- 7 months ago
Toughest Jobs in the World: Cleaning Industrial Plant, Diamond & Gold Mine.
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TVTranscript
00:00Cinders, ashes and clay.
00:05Whoever has to clean here has to give it all they've got.
00:10Whether with water pressure or dynamite, the dirt's got to go.
00:19The Skopau lignite powered fire station near Halle transforms coal into energy.
00:24Enough to supply about 2 million households with electricity.
00:28For this purpose, the power plant runs 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
00:33Up to 20 coal trains a day supply the necessary fuel.
00:37About 20,000 tonnes of lignite are processed here every day.
00:47And these are the men that have to keep the plant running.
00:50Mirko Wolfram and Frank Holm Novotnik's maintenance team works here at the power plant all year round, every day.
00:59The first job in the morning already requires heavy equipment.
01:03The mega vacuum cleaner comes into action.
01:07Mirko Wolfram is almost a little proud of this machine, with its 7.8 inch pipe diameter, his ally in the fight against dirt.
01:15Mirko Wolfram.
01:16Mirko Wolfram.
01:17Mirko Wolfram.
01:18Mirko Wolfram.
01:19Yeah, basically that's what it is, an oversized vacuum cleaner.
01:22It's capable of sucking up 8,000 cubic meters of air volume per minute.
01:27And you're able to fit some pretty big things through the pipe as well.
01:30For example, we can easily hoover up a brick that's about 330 feet away.
01:37First cleaning job, the water treatment facilities.
01:40Various processes within the plant require water, which gets cleaned around the clock in one of the adjacent buildings.
01:46Normally, the leftover dirt from this process is taken away automatically.
01:51In this case, the leftover dirt is a clay-like mass.
01:55It's collected in a press, turned into a so-called filter cake and dropped into a sludge bunker.
02:00And here lies the problem.
02:02The conveyor belt in the bunker broke down last night.
02:05By morning, the sludge has already spread all the way to the door.
02:09About 8 cubic meters of dirt are waiting for the cleaning team.
02:13High time to activate the mega vacuum cleaner.
02:16The heavy, sticky mass is no problem for this machine's enormous suction power.
02:20Now we have to vacuum up the filter cake as quickly as possible so that the maintenance department can get in here, do the repairs and put the plant back into operation.
02:37After a good 4 hours of sweaty work, the job's finally done.
02:42Thanks to the enormous suction power, the bunker has been completely cleared.
02:45But the next job is already waiting.
02:50Time for some explosive cleaning.
02:53There's an emergency in the boiler house next door.
02:56Where coal is burned, ashes are produced.
03:00In a power plant, this happens in the boiler.
03:03Normally, the ashes fall down through a kind of funnel and can be removed.
03:07But sometimes, the funnel gets clogged.
03:11And that's exactly what's threatening to happen at the bottom of the boiler.
03:15Once ash is lying on the grate as a large lump of slag, it's possible that the narrow shaft is simply too small.
03:22And that's why Frank Holm Novotnik and his team now really have to go for it.
03:30Not a nice place to work. Hot, dangerous and unbearably loud.
03:34Our customer has commissioned us to blast away the slag we see back there in the upper grate area.
03:42The issue is that this lump weighs about two and a half to three tons.
03:45If this monstrosity blocks the shaft, part of the power station will have to be shut down.
03:54We can prevent this by setting up a very special explosive charge for this lump, and that's what we're going to do.
04:00The whole thing must be done while the plant is still running.
04:06But putting explosives into a fire at over 750 degrees Fahrenheit?
04:11This really requires a specialist.
04:15The explosive in this case is ordinary dynamite.
04:17So there must be some trick.
04:23We're blasting here in an environment of 700 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, which really is something special.
04:31So we insulate our charge and cool our ignition wire.
04:34What the insulation actually is? Well, that's a trade secret.
04:43The finished construction resists the extreme heat for four minutes.
04:47In this time, the explosives have to be put into position and everyone has to retreat to sail.
04:55The load is in front of a lance with which the explosive is then positioned.
05:00The sensitive ignition cable runs through the lance.
05:02This is the water cooling for our ignition cable.
05:07The lance itself is flooded inside.
05:11Safety measures are an absolute must given the extreme heat in the boiler.
05:16Thermal suits protect against possible flying sparks.
05:20But will this help if the explosives detonate too early?
05:23Until ignition, it must not get too hot.
05:26So cold water is constantly pumping through the lance from behind.
05:29But there's always a residual risk.
05:38The clock is ticking. The explosives are exposed to the heat.
05:42There are only four minutes left at most.
05:44The casing around the explosive burns after only a few seconds.
05:52But the charge has already been fixed onto the chunk of slag.
05:55The lance is secured.
05:57And now, take cover everyone!
05:58Cover everyone!
06:08The area around the boiler is now secured.
06:11Ignition.
06:12A huge fireball.
06:13But was the blast actually successful?
06:22For us, the result is hardly visible.
06:26But the boss is satisfied.
06:30In a very, very short time, whilst focusing on a high level of personal safety, we've eliminated this slag block and the conveyor can keep running.
06:40The boiler doesn't have to be shut down. Operations can carry on normally at full capacity.
06:44The layer of slag is gone. Operation can continue. But the next job is already waiting.
06:55A job involving real pressure. Water pressure cleaning.
07:00When everything is working in the boiler, the ashes are transported away on conveyor belts and end up in a silo.
07:05This has to be serviced regularly. And it has to be clean.
07:14Not easy. Because the ashes, which are hot at the beginning, have to be extinguished with water before transport.
07:21Hence the name, wet ash silo.
07:24And as you would expect, it's really dirty in there.
07:28No one can fit through this dark and narrow shaft for cleaning.
07:31So only a special tool can help. That thing there.
07:37Here we have a tank washing head. The nozzles are attached to the washing arm here.
07:43This washing arm is then powered by the immense water pressure.
07:48And it can be moved in any direction.
07:51And these two rotational axes interact to create an image of complete chaos.
07:57By doing so, it really cleans every point in the container.
08:0126 gallons are pumped through each jet per minute.
08:04At a pressure of just under 1450 PSI, the water shoots out of the tank washing head.
08:11About 10 times the pressure of a standard high pressure jet washer from a DIY store.
08:16Not only is it going to be wet, but it's also going to be quite loud.
08:20At such high pressure, nothing and nobody should be in the immediate vicinity.
08:27There's the risk of personal injury and camera equipment can be destroyed.
08:31Well then, here we go. Water on!
08:33Water on!
08:39The water shoots out of every opening in the silo.
08:49After only 10 minutes, the whole thing is over.
08:51The cleaning water flows down from the empty silo.
08:59Successfully cleaned! The silo interior looks clean and shiny.
09:04And that's the end of the day for the cleaning team.
09:07The entire power plant is squeaky clean.
09:09With the help of mega high pressure, extreme suction power and big bangs.
09:16Cleaning can be really fun.
09:22How much money is now on the table?
09:24Near five million dollars.
09:26Five million dollars?
09:27Yes.
09:28Just on this table.
09:31Siberia, the middle of nowhere.
09:33In it, the city of Myrny.
09:36And its existence has one reason only.
09:39The Myr diamond mine.
09:41One of the largest ones in the world.
09:45Almost 40,000 people live in Myrny.
09:48In the midst of snow, ice and minus 50 degrees weather.
09:52It's hard to imagine, but this is the epicenter of the Russian diamond mining industry.
09:58And we want to see these diamonds.
10:00After more than a year of research, we finally got a filming permit from the world's second largest diamonds producer, Alrosa.
10:09But first, we had tried to be put off.
10:13Unfortunately, we can't go down to the Myr mine just yet.
10:16But there's a view of it from the platform.
10:18Is that okay?
10:19Let's go.
10:23The morning shift is still working underground, and we are not to interrupt them.
10:26But the view is worth the waiting.
10:33Wow.
10:35This is insane.
10:37Enormous.
10:39Unsurprisingly, this is one of the deepest man-made holes on Earth.
10:43It's 1,722 feet deep.
10:46On top of that, its diameter is an astonishing 3,900 feet wide.
10:53The Myr diamond mine is so big that you can even see the crater from space.
11:01But open-cast mining has gone dormant for the past 15 years.
11:04The mine has been so overworked that its wards are at risk of caving in.
11:10A grave danger for workers.
11:16But underground mining continues.
11:19The entrance is right around the corner.
11:21And thanks to a special permit, we can see it from up close.
11:24But underground mining isn't without its dangers.
11:32That's why we have to receive safety training first.
11:39This is a so-called self-rescuer, the most important thing to carry underground.
11:43It's used when there's an accident involving a gas or smoke leak.
11:46During emergencies, the breathing apparatus provides around 50 minutes of oxygen.
11:53And we even have to sign a waiver, where if something happens, it's our own responsibility.
12:01But we came to see diamonds.
12:04And in order to do so, we have to go into the mine.
12:08And our companion is the shift manager, Sergei Gamble.
12:11And the boss is to show us how business is done around here.
12:15Hurry up, we've got to move.
12:18Tiki tiki, I think it means we have to move faster.
12:22Correct.
12:26These pitmen have to stick to a strict schedule.
12:29Many of them are day workers.
12:31If they miss the lift down into the mine, they lose their wages.
12:34There's only one person for whom Sergei still has some time.
12:40David, my wife.
12:42Hello.
12:44The mere miners run like a family business, and has been so for 60 years.
12:52Now it's finally time to head down.
12:55Most equipment, such as the lift, dates back to the Soviet era.
13:00But it still carries the miners deep down three times per day.
13:03We don't know exactly how deep, and that's cause for confusion.
13:06No, no, no. Hey, cameraman. Andreas. Come back here. We won't be there for a bit.
13:16We have to keep going even deeper.
13:20A total of 3,280 feet into the ground. It's easy to get lost. The diamond mine resembles a maze, and it's the deepest one in the world at 3,900 feet underground.
13:33We were expecting extreme heat and stuffy air underground. But it's not nearly as bad, surprisingly.
13:42What's been really pleasant has been the fact that we're at around 60 degrees in here, so about 70 degrees warmer than outside, which really makes a difference.
13:53Escaping the icy cold Siberian weather is just one of the many reasons why Sergei loves working underground in Myrny.
14:02I've always found a romantic side to this place and this job.
14:06I've always been very enthusiastic because this means more than just good money to me. Above all, the contact with my colleagues is important to me.
14:16I'm very happy to still have this job.
14:20But it's a very dangerous job. Surprise fires and smoke in narrow aisles are not uncommon, and sometimes even a simple bump on the ground is a risk.
14:31Look out!
14:37I warned you!
14:43Fortunately, after this little stunt, we no longer need to move by foot, because Pitman, like Sergei, also have a company car.
14:53He drives us to the site, three quarters of a mile away. A huge machine is waiting for Sergei there. The most coveted object, a massive stone wall.
15:06Sergei is so determined, it is clear to us that our treasure is hiding from us behind the wall.
15:11We've no idea whether there are diamonds behind it or not. We're not geologists. We're just the workers who dig the rocks out from the wall. We get clear instructions, and there we drill.
15:24But there are diamonds everywhere. Even if we don't know exactly where, we'll manage to find them.
15:32That's because underneath Myrni there's a gigantic deposit of the volcanic mineral kimberlite, and in a very rare composition as well.
15:44They're teeming with diamonds. What is special about it is that not every kimberlite contains valuable minerals, but in Myrni, an extraordinary amount of them do.
15:54Sergei's job is to mine the rocks out of the wall with this monster. These steel milling machines have been specially developed for mining, being able of crushing concrete even.
16:07All that is missing is the truck that collects the diamonds.
16:11Hey, be careful where you go. Do you want everything to collapse above us?
16:17Incredible, unbelievable.
16:20But after a little drama...
16:25Now we can get started.
16:29Even if it looks brutal, the mining doesn't hurt the diamonds. They're the hardest mineral in the world and are close to being indestructible.
16:45But there's still no trace of the precious stones.
16:54Oh, it's extremely dusty in here.
16:57A dirty business.
16:59But diamonds are not just to craft fine pieces of jewellery.
17:04Due to their sturdiness, they're particularly popular in industry.
17:08For example, in drilling systems or high-tech tools.
17:10But so far, no...
17:13Okay, look. The truck lost some of the stones.
17:21Like this one.
17:23Hey, can I keep this? Are the diamonds inside right now?
17:26There are some in there, yes.
17:28But I can't see anything. It's just a stone. There are no diamonds.
17:31Maybe not particularly expensive ones, but there are definitely some in there.
17:36No chance to keep it? No.
17:38Okay.
17:40Well, it was worth a try.
17:44The stones are on their last journey underground with a lorry into the collection bunker.
17:49Around 400 tons of rock can be found here every day, ready to be transported to the surface.
17:57Where exactly? More of that later.
18:02For Sergei and his crew, today's job is done.
18:05Everything down here is still an adventure to me. I love my job. The atmosphere. What I like most is the comradeship.
18:22And above all, my after work beer.
18:27That's what you get after eight hours of hard work. At 8pm, Sergei and the other pitmen head back to the surface.
18:42And so ends our first day in Myrny.
18:48The next morning, as an exception, we are allowed to witness an explosion. Underground, they're prohibited.
18:53That's why we are headed to an active, open cast mine.
18:57Since there are no scheduled flights to Myrny, we hitch a ride with the company's own airline to Nyurba, about 250 miles away.
19:06Here we meet production manager Dimitri Shuklin.
19:10Just as it was the case underground, everything has to be done really fast above ground.
19:16We're running a bit behind. To be honest, we're actually very late.
19:20I hope we can still make it.
19:24Why is he in a rush?
19:27The blasting master has to struggle with adverse conditions in the Siberian winter.
19:31He fears the detonator could freeze at minus 25 degrees.
19:35Therefore, we have to go, go, go.
19:37Go, go, go.
19:51It seems to have worked, but it's all too quiet.
19:53Now the stones have been loosened, the work can begin again.
20:10Half an hour later, the first trucks drive into the heart of the mine.
20:15In contrast to Myr, Kimberlight can still be mined above ground here.
20:21But how do the stones become diamonds now?
20:26The secret may be revealed.
20:29The final production takes place here.
20:31The first impression is that it's gigantic.
20:38All stones from both the upper and lower quarries are collected in one place.
20:43Dimitri shows us what happens here.
20:46The stones are delivered and then fall through this shaft from the outside.
20:51The machine down there stomps and crushes them, since many are still quite big boulders.
21:00No diamond in the world is the size of a rock.
21:03That's why the stones are gently grounded into smaller and smaller proportions, little by little.
21:10They'll be brought down to a diameter of about five inches,
21:14the widest a diamond can be, and large enough to fit through these holes.
21:18But we still can't see them.
21:21This could change now, however.
21:24In any case, something very, very important does happen here.
21:29Warning signs, double doors, and suddenly a lot more security personnel.
21:37We seem to be very close to our goal at last.
21:39Behind this door we expect to find what we've been looking for all this time.
21:50But all we see are more dirty stones.
21:55It's a kind of X-ray machine in connection with a special concentrate.
22:00Here we filter out the diamonds, but you're not allowed to show that.
22:04The machine scans the stones and simply sorts out the ones without diamonds.
22:11The ones with value end up in a sulfuric chemical bath.
22:15The mixture is top secret, but it's used to separate the kimberlite volcanic stone from the diamond.
22:21But these are just stones.
22:26Unfortunately, we can't see the complete procedure.
22:30We were expecting diamonds, and all we got was a secrecy.
22:34But we met them here.
22:36You have to hand over your passport.
22:38We enter a rather unremarkable room.
22:47What is striking is that only women sit here.
22:50And they're handling what we've been looking for all this time.
22:54Diamonds.
22:57A whole bunch of them too.
22:59So many that we can't count them all.
23:02They're in their raw form, since they won't be smoothened for a while.
23:05These women have an especially important task under the guidance of the only man present.
23:15Here we determine the price of the diamonds.
23:19In order to do this, we sort them by size and weight.
23:21The weight is measured per carat.
23:25One carat is 0.007 ounces.
23:29But these stones are much heavier.
23:31That sparks our interest.
23:33Can I grab one?
23:35No.
23:36Why not?
23:38The diamond could fall and be damaged.
23:40Who pays for that afterwards?
23:42Only the employees are allowed to handle them.
23:45They earn around $1,100 per month.
23:51Which is good money here.
23:53But a little something extra in the pocket would be tempting.
23:56No.
23:58I would never take a stone home.
24:03The reason?
24:05Diamonds are catalogued before being transported.
24:08If only one of them goes missing, then everyone has to pay for it.
24:11And that can be really expensive.
24:20How much money is now on the table?
24:22Five million dollars.
24:25In addition to size and weight, the diamond's so-called purity also affects its price.
24:31The employees sort the rough diamonds according to 16 color categories.
24:35The following applies.
24:37The purer, for example, the clearer its color, the more valuable.
24:41Particularly dark diamonds cost around $10 per carat.
24:45Nothing compared to those that are almost as see-through as glass.
24:49And although there is more money lying around here than women will ever earn in their lives, they act normal around it.
24:56It's not special for us.
25:01I've developed a kind of immunity to the huge amount of money I work with every day.
25:06To me personally, these are only stones.
25:10Quite valuable stones though.
25:11The demand in Russia is so great that they can only be sold domestically.
25:21And there is plenty more of it here.
25:23One day a month that can change everything.
25:31But to get there, there's a hard and sweaty road without any pay.
25:38We all depend on the gold we mine. I have six children to feed.
25:43But it's not only the risk that's high, so is the potential prize they can win.
25:49A carefree life.
25:55When I started in the mine, I never thought I'd own a whole farm later.
26:03Two separate realities that depend on each other.
26:09We visited Peru, specifically the mining town La Rinconada.
26:14What exactly is behind this chance-based arrangement?
26:17To reach the highest city in the world, our team has to surpass the 5,300 metre mark,
26:25which is about as high as the base camp of Mount Everest.
26:28Up here, there is low air pressure.
26:31Our team literally runs out of air.
26:34For safety reasons, we have to acclimatise ourselves halfway up for two days,
26:39so our bodies gradually get used to the new circumstances.
26:42But really slowly.
26:43It's getting harder and harder to breathe, regardless of the fact I haven't really made any effort and I'm simply sitting in a car.
26:54The higher we go, the more surreal the landscape becomes.
26:58The temperature drops to minus five degrees.
27:02And there it is.
27:03Rinconada.
27:04A place of hope.
27:08The workers who come here hope to find happiness within a month.
27:11Today is the so-called pay day, which means they've worked for 30 days without pay.
27:19But they can keep what they find in the gold mine today.
27:23Their only hope of a better future.
27:25Then the road ends.
27:26We can only walk from this point on.
27:29The air pressure is now so low that doctors actually recommend oxygen be supplied artificially.
27:39The more you walk, the more exhausting it becomes.
27:45Every step is a challenge for us.
27:49The miners, on the other hand, are used to the thin air.
27:54Some have been waiting for the big break for decades.
27:58Like 46-year-old Fortunato.
28:00He's been working in the gold mine for 22 years.
28:04His name means the lucky one.
28:07But in the gold mine, it still hasn't paid off for him just yet.
28:10Here he lives with a colleague.
28:14His wife and two children live kilometers away from him in the rainforest.
28:21My family is very supportive of my work here.
28:27We need the gold.
28:29Pay day is my only chance to save some money.
28:32And perhaps start a better life.
28:34Our dream is to move to a city someday.
28:45Maybe today is the day.
28:48His life insurance, his equipment.
28:51He's made do for years with what little he's earned with the mining firm.
28:54Let's test the light really quick.
29:03It works.
29:07All right, let's go to the mine.
29:12In this eight-hour shift, he has the chance to change his life.
29:16All the gold he finds today belongs to him and his family.
29:19A friend of mine, Raivu, once found a whole kilo of gold.
29:28He bought several cars and a house with it.
29:35He now lives a very good life.
29:38And that's exactly what my dream is.
29:40It doesn't happen here often, but I know that it's theoretically possible.
29:51For all miners today, it's pay day.
29:57It's all about a month's salary and everyone has only this one chance.
30:02There's a lot to be earned in the historical business that is gold.
30:06In total, 150 tons of gold were mined in Peru last year.
30:12This makes Peru the largest gold exporter in South America.
30:16Almost two-thirds of the export earnings come from this region.
30:20Between 8,000 and 12,000 miners work in the mines.
30:24A total of about 450 mining contractors offer jobs.
30:31Huge business, at least for the employers.
30:34The miners work in shifts, covering three eight-hour shifts per day.
30:39Per cave, Fortunato searches with 30 to 50 workers for the big break.
30:45His only help in the dark caves, the weak light on his miner's helmet.
30:51Hey guys, how are you?
30:52At the beginning of each shift, their most important ritual is to chew coca leaves.
31:00It helps combat the symptoms of altitude sickness.
31:04We have to chew these leaves to better withstand the hard work.
31:10They give us strength and protect us.
31:11And protect us.
31:16Stimulating coca leaves.
31:18In Germany, they would fall under the Narcotics Act.
31:21Here, they are part of everyday life.
31:23A dangerous everyday life.
31:25In the mine, the icy walls melt and turn into mudslides.
31:29The safety precautions are of the lowest standard.
31:35Stay more to the side.
31:38Don't touch the wires.
31:39They are electrical.
31:41The work process is simple.
31:45The motto?
31:46On the stones.
31:47Get set.
31:48Go.
31:50Where and in which stone the gold is hidden, no one knows.
31:54The only way to find out is to search every single boulder with their bare hands for shiny marks.
32:01And incidentally, there are no theft controls on paydays.
32:05Theoretically, everything is based on trust.
32:07There is less and less gold in this mine.
32:15And soon, there may not be any left anymore.
32:18So we have to work a little harder.
32:24We would need new caves.
32:26There's not much to find here.
32:28We usually only find very little.
32:32But we all depend on the gold.
32:35I have six children to feed.
32:38Three girls and three boys.
32:43The workers operate in shifts.
32:45Fortunato and his colleagues hope to achieve what few have achieved before them.
32:56We visit one of the lucky ones.
32:58Hon has been living with his family near Lake Titicaca for the past two years.
33:08Half a kilogram of gold has completely changed his life.
33:12That's about 10,000 euros.
33:14It took him six years.
33:16In the meantime, he's amassed a whole farm with its own livestock, a car and enough space for his parents, wife and child.
33:24He is his own boss, keeps everything he produces and lives in a safe area.
33:31For Hon, this is hitting the jackpot.
33:34In the beginning, I was just one of many.
33:42I never thought that I would own a whole farm.
33:46It used to be nothing but work and more work for me.
33:51Now, life is much easier.
33:53When I found the gold, I thought, well, what to do with it?
33:59And in the end, I could afford this property.
34:03Since Hon left the gold mining town Rinconada, the 26-year-old seldom visits.
34:10Although he's dreamed of the wealth he now possesses for so many years, he looks back on his time in the mine with mixed feelings.
34:25Compared to the mine, it's a paradise here.
34:30But it was also sad to move here.
34:33I eventually had to say goodbye to colleagues and friends.
34:37We went through a lot together.
34:39But my current life is much better.
34:42Hon makes a living from dairy cattle.
34:47The five cows and four sheep are his pride and joy.
34:49This way, he can offer his two-year-old daughter a good future.
34:54In his eyes, it's not just a question of luck.
34:58Above all else, I would advise those who still work up there to save what they find.
35:06You can save up a small fortune little by little and start a new life.
35:13If you're clever about it, the mine can change everything. Just like it did for me.
35:22Six years ploughing away.
35:28Most of the time, without a guaranteed salary.
35:31For Hon, the risky venture was worth it.
35:34Fortunato hopes for something similar for himself.
35:36Four hours later and still no success.
35:39If he doesn't find anything in the next four hours, his chance of a salary is over.
35:44I think I have something.
35:48That's gold.
35:52Whether or not it actually is gold, he can only find out later.
35:57I'd rather pack it up now.
36:00It's my whole monthly salary.
36:02It better not be lost or left for anyone else to see.
36:06Fortunato wants to find out how much gold he holds in his hands as soon as possible.
36:15But he has to work on it elaborately first.
36:18Here in the gold preparation center, he borrows the necessary tools.
36:23Did he get his big break?
36:25How much is his lump of gold worth?
36:27Will this gold nugget change Fortunato's life?
36:28How much gold is in his discovery, he still doesn't know.
36:41To do so, the miner has to work on it strenuously at the gold processing center.
36:45The stone in which the gold is found has to be put in a mix of water and a cup of mercury.
36:54This is how Fortunato separates the gold from the stone.
36:57Then he grinds everything with the big brick until it's liquid.
37:11Everyone here keeps to themselves. We don't care about the others.
37:15I don't want to distract myself.
37:16He still has no idea about the value of what he's found.
37:29Whether or not in the stone vat under him, there's a golden ticket.
37:35Because between him and his dream, there's still plenty of hard work.
37:39And the dangers of harming his health with mercury.
37:47I know that mercury is not good for your health.
37:50You should actually wear gloves.
37:57In modern gold processing plants, there are safer processes.
38:01But with the simple means up here, gloves aren't standard equipment, unfortunately.
38:10Fortunato takes the mixture of water, mercury and gold to a sink.
38:17Since mercury and gold combine with each other and are heavier than water,
38:21he can wash away everything else.
38:28After wringing it all out, there's a mixture of pure gold and mercury.
38:34So much work for such a small nugget.
38:39How much gold is in it for Fortunato, he'll find out in the next few minutes at the local gold dealers.
38:45He pays 10 cents for the mercury that he used.
38:50While he is on his most important task of the month, he only thinks of his family.
38:55We bump into the first of his colleagues after work.
38:59Apart from working in the gold mines, there are no other jobs here.
39:02The few dollars that they earn are wasted by many.
39:06Fortunato definitely doesn't want that.
39:09Gold trader Betty hopes for a good exchange rate.
39:12She has the difficult task of delivering to the workers the most important news of the day.
39:18Was it all worth it?
39:19Some miners find a good amount, but I've rarely experienced this during my work here.
39:27You need good luck for that.
39:29How fortunate Fortunato was today, he'll find out as soon as Betty heats the mixture to 360 degrees Celsius.
39:40The mercury evaporates and...
39:45Pure gold.
39:46For Fortunato, it's exactly 0.8 grams today.
39:51About 20 euros after being converted.
39:54His wage for a whole month.
39:56That wasn't much today, but I won't give up hope.
40:02Next time, it'll definitely be more.
40:05I can make up for this.
40:09Well, goodbye.
40:10Ciao.
40:13Fortunato is a bit disappointed.
40:16However, he can support his family for another month with 20 euros.
40:20It's an unspectacular take, but enough to try again next month.
40:25His dream remains.
40:27Of one day finding a giant gold nugget that changes everything.
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