WEST Australia’s director of mine safety Simon Ridge says the Department of Mines and Petroleum’s budget did not cater for extra safety inspectors for 2009.
The comments follow another fatality at one of the state’s mines, which has thrown the spot light back on safety.
Ridge says that the department has been cutting corners by understaffing areas such as administration so it could reallocate money to boost safety inspector numbers.
The director of mine safety claims the department’s ability is limited by its manpower but would not say how many more inspectors were needed for optimum safety.
The Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore is reportedly aware of the staffing problem and is working to get an increase to the department’s budget.
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