A heading is the advancing face of an underground tunnel, drift, or gallery, specifically where miners are actively cutting into solid rock or coal. It represents the very front of the excavation work. The term also applies to the entire tunnel being driven before it connects to other workings to establish ventilation or haulage routes.
Heard on the job
The jumbo drill is set up in the north heading, ready to bore the next round.
Insider tip
When a heading finally connects with another tunnel, it usually gets reclassified as a drift, crosscut, or specific airway.