Glossary
Roof Bolter Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential roof bolter terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key roof bolter vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in roof bolter training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Cut
- Area just mined.
- Dust control
- Reducing coal dust.
- Ground control
- Keeping rock stable.
- Haul road
- Road for mining trucks.
- Mantrip
- Vehicle carrying miners.
- Mesh
- Screen holding loose rock.
- Methane
- Explosive gas.
- MSHA
- Mine Safety and Health Administration.
- Part 46/48 training
- Required mine safety training.
- Plate
- Bearing plate under bolt.
- Pre-shift exam
- Safety check before work.
- Roof bolt
- Rod anchoring roof rock.
- Roof control plan
- Required support plan.
- Sounding
- Tapping the roof to test.
- Unsupported roof
- Area without bolts.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Roof Bolter practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Roof Bolter training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.