MinEx says follow new guidelines and avoid fatalities

MinEx says follow new guidelines and avoid fatalities

If quarries and surface mines follow new guidelines, further industry fatalities could be halted, says the chair of the Health and Safety Council for the mining and quarrying sector.

Chris Baker, who chairs the Council (MinEx), says WorkSafe’s Good Practice Guidelines for quarrying, opencast and alluvial mining provide the sector with a template to become fatality free.

“We welcome these Guidelines. MinEx has worked with WorkSafe to deliver a practical document for both those who work in the industry and who provide health and safety training.”

The Good Practice Guidelines provide the first WorkSafe health and safety document specifically for the quarrying and surface mining sector. The Guidelines emerge ahead of the new Health and Safety at Work Act which takes effect from next April.

“People in this sector have been asking for this guidance. However, our challenge is to get these guidelines to all the smaller operators – this is where recent fatalities have occurred – and engage these operators in the practical and effective safety practices set out in these guidelines”, says Chris Baker.

MinEx’s CEO Les McCracken says the Good Practice Guidelines have been developed by WorkSafe and reviewed by an industry team, including representatives from all sectors of the mining and quarrying industry with a mix of small and large operations to ensure we had the best technical and operational knowledge input into the guidelines.

“Everybody should be looking at their systems against the guidelines. Whatever they have in place needs to be at least as good as the guidelines.

“This will be an invaluable resource for those who operate quarries and opencast and alluvial mines. It provides guidance through text, photos and graphics on all aspects of operating safely.”

Les McCracken also welcomed Pocket Guide alternative to the full 262 page Guidelines.

“This gives the sort of easy summary that the workers and supervisors can use and which newcomers to the industry can pick up.”

Mr McCracken says he will be drawing on the fuller document at the next round of health and safety forums for the quarry and surface mining sector. These recommence in Palmerston North in late January.

ends

© Scoop Media