J.Enkhjargal holds the key to the vital assets used in the operation of Oyu Tolgoi’s mine infrastructure. These include; rope safety harnesses, safety harness belts and other safety products and equipment which are critical for the mine. She is responsible for assets stored in five containers at the mine’s yard.
“All our safety products and equipment are of a high standard and are imported from countries where mining is highly developed such as Australia and Canada. They all have certificates of origin as well as the original tags. Once every month and again each quarter I draw up an inventory of the items in stock and every morning my job is to distribute the safety products and equipment requested for the day and count them in again in the evening upon return. This is the kind of important work I do,” said Enkhjargal.
Enkhjargal has to be particularly careful about the condition of safety products and their usage. Any miscalculation could result in ropes snapping and equipment being lifted unsafely. Therefore, she has to be careful when handing out safety equipment. At the mine, as many as nine hoisting machines can be operating in one shift and the right safety products and equipment must be distributed for the purpose intended.
Enkhjargal started working at Oyu Tolgoi three years ago. She previously worked briefly with the Ministry of Fuel and Energy and then spent almost 20 years working as an overhead crane operator at the Sharyn Gol coal mine. When asked why she chose to become a crane operator, Enkhjargal replied: “I actually graduated from a forestry school in Khialganat and I worked briefly as a forestry specialist. But not very long after that, I was lucky to find a job in Sharyn Gol where I was born and grew up. Would you believe that the overhead cranes used at the Sharyn Gol mine were all operated by women?” Her husband, N. Batdorj also worked for many years at the Sharyn Gol mine.
“When I first came to work at Oyu Tolgoi I thought this was a really hot place in terms of climate. But I am now used to the weather here. I feel proud to be working here, at one of the biggest projects in Mongolia. I am also happy working at Oyu Tolgoi because my family’s livelihood is improving and I am proud to be contributing to the company which is now in the middle of transitioning from construction to an operating business. I have high hopes for the future of the company as well as my personal life and family,” said smiling Enkhjargal, the asset manager at Oyu Tolgoi mine.
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