Pike River ‘did not properly understand gas risks’

NZPA

Thursday 14th July 2011

Pike River Coal (PRC) did not have a proper understanding of the seriousness of the gas risks in the mine, a former chief inspector of coal mines told the Royal Commission into the Pike River mine tragedy today.

The commission is inquiring into the disaster at the West Coast coal mine in November, which left 29 miners and contractors dead.

Harry Bell, a former chief inspector of coal mines, who also worked for Pike River Coal Ltd and contractors at the site at various times after 2000, said there should have been another entrance to the mine and better ventilation.

Bell, who first worked in the industry in 1948 as a rope boy, said had he still been chief inspector of coal mines in 2008 he would not have let them tunnel through the Hawera fault line with only one entry.

“PRC did not seem to understand the seriousness of the gas risks in the mine, and how essential ventilation was, even at this early stage,” Bell said.

Earlier he said concerns over the quality of coal and complexities of mining at Pike River led him to advise his friends not to invest in PRC.

He said he did not understand why the tunnel was not built in an area which had easier and safer access.

“It was apparent to me that if Pike River had been allowed to extend their road several kilometres, it would have resulted in a safer mine with easier access” he said.

Bell also repeated earlier criticism of the experience of the inspectorate regime and the regularity of mine inspections.

“It was clear from what has happened at Pike, and what I know of the gas issues at Pike, that the inspectors are not experienced in gassy mines,” he said.

He was also critical of current training methods.

Under examination this morning, Robin Hughes, also a former chief inspector of coal mines was shown a report which was critical of the level of training contractors at Pike River mine received.

The report called "A review of the Department of Labour’s interaction with Pike River Coal" was written by two Australian mining experts who the training "was an area where the company... failed miserably".

Hughes said he knew of recent incidents which led him to question the way contractors were trained.

Hughes yesterday criticised mine safety changes made by National governments in the 1990s.

"The explosion at Pike River mine...had its origins in the repealing of the Coal Mine Act and regulations in 1993," Hughes said.

The hearing is continuing

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