In “cut and blast mining” a slot is cut at the base of the rock face using a machine called an under cutter, with a jib carrying a series of tungsten-carbide picks. This is the “cut” part of the process.
The face is then drilled with a series of carefully sited holes, using an electro-hydraulic rotary drill. The holes are charged with explosives and detonated, yielding about 1,200 tonnes of broken rock salt. This is the “blast” part of the process.
The rock blasted from the face is then crushed into pieces about the size of a football and then carried on a conveyor belt to the main crusher. This breaks the rock down into smaller pieces, passing through a sieve to ensure that it has reached the correct size for use in road de-icing. The salt is then hoisted to the surface in skips.