DNRE Improves risk management skills

Twenty one DNRE inspectors, including inspectors of mines and quarries, petroleum engineers and environmental officers, have just completed an advanced risk management course, and part of their brief now is to share that knowledge with industry.

"The ultimate objective is to make workplaces safer and eliminate risk. If we can impart some of what we’ve learnt to industries we’re sure to get a better outcome," said John Mitas, NRME’s chief inspector of quarries.

Mr Mitas said the course, which was conducted by leading OHS consultants ZEAL Consulting, will result in a more structured and in-depth approach to risk management by the department.

"All our people have extensive experience in this area, as well as industry. But this course has helped crystallise some of the key aspects of workplace risk management and generally lifted our knowledge to a level where we are better equipped to move from compliance monitoring to more sophisticated and demanding performance-based risk management standards."

He said the department’s newly-refined skills were pivotal to a new strategy which placed top priority on high risk sites.

"Ultimately, our objective is the same as industry’s, that is to eliminate risk. So we’ll be helping to identify and manage it," said Mr Mitas.