Workers’ safety, health measures needs review: Official

MINING technology is changing and the health and safety of miners and workers nationwide
must be reviewed and updated, Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) managing director Jerry Garry says.
“A proposed draft bill, currently in its consultation stage, will look at addressing the needed changes, among others,” he said.
“There are many improvements that need to be made to the Mining (Safety) Act 1977 to address changes in the mining environment.
“Mining companies are now more into technology-based safety measures that they have introduced and we have captured all these in the draft bill.”
Garry said an example in the aged Mining (Safety) Act 1977 was that women were not allowed to work underground and in Porgera.
“To make it friendlier and have women working underground, we need to make changes to some laws and make it friendlier to everyone,” he said.
“The draft bill will adapt to the changes in the mining environment.”
A consultation for the drafted bill started in Goroka for the Highlands and was also conducted in Lae (Mamose), Kokopo for New Guinea Islands and Port Moresby (Southern).
Mineral Policy and Geohazards Management Department acting deputy secretary Winterford Eko said the Mining (Safety) Act was passed some 44 years ago and “is well overdue for review”.
“We are living in a modern society using new technology but what is reflected in the Mining (Safety) Act 1977 is really outdated,” he said.
“Some of the applications are not in use anymore.
“So we are trying to be on par with international safety standards and practices in the mining industry.”