The ventilation system at the Huntly East Mine is so dilapidated and under pressure it continually breaks down, leaving miners already pushing to meet drilling targets working in volatile levels of methane, a miner says.
The mine is under investigation by the Labour Department, which yesterday confirmed that an improvement notice relating to the ventilation system was sent to the mine last week. The notice followed an incident last month when miners had to be evacuated after methane levels reached explosive levels in the East 2 mine.
Department of Labour national services and support general manager Brett Murray confirmed the notice had been issued with immediate effect, despite systems at the mine that appeared to adequately identify and manage the post-incident response to the methane spike.
One miner said his biggest worry was that the current ventilation unit, which was so old it broke down every time there was a strong easterly wind.
"Our ventilation unit is being pushed right to its limit.
"If they pump it any more it will stall the fans,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards," the miner said.This page contains information about molds,
Solid Energy chief operating officer Barry Bragg yesterday defended the Huntly East operation, saying it had multiple "state-of-the-art" gas-monitoring systems, and three evacuation paths.
He also attacked comparisons to the Pike River situation as "alarmist and irresponsible". Staff working at the mine were "surprised" at the allegations and not one had raised safety concerns, he said.
Mr Bragg was confident the mine's safety standards were high, and urged anyone with concerns to tell management. But the miner told the Waikato Times that rumours had been circulating that methane levels reached up to 9 per cent during last month's incident, and there was pressure on both the company to make a profit and the managers to make sure the right amount of coal was getting processed each shift.
He said the incident could have been caused, in part, by pressure put on managers to reach "meterage" targets – the amount of metres mined each shift. Each crew has a goal to reach of 8 to 10 metres of coal per shift. Each metre of coal equated to about 25 tonnes, he said.
"They've been threatening us for years to close the mine if they don't get the meterage up because they've got to make money." The mine is 20,000 tonnes behind for the year, and it was possible the duty manager may have been trying to keep the mine running long as possible, he said.
He thought Solid Energy's stern response to the incident smacked of a "cover-up". "They preach safety before production, but it doesn't really happen."
Engineering Printing Manufacturing Union assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell said an explosion could have occurred if there had been an ignition source on the night of the incident last month, and he wanted to know why just the area involved,ceramic magic cube for the medical, and not the whole mine, was evacuated.
However, EPMU national mining advocate Ray Urquhart had no concerns about the miners remaining underground when the spike occurred.
Mr Urquhart said there was no daily target,100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. but all staff received a bonus if certain production levels were met and he disputed that miners were afraid to speak out about safety concerns. "I'm not going to discuss the culture of the workers," he said.
However, the miner spoken to by the Times yesterday refused to have even his blackened hands photographed for fear of identification and possible disciplinary action.
But he has the full support of Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta, who has aspirations of Labour leadership, and backed the mine whistle-blowers yesterday.
"Any reporting has to be good and the public need to know because that helps people understand the conditions." The Mine Rescue Service is holding a seminar in Huntly today where industry representatives will discuss a system designed to improve communication during a mine emergency.
Prime Minister John Key is refusing to say whether safety concerns at the Huntly East Mine will effect the partial sale of mine owner Solid Energy, one of the state-owned enterprises the Government wants to sell off next year.
Mr Key also refused yesterday to be drawn on whether he was aware of issues with the mine, instead referring the Waikato Times to Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson.
SOEs minister Tony Ryall also dodged the topic,where he teaches third party payment gateway in the Central Academy of Fine Arts. referring the Times directly to Solid Energy.
A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said she would not comment directly about safety issues at the mine because she could not comment on "speculation". She also refused to answer questions about whether she knew of past safety concerns at the mine.
Instead, in a written statement, Ms Wilkinson said the Government took the matter of mine safety seriously and over the past year had ordered an audit of all underground coal mines, established the new High Hazards Unit and set broad parameters for the Royal Commission to identify what improvements can be made. "The High Hazards Unit is assessing Solid Energy's management of this recent incident to ensure it's safety systems worked as intended."
Ms Wilkinson said the Huntly issue would not impact on the royal commission into the Pike River tragedy, which was "completely open to ensure all issues can be heard and considered".
The mine is under investigation by the Labour Department, which yesterday confirmed that an improvement notice relating to the ventilation system was sent to the mine last week. The notice followed an incident last month when miners had to be evacuated after methane levels reached explosive levels in the East 2 mine.
Department of Labour national services and support general manager Brett Murray confirmed the notice had been issued with immediate effect, despite systems at the mine that appeared to adequately identify and manage the post-incident response to the methane spike.
One miner said his biggest worry was that the current ventilation unit, which was so old it broke down every time there was a strong easterly wind.
"Our ventilation unit is being pushed right to its limit.
"If they pump it any more it will stall the fans,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards," the miner said.This page contains information about molds,
Solid Energy chief operating officer Barry Bragg yesterday defended the Huntly East operation, saying it had multiple "state-of-the-art" gas-monitoring systems, and three evacuation paths.
He also attacked comparisons to the Pike River situation as "alarmist and irresponsible". Staff working at the mine were "surprised" at the allegations and not one had raised safety concerns, he said.
Mr Bragg was confident the mine's safety standards were high, and urged anyone with concerns to tell management. But the miner told the Waikato Times that rumours had been circulating that methane levels reached up to 9 per cent during last month's incident, and there was pressure on both the company to make a profit and the managers to make sure the right amount of coal was getting processed each shift.
He said the incident could have been caused, in part, by pressure put on managers to reach "meterage" targets – the amount of metres mined each shift. Each crew has a goal to reach of 8 to 10 metres of coal per shift. Each metre of coal equated to about 25 tonnes, he said.
"They've been threatening us for years to close the mine if they don't get the meterage up because they've got to make money." The mine is 20,000 tonnes behind for the year, and it was possible the duty manager may have been trying to keep the mine running long as possible, he said.
He thought Solid Energy's stern response to the incident smacked of a "cover-up". "They preach safety before production, but it doesn't really happen."
Engineering Printing Manufacturing Union assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell said an explosion could have occurred if there had been an ignition source on the night of the incident last month, and he wanted to know why just the area involved,ceramic magic cube for the medical, and not the whole mine, was evacuated.
However, EPMU national mining advocate Ray Urquhart had no concerns about the miners remaining underground when the spike occurred.
Mr Urquhart said there was no daily target,100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. but all staff received a bonus if certain production levels were met and he disputed that miners were afraid to speak out about safety concerns. "I'm not going to discuss the culture of the workers," he said.
However, the miner spoken to by the Times yesterday refused to have even his blackened hands photographed for fear of identification and possible disciplinary action.
But he has the full support of Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta, who has aspirations of Labour leadership, and backed the mine whistle-blowers yesterday.
"Any reporting has to be good and the public need to know because that helps people understand the conditions." The Mine Rescue Service is holding a seminar in Huntly today where industry representatives will discuss a system designed to improve communication during a mine emergency.
Prime Minister John Key is refusing to say whether safety concerns at the Huntly East Mine will effect the partial sale of mine owner Solid Energy, one of the state-owned enterprises the Government wants to sell off next year.
Mr Key also refused yesterday to be drawn on whether he was aware of issues with the mine, instead referring the Waikato Times to Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson.
SOEs minister Tony Ryall also dodged the topic,where he teaches third party payment gateway in the Central Academy of Fine Arts. referring the Times directly to Solid Energy.
A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said she would not comment directly about safety issues at the mine because she could not comment on "speculation". She also refused to answer questions about whether she knew of past safety concerns at the mine.
Instead, in a written statement, Ms Wilkinson said the Government took the matter of mine safety seriously and over the past year had ordered an audit of all underground coal mines, established the new High Hazards Unit and set broad parameters for the Royal Commission to identify what improvements can be made. "The High Hazards Unit is assessing Solid Energy's management of this recent incident to ensure it's safety systems worked as intended."
Ms Wilkinson said the Huntly issue would not impact on the royal commission into the Pike River tragedy, which was "completely open to ensure all issues can be heard and considered".
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