Changes to help deliver health and safety

15 May 2013

Changes to help deliver health and safety

Minerals industry representative group, Straterra, and the minerals sector health and safety body, MINEX, are pleased to announce a positive rationalisation in the mineral sector to better deliver health and safety outcomes.

Straterra Chief Executive Officer, Chris Baker, has been appointed Shadow Chairman of MINEX, to work with the Acting Chairman of MINEX, Peter Atkinson, and to support the newly appointed MINEX Chief Executive Officer, Les McCracken, to spearhead a united industry drive to implement the 16 recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River Coal Mine tragedy.

“Health and safety is the highest priority to the mineral sector, and the Government is to be commended for the commitment it’s shown in addressing health and safety. Our industry knows it must make its own contribution to this work, so the Coal Association (of New Zealand) and a number of individual companies have provided the funds needed to do this in a consistent way that is practical at the workface,” Mr McCracken says.

Mr McCracken brings over 35 years’ experience in mining with the last 15 as a contractor and consultant on various major mining projects in New Zealand. He has also been General Manager for Doug Hood Ltd and before that, 17 years with Solid Energy and Hamersley Iron in a number of operational and project management roles in underground and opencast coal mining and opencast iron ore mining.

Mr McCracken has already been playing an active role in Health and Safety, participating in a number of working groups to deliver outcomes to assist the Pike River Implementation Team and co-ordinate industry input.

For more information visit www.straterra.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media