The rapid rate of introducing new technology leads to the issue of staff awareness in operating the latest equipment. Many users do not understand how new devices work and how to use the new machines and gadgets. This article presents the results of research aimed at determining the influence of new technology on the technological awareness of mining workers. Surveys and advanced expert interviews have shown that the lack of technical knowledge means the introduced changes are often perceived negatively by staff and that the main reason for this outcome is the absence of effective education. Lack of knowledge means that frequently the effectiveness of the new and technologically advanced machines is marginal. Presented problems due to the high competition in the energy market have a crucial practical significance. The results of this research may be valuable as a source of information and knowledge for companies.

Harsh working conditions and the introduction of technologically advanced machines are placing growing demands on the qualifications of mine workers, forcing mine workers to undergo continuous training. This article presents the results of research concerning the evaluation of training and expectations of workers in a mining plant to identify further actions in this area. The results indicate that workers negatively evaluate previous training. Based on advanced expert interviews and panel discussions, the directions and recommendations regarding the necessary changes to training are set out. Employees suggest broadening the subject of occupational health and safety training. Their concerns relate to the operation and maintenance of new machines, telecommunication equipment, mining support, ventilation, and interpersonal communication. The results indicate a growing awareness among employees of the role and importance of training and the acceptance of upgrading skills as an investment in the future.

Despite the very rapid technological development, the general concept of mechanical devices has not changed. Still, the most common element of these devices are gears, whose range of use is very wide. There are both technological and historical considerations for the reconstruction of gears and other elements. In particular, this applies to spare parts for technical facilities that are not available on the market or service costs are too high. Contemporary reconstruction is called Reverse Engineering, which offers tools that allow transformation of an existing object through a virtual model into the final real product. Modern production engineering is based on innovative CAD – Computer Aided Designed design methods and computer-aided manufacturing technologies, CAM – Computer Aided Manufacturing. The rapid development of 3D CAD systems has led to the development of solutions to obtain the designed object, already at the development stage. Such a solution is the Rapid Prototyping method, designed for fast, precise and repeatable production of machine components. Widespread use and growing interest in the use of additive printing influenced the development of this technology. The purpose of the article is to present the practical application of the Reverse Engineering method and 3D printing in the reconstruction of gears. The object of research is the real gear, which has been reconstructed using Reverse Engineering and 3D printing. The article presents the basic assumptions of the methods used and the methodology for conducting reconstruction work. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) technology was used for the research. The results obtained are a real example of the practical application of the presented methods. At the same time, they create great opportunities for their wider use.

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies had to adapt quickly to survive in the market. During this time, employers played a key role, along with employees involved in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) activities, as they were responsible for implementing the recommendations of the European Commission. There is no unambiguous definition of OHS in Polish legislation. It is assumed that it is a set of rules defining the manner of performing work, and above all, a method of providing employees with working conditions so that their performance is safe and hygienic. Responsibility for the health and safety in the workplace is imposed on the employer by the legislature. Thus, effective health and safety training is an essential element of the success of any properly operating company. In the literature, no studies have been identified that evaluate the effectiveness of actions during the COVID-19 outbreak. The aim of the article is to present the actions of Polish employers along with their effectiveness assessment related to the protection of employees during the COVID-19 outbreak. The article presents a proposal for conducting remote OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) training using the platform Moodle. The created course was implemented during OHS training conducted in a selected manufacturing company. At its end, an evaluation of the course was carried out, and the collected opinions of training participants allowed the formulation of interesting conclusions, which became the contribution of this paper. The authors pay special attention to three main points of the work. The first is the form of training, which gives the possibility to conduct training at a distance while maintaining its effectiveness. The second important point is the mandatory feedback of the trainees, ensuring the possibility of continuous improvement and quality enhancement of both the program and the form of training. The evaluation was developed on the basis of the extended Kirkpatrick model, which is a completely new approach to OHS training evaluation. The third point emphasized by the authors is the possibility of precise adaptation of the training to other plants and even industries. Therefore, it can be concluded that the course developed by the authors is a very interesting and practical didactic tool with great implementation potential.

Students of the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology of the Wrocław University of Technology, together with engineers from KWK ROW Ruch Chwałowice, a part of Polska Grupa Górnicza S.A., conducted a survey among the group of underground workers. The selected target group included mechanical fitters, electricians and miners. The survey concerned the development of new technologies for underground coal mining. It was developed so that its form is understandable to the respondents. It contained 15 questions and the respondents were asked to choose only one answer for each question. The questionnaire was anonymous and contained questions about the period of seniority and the age of the respondent. The article presents opportunities arising from the introduction of Industry 4.0 in the context of improving safety and increasing coal production in underground mining. A historical view of industrial revolutions was developed based on available publications in order to briefly present the idea of Industry 4.0.

The aim of the article is to present the perspective of maintenance development in the context of the 4.0 industry concept. One of the factors that determine the safe and effective use of machines and devices is the properly maintained maintenance process. Correct performance of activities as part of this process requires the use of appropriate knowledge and experience from people implementing this process. Very important in this process is, above all, good organization of work and technical knowledge. The very rapid development of technology causes that teams dealing with the maintenance of traffic in enterprises must systematically acquire knowledge and optimize their activities. Effective exploitation of all types of devices is a set of rules, rules, procedures and actions, the main aspect of which is a human being. Knowledge resources should have appropriate substantive content adapted to the recipient. The article presents a modern solution supporting the maintenance process, taking into account the tools supporting the activities of human teams. The basic principles of maintenance in the enterprise covering machine monitoring systems, production management and management of information on the state of the machine park are discussed. There are also examples of the use of selected tools in the mining industry. Reference was also made to the prospects and directions of the development of maintenance in relation to the fourth industrial revolution.