Weekend media reports of fatalities in the mining industry fails to recognise that safety in the
WA resources sector has improved both in terms of number of fatalities and Lost Time Injury Frequency Rates over the past ten years.
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME) said despite this vast improvement, the industry was far from complacent on the need to make continual improvements.
“While no fatality is acceptable it should be acknowledged it has been over 12 months since our last fatality in the mining sector,” CME Chief Executive Reg Howard-Smith said.
“This can only be achieved by everyone working together to keep the focus on safety to ensure this can stretch to two, three, ten, even more years without another occurring.
“Creating a safe workplace cannot be done by companies in isolation, it requires everyone in the workplace to be working together to proactively identify and address safety concerns.
“Resource sector employees have a both a right and a responsibility to report safety hazards. If they don’t, they are not only putting themselves at risk but those they work with. If issues are not resolved in the workplace, they have the right to report them to the regulator.
“CME encourages individuals to do this as we cannot accept poor safety practices in the industry.”
Mr Howard-Smith said CME was not aware of any company that does not want their workers to report injuries or hazards.
“It is only through companies being made aware of issues that they can do something about rectifying them before someone gets hurt,” he said.
CME also refutes claims made against the autonomy of the mine safety regulator.
“Any allegations the mine safety regulator is controlled or is not independent are simply false and misleading,” Mr Howard-Smith said.
CME promotes collaboration between resource companies through a range of health and safety programs including the annual Safety and Health Innovation Conference and Awards and the emergency response skills competition days in both the Goldfields and South-West region.
