RESPONSIBILITY for safety in underground mines must be the responsibility of everyone in the workplace - the owners, employers and all employees, according to NZ energy company Solid Energy.
Solid Energy's statement came on the back of a decision by the New Zealand Minister of Labour, who said industry safety would not be improved by returning to the check inspector system.
Solid Energy took part in last year's Department of Labour consultation about options to improve health and safety hazard management in the underground mining industry. Its submission stressed that everyone involved in the sector must take individual and collective responsibility for identifying workplace hazards and improving health and safety.
Any change which allowed people to delegate their duty would be a backward step and, in the case of Solid Energy, would not achieve the review's aim. Solid Energy said the check inspector option posed a significant risk of eroding the personal responsibility needed to improve health and safety and would not help the company achieve best practice in health and safety.
"At Solid Energy our health and safety culture is based on industry best-practice and the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1991," Mark Pizey, Solid Energy Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, said.
"Health and safety is our number one priority. At our sites, all staff and contractors are expected to be personally committed to this and we regularly involve all staff in developing safety standards, identifying potential hazards, finding solutions and ensuring knowledge about improvements is spread throughout the organisation. Our systems are regularly reviewed by some of the most experienced people in their field in Australasia.
"In terms of the general industry we believe that, with appropriately qualified mine management and adequate resources to allow the Department of Labour to carry out its existing training and enforcement roles, the current law and regulations are fit for purpose and we welcome the Minister's decisions."
Add a comment