The Department of Labour employs only one person to check the safety of mines, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River mine disaster has been told.
Health and safety inspector Michael Firmin told the inquiry in to the deaths of 29 workers at the West Coast mine in November that he was currently the department's inspector of mines.
The department was trying to find a replacement after one of his colleagues left about two weeks ago, he said.
He said he was not responsible for carrying out inspections at Pike River mine when it was hit by an explosion in November.
The last time he inspected the mine was in 2008.
The 1000 or so quarries in New Zealand had not been inspected "for ages" although this was being addressed by the Mines Steering Group, Mr Firmin said.
He said that a new electrical inspector was appointed in the past few months whose job will include inspecting electrical systems in coal mines.
In the past, the Electrical Safety Service had been used to help inspect mines, the inquiry was told.
Earlier today, Department of Labour workplace health and safety policy manager James Murphy said safety issues at Pike River were difficult to address because inspectors only visited the mine occasionally.
The inspectors only obtained snapshots of what was going on at the mine because they did not make regular visits, he said.
Mines were encouraged to take control of their own health and safety issues and manage them themselves, or with consultants if necessary, he said.
The inspectorate was there in an enforcement and advisory capacity, rather than a daily or weekly hands-on role, Mr Murphy said.
During cross examination by Nicholas Davidson QC, lawyer for the Pike River families, Mr Murphy said resources would have to be allocated from another area of the department if there were to be more mines inspectors, and more regular inspections.
He said the department only had limited resources, and that was the reality of the situation.
Earlier evidence
Safety issues at Pike River were difficult to address because inspectors only visited the mine occasionally, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the disaster was told this morning.
Department of Labour workplace health and safety policy manager James Murphy said the inspectors only obtained snapshots of what was going on at the mine because they did not make regular visits.
Mines were encouraged to take control of their own health and safety issues and manage them themselves, or with consultants if necessary, he said.
The inspectorate was there in an enforcement and advisory capacity, rather than a daily or weekly hands-on role, Mr Murphy told the inquiry into the deaths of 29 workers at the West Coast mine in November.
During cross examination by Nicholas Davidson QC, lawyer for the Pike River families, Mr Murphy said resources would have to be allocated from another area of the Department of Labour if there were to be more mines inspectors, and more regular inspections.
He said the department only had limited resources.
A series of experts told the inquiry last week that PRC had insufficient knowledge of the geology of the mine, ignored the advice of mine experts, overestimated its profitability and underestimated safety risks.
Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson told the inquiry she adopted all but one of recommendations made in 2009 to improve mine safety.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River mine disaster yesterday heard evidence from the Department of Labour workplace health and safety policy manager James Murphy.
Twenty nine men died at the mine last November.
The hearing was told recommendations had been made to improve safety in small mines in an October 2009 briefing paper but not all had been adopted.
A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said the recommendations had no bearing on operations at Pike River, a large operation, as they covered small mines, with 15 or fewer miners.
"With regard to the recommendations themselves, the minister adopted all of them bar one -- instead opting for more work on technical guidance to assist the two small underground mines we have," he said.
"There was only one employee participation option put forward in that 2009 briefing paper and it was accepted.
"The review didn't recommend reinstating check inspectors at the EPMU's request."
