Western Australia appoints new mine and petroleum safety inspectors
08 May 2013
Additional safety inspectors will be hired to monitor the mining industry in Western Australia, the state’s Government has announced. This follows media exposure of significant environmental and health and safety violations by mining companies alongside insufficient oversight by the state government and agencies.
Mining and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion said he had appointed seven new specialist safety inspectors: four to the mines safety inspectorate team and three petroleum safety assessors and risk analysts.
“These new expert safety inspectors are crucial to the ongoing health and wellbeing of the State’s 98,000 resources workforce,” Marmion said.
This takes the total number of Department of Mines and Petroleum inspectors to 107: 63 mines safety inspectors, 16 petroleum safety assessors and risk analysts, and 28 dangerous goods officers.
Their duties will include safety documentation, mine assessments, inspections, audits and investigations into oil and gas operations.
Death rates in WA mine sites are three times more than any other state in Australia, the latest figures from Safe Work Australia reveal.