Mines inspector gets tough on safety

Several coalmines have been told to boost health and safety by the country’s new acting chief mines inspector.

Queensland’s chief inspector of coalmines, Gavin Taylor, was seconded to the role by the Labour Department for three months and started on January 16.

He said yesterday he and the department’s new high-hazards unit were ‘‘less than comfortable’’ that mines had taken every reasonable step to ensure workers’ safety and health, which was required by law.

His arrival marks the start of a tougher stance on mine safety standards by the department, which has faced criticism at the Pike River mine inquiry for its inadequate supervision of mines.

Pike River was the first mine in Mr Taylor’s sights. It halted its tunnel reclamation work on Friday after being told to develop more detailed risk assessments.

‘‘The issue is about the safety and health of people. We are going to make sure no other individual’s health and life is at risk from this operation,’’ Mr Taylor said.

He said Pike River had a ‘‘piecemeal’’ approach to its tunnel work.

The inspectors wanted it to develop risk assessments for the complete 2.4-kilometre tunnel reclamation and to get it approved by the receiver’s expert panel before presenting it to the department.

‘‘We want to see the whole thing is thought through, all the hazards identified and all the risks mitigated up till the drift is fully recovered,’’ said Mr Taylor, who has 44 years’ experience in the mining industry, mostly in Australia but also internationally.

He contacted Pike River’s statutory mine manager, Steve Ellis, on Friday to tell him the decision.

‘‘We haven’t stopped anything. We’ve just reminded the mine manager of his duty. He has taken heed of what we said,’’ Mr Taylor said.

He visited mines at Huntly, Waihi and Hamilton last week.

While reluctant to comment on issues uncovered at other mines, he said reviews were under way and action could follow if they failed to make changes.

‘‘It’s the same as what we are talking about with Pike River,’’ he said.

‘‘All we are really looking for is when people do things, persons are not being exposed to an unacceptable level of risk. We are going to be holding people accountable.’’

The Scottish-born, fifthgeneration miner who moved to Australia at the age of 14, said New Zealand mining law was ‘‘quite clear’’ about second exits.

Pike River faced harsh criticism during the inquiry into the fatal blast in November 2010 that killed 29 men, for having only a 108-metrehigh ventilation shaft as the emergency exit.

‘‘I would argue, as the situation sat, I would suggest it was not in compliance,’’ Mr Taylor said.

The spokesman for some Pike River families, Bernie Monk, welcomed Mr Taylor’s tough stance, saying it was a sign of tighter controls by the department, despite slowing progress for the tunnel’s reventilation.

The new high-hazards unit was established late last year as a result of the Pike River explosion. It has three mines inspectors plus a chief inspector and the same four positions for the petroleum industry.

Previously, only one mines inspector was left in New Zealand to monitor all its mines.