The problem of raising the productivity of social labor has always been key. However, in the conditions of developed socialism, when the material and technical basis of communism is being created, the task of accelerating the growth rate of labor productivity has acquired special significance and new content. During the period of the scientific and technological revolution, with the increased opportunities of the national economy and a significant rise in the welfare of working people, high rates of growth of labor productivity are envisaged in all branches of material production.

For a more complete identification of reserves for labor productivity growth, the photograph of the working day is of great importance. However, the method used in the mining industry to analyze the results of workday photography and design a normal balance is limited to identifying only direct (apparent) losses of working time. Time losses associated with unproductive use of equipment and incomplete use of the main and auxiliary time remain undetected.

The importance of preparatory workings in increasing labor productivity in the coal industry is great. Being ahead of cleaning works, preparatory workings create coal reserves, ready for excavation, than provide normal and uninterrupted operation of the field, rational use of mechanisms and high labor productivity in cleaning works.