificate from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in 2022.

More specifically, with his strategic vision, he made an important discovery that brought a large source of resources to the company. When he learned that the mining license in the Vang Danh Center Seam 8 area was about to expire, while the remaining coal reserves were quite large, he discovered an unlicensed protective pillar area that could be exploited. He boldly proposed that the leadership include this reserve in the license renewal application. Thanks to this valuable proposal, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment granted the license, helping the company to mine tens of thousands of tons of additional coal, avoiding wasting national resources. This initiative was recognized by TKV Group as a Group-level initiative in 2024.

His initiatives not only bring economic value but also directly improve working conditions and enhance safety for workers, from digging drainage ditches, changing transportation methods, to using steel mesh to replace wooden blocks... All come from his concern, exploration and deep love for the profession.

Not only a production and creative "machine", Mr. Duẩn is also a teacher, a devoted elder brother, a "fire keeper" for the next generations of miners. As the Production Team Leader managing 35 workers, he is always the leader, setting an example in everything. Production Team No. 1 under his charge has been awarded the title of "Excellent Labor Team" for many consecutive years, with no work accidents, always being the locomotive of the workshop. The average income of the team members is always high, from 19-22 million VND/person/month, many people have an income of over 300 million VND/year.

Understanding that the coal industry is a hard, toxic industry, and has potential risks of causing unsafe production, as a long-time coal miner, dedicated and passionate about his job, with a high level of skill, Mr. Duan always accepts and listens to constructive opinions from his colleagues to guide and mentor his colleagues to grow.

“I use my own practical experience to instruct new colleagues: students in the internship group, new workers, and especially sincerely use my love for the job and the Company to propagate to them. The happiness I receive in return is that I am trusted and respected by my colleagues in the group and in the unit,” he said.

Over the past 10 years, Mr. Duẩn has directly mentored 38 new workers and 32 interns, helping 25 people successfully upgrade their worker level. Under his guidance, 12 people have achieved the title of "Company-level Skilled Worker", 7 people have achieved "Group-level Skilled Worker", and 3 excellent workers have been assigned to work as team leaders and furnace managers in other units.

As Vice President of the Departmental Union, he always cares about the lives and protects the legitimate rights of workers. He is a reliable bridge between workers and leaders, contributing to building a united and strong collective.

With more than 19 years of working in the profession, miner Pham Dinh Duan has received numerous noble awards: Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister, Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Industry and Trade, Certificate of Creative Labor, 10 consecutive years as a grassroots Emulation Fighter, Emulation Fighter at the Group level, "National Excellent Young Worker", "Honorary Citizen of Uong Bi City"... And now it is the honor to be named at "Glory of Vietnam".

The journey of miner Pham Dinh Duan is a vivid testament to the image of the Vietnamese worker in the new era: knowledgeable, skilled, compassionate, full of enthusiasm and aspiration to contribute. He, a miner with the heart of a hero and the mind of a Master, is working with his teammates, day and night, silently writing epics from deep underground, illuminating the "black gold" of the Fatherland.