DoL forging ahead with mines changes

The Department of Labour is forging ahead with mine safety changes before the outcome of an investigation into the Pike River disaster.

Prime Minister John Key this week said changes would be made to mining safety laws after 29 men were killed at the West Coast coal mine last year, but said a full response would have to wait until a Royal Commission of Inquiry was complete.

Department of Labour deputy chief executive of labour Lesley Haines, today said the department was currently responding to issues highlighted in a mining review released in 2008.

The review raised a number of areas for possible increased regulation, including check inspectors who would be elected by unions to check on the safety of a mines where workers raised concern.

Ms Haines told a parliamentary select committee the department was working on technical guidance for small mines with the industry safety body MinEx.

It will also begin consulting with industry next month on health and safety guidelines for managers of small mines.

Regulations to increase the managerial competence of mangers of small mines were put in place last year and had been effective since January.

The department will also begin discussions in August with the industry and unions about employee participation in health and safety in mining.

There have been calls for more mines inspectors in the wake of the Pike River explosions.

Ms Haines said the number of inspectors was "about right" for the size of the industry, which employs about 450 people.

Of the department's 140 workplace safety inspectors, Ms Haines said two were dedicated to underground mining nationwide.

The department also had a Wellington-based hazards adviser with expertise in coal mining, who supported the two inspectors liaised with industry.

"We do put a lot more proportionate resources into particularly the underground coal mining area," Ms Haines said.

"I think the balance we've got at the moment looks about right, given the resources we've got and the size of the industry."

Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson today revealed the Department of Labour's investigation into the Pike River disaster was estimated to cost about $2 million.

She was not in a position to comment on when the investigation was likely to be concluded.

Greymouth District Court has granted a six-month extension, to November 19, to the time by which the department could lay any charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.

The department had finished gathering information and did not need to enter the mine as part of its investigation.

It would work to assist the Royal Commission.

"We all want to know what happened, why it happened and prevent it happening again," Ms Wilkinson said.

"It's a tragedy for our nation to lose 29 men in one go in a workplace accident."

An audit by two Australian mining experts, issued last month, found two New Zealand mines were not fully compliant with health and safety regulations, but found no evidence of imminent danger at any of the four mines investigated.

Ms Wilkinson said the department had followed up on the issues raised.