Can Changing the Regulators Improve Mine Safety?
In the aftermath of mining accidents, it is not uncommon for inquiries to highlight regulator inadequacies. But beyond recommending that regulators get tougher on those they regulate, there is usually little guidance on what regulators could do differently that would have a genuine impact on safety outcomes. Recent work at the Sustainable Minerals Institute suggests that applying the University of Pennsylvania’s Framework for Regulatory Excellence, and High Reliability Organisational (HRO) thinking, to regulators has the potential to ensure that mine safety regulators are more effective enablers of better safety and health outcomes in the sector.