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Post by John on Nov 19, 2012 7:49:34 GMT -5
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Post by shropshirebloke on Nov 19, 2012 18:42:52 GMT -5
Thanks for posting that John. For years I've thought of writing a novel (who hasn't?) about a pit disaster. I've read hundreds of HMI's Reports, but they usually led to the same few conclusions - carelessness, poor maintenance, or most common - sheer bad luck. To make a gripping read you would need more - unbridled greed, political chicanery, a complete disregard for the value of human life and a thick layer of outright stupidity.
Every scenario I came up with got shelved because it sounded too far-fetched - then Pike River happened - a disaster involving 21st Century technology in what was basically an early Victorian setting (allbeit in one of the most "advanced" nations on Earth).
So I've got my plot - but how the hell could anyone live with themselves profiting from what happened to those lads?
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Post by John on Nov 20, 2012 13:59:22 GMT -5
Looks like they are going to adapt the New South Wales Coal Mines Regulation Act and adopt it.
It was completely rewritten in the early 1980's to reflect modern mining trends.
It was a pain when it first was signed into law, nobody ever thought about printing copies off!!!
Company I worked for being a NSW government owned pit managed to get relevant sections of it so as we could learn the new Act.
From an electricians point of view there wasn't many great changes and it looked more like the UK's M&Q Act throughout the electricity in mines section.
It did stipulate that tradesmen would now have to have suitable qualifications recognised by the mines Inspectorate, and of course all elecs and fitters who had been working in an underground mine for one year prior to the Act taking force would be exempt, ie grand fathered.
From 1984 it was continually being amended right up until I left in 1989.
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Post by dazbt on Nov 26, 2012 16:06:54 GMT -5
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Post by John on Nov 26, 2012 16:52:16 GMT -5
The Royal Commission is pretty scathing of the government, company and employees regarding lack of safety, rule breaking etc Daz.
They have recommended that they adopt the NSW and Queensland Coal Mines Regulation Acts and apply them to NZ law rather than "reinventing the wheel"
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Post by dazbt on Nov 26, 2012 18:11:13 GMT -5
Yes I know that J, I read the report .......... the sad part to me, is that some of the relevant info was already published on the Internet long before those fatal explosions. I had been 'watching' the progress of this mine since its proposal was made public some years ago, the planning permission problems, the development problems particularly through the faulted ground, the methane problems, the monitoring inadequacies, overriding safety systems, inexperience on all sides and the pretty damning reports of numerous ignitions and contraband were all published on the Internet. I also knew that the mine did have a second means of egress albeit arguably not adequate, it was provided. I know that I will be shot down in flames for suggesting this, but, I don't particularly believe that anyone could hand on heart, guarantee that every coal mine in the UK had second means of egress that were easy to negotiate or practical as a means of escape in all circumstances.
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Post by John on Nov 27, 2012 11:43:18 GMT -5
I recall one tailgate that I'd have to have had flames licking at my heels to get me to travel it!!
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