A traditional term for the active working face of a coal seam where miners cut and load the mineral. It refers to the solid wall of coal that is being advanced upon during extraction. Managing the bank requires careful attention to roof support and gas emissions as fresh coal is exposed.
Heard on the job
We need to advance the bank another three feet before we set the next row of props.
Also heard as
- working face
Related terms
Coalface
The advancing boundary of a coal seam that is actively being mined.
Bord
An underground working place or tunnel driven at right angles to the natural cleavage of the coal seam.
Longwall
An underground coal mining method that extracts a wide panel in a single continuous slice.
Heading
A horizontal tunnel or gallery being driven into an ore body or coal seam.