Document QJ281nYbk4GMLbwmajrRv0bok

/ She Sentor Inspector or lLoes, Idines Bepertamat, KALOCCnJE V.A. Cue, i2th. December 196c & Itere an several alters relating to the opereUtes and administration t Australian Blue Asbestos Ltd -uSzica you have raised in recent correspondence, and which have sot yet been acfczur ledgod. 1 delayed submitting written reports because X considered that the nature of aoae of these setters aada thee extreaOy ccarfi.te cover adequately through oedtun of the nail, and it did seen possible that 1 could have visited XalgoorXie prior to tin oanseno* nent of ay forthcoatftg lea?#. However, X will be proceidiog direct to Perth so 1 will attempt to never * t eapeota saw. Firstly, the natter of the underground veotilailw at the " Colonial Iftae, has net been handled la a nsrinar likely te leave either the sine manager or qreeir *ifi a tepflrllfn*te-nr -- - >. _ 1 aaw'liaaiaiaat Inspector Elviwn in fort Hagjand-afW- the Jgas stave/ he did not express awrparticular diaaezmeval of the ventilation standards whoa quested him, I asked tor a ooty of his report te be sent to te when he ted compiled one and vu assured that X would receive one. Despite ny repeated requests tor copies of such surreys X did not receive a cojy of any vsnUlation ihdpeotd.cn aafie vithln ay inspectorate during the period of sr appointment, until your neon at 3rd. October last was received. Jo that particular orac you criticised te tor awaiently short cutting cy Colonial inspection of 17th. August *especially la viav of the hot that you were than avm that Assistant Impact Siemens was not bsppr with the ventilation* Xn aotusl tact X vu planed la a most embarrassing posit!as when X called on the manager at the completion of cy Inspection end was told that hotxether resentful of inspector Simons' report end the subsequent action of senior officers of the Vines DopstUmat in approttU superloss vithnA hwing first referred the tetter to him as fieglatersd Manager* S explained that X had bean on the road for acre tten a fortnight end that any correspondence dealing with the`Better v&a probably in nr office awaiting ay attention, Not only a*at X scree that Uh tefcioa vu uaethinei Ccoo the, viewpoint ecC tfaa matewSt but X felt incensed to think that such action vould be considered without first seeking sy eoaemnu. You have os cceftxioaa attribute ce with e fair knowledge of mine ventilation and its associated problems, -yat ic.-tbis instance ye-have aoBpted*thc'71ad^ge or an officer who h&dn t seen the mine for four years, and deemed it tc be of such importance that It vaa asasesery to approach the* Comparer Executive. Furthermore, this action does not tie in with the explanation }het Hr.. Simmons* original figures were pot Bast beeause s cheek inspection was required reference to Assistant Inspector Slmmcns Is not Intended to discredit him In any way; no doubt ha faaad aA later usst tfce dust concentrations were higher than a visual exsednation would hmv indioated, and 2 feel quit* cur that te would have told me if te had suspected that sub-standard conditions preralied PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT WV-04164 PLAINTIFFS - EXHIBIT * ..lO.Aj^-O. VW-004164 ', ii* aspect fioes indicate an important poiat. 21* wexu tftst vtiilst workmen & Inspector Hioi cod 2 b*v sade frequent insjwetiooe of the Ccicala! Hint worilagB, v have aoraeily confix out remarks concerning ventilation to the need to supply auflliaj^ ventilellon to certain slopes. Os Um earns bools that Inspector Sieaoae dfcd &ot becoee paiiiovalarly ccc&tr&ed wbocV tbs vc&tliatlt until his Jdttst. counts vere checked, we too,have cot considered the the underground etaoapftere vu persistently poor. Zt is nov clear that acre frequeht inspections will hire to re carried cot to test the parity end quantity of the underground atoesjbere. while this task has been done by the efifioere attached to the Inspection Srsaoh, 2 consider that an Inspector should hare the sziAs Ventilation Officer mooj*oy him and take dust samples under the direction of the Inspector, who could later check the . results himself During the process of the three noonl survey* st Vitteneoerf have been told ttf e&fca the Workmen# Inspector aval able to assist In the survey, but there has never been'any suggest that 2 7self be brought Into the picture, consequently I an entit to assume that all major policies on Mne vpnUlatice vlll he a natter for the nine concerned and the SalgnofLU affine* You are no doubt nov aanre that Hr. BJfarsb&U vlll be replaced as tbdergreund Manager by to. % .carter; and that HR.A. Spencer will be replceed as Inna Production Bng1finer by Ur. tJLetm Although seen of these staff changes were pending for several maths they vbo la some way &reeiptte4 hr fzietloa bat** . the underground executive staff and Uw none s&asger. who m* net aels the sill euperlhte&dafib and thereby considered te be ?yatualii led* hr the uaderzraad staff; Our vas saaaed on to the 'underground staff far --fgaaaii-i,^ vb&n relationr-vervTwt trt*-best and all towr*-*were recoiling fvon tha Isspact of such t stator aebesttaln Indioatloas being notified by the Mines Medical Officer. I cn foresee soae trodbled tines ahead for Australian Blue Asbestos l&d. She staff changes,and the reellsatlm of the risk of sabestosls amongst the sore experleneed minors has brought about an exodus of skilled miners at?* when prodoottce ehculd be Indreasing. In addition te this tbs fa* i* going to be left *4t out the expert guidance of to. Spencer and bis absence will be felt until bis wasmw hu time U property iastliaxi** *<*.*>f -with the trend of operations, which differ nhh froa those vitft which , be has bad expexiesfie mainly because of the dbaense of broken ere reserves st tatteooemu *b* 'break-through froec the toping area of 3 level st, into the aide of the gorge will probably enable better Tcatilaicaa standards to fee maintained in the lower yorfciage. but the feet remain* that all operations oa the b9&Tseam are gsitim *e fas froa tbe main portal and frees other opening** that vsotilattea vlll be harder to anlntaln. end tbe cutcut per aa-sbift.wlll he less br virtue of greater haulage aod servicing dietsneee. tkader ceerer ^ omdltlooe of vortdng ecvircaaaat aod with longer f sunlr. the output per on vlll drop te tbe extent tiat it will not be possible te average the high fate* being earned at present, unless looreaeed rates are to be paid. It Ime been the attraction of hub wage* vhieb has kept the better class of miner at Viitenoeaand It Is 6sy to inaglne whet vlll eventuate if the sd* Is left with Inexperienced nigrsnt minere. Dow that attention has been focused upon tbe need to maintain purer veatUetieo, ve oan expect te receive plenty of complaints regarding the Inadequacy of the ventlUtloa) and with the drift of older odners the quest!oa of edgreat sdnere Insbillty to epeak eoglish vlll become worse. _ Xa aoebrdsnce vita your letter of 27th. Cotober concerning tfci iaguage problem at Wittenooo l relented the decision to be scat definite In our requireevinCs that ell underground ettpleyees be able to speak and understand cogllah at tbe end of a three months period ccsuaeaciog early In ETovaober. Tour refereoae to complaints about the &ne AdBlnlstratlcm not raking sufficient attempt to ensure that all miners can apeak eoglleh, vpuld be challenged by the ranngcgwnt on tbe grounds that they pey wages to all migrants who attend cngliai classes on Saturdays. Whatever the outcome of the ventilation end espleyoeat problems may be, the company still have the right to ensue whoa they plee*e*provided the persons pose the necessary radical teste. It will always remain our task to police the sulUnUity of esgaoyeef for underground work; and it vill always be our 6ifcy to ensure that ventilation standards are maintained. Bader the existing arrangernot 'vbarefcy tbe Pistriet Inspector is stationed so' far from the A*m, ao< cculd be on duty even further svsy} and vith the ventilation officers In Kslgoorlle we vill never be able to cover this mine adequately.*^ worthwhile supervlaloo from this Peporiojant can be expected until a X&strlct Inspector is based at Port hadland. ' 2 have attessbed to place u paper most at the points I would have discussod vith you had 1 bean casing to Eslgocrllo. fills has been a very trying year for me, both from the oaglcy&sflt and deunestle angles. Maybe 1 have interpreted the Wttiaaocta business Incorrectly but it was most upsetting. Tour inference that X failed to carry out a reasonable inspection on 17th. August added to ar current worries, to# cocpLeoatioa van that X had previously tvisVed ay back whilst car*yte out an inspection of the *Hiao #Xo* thaft vith tbe'manager end Inspector Hint. This inspection vaedc&e fren the bonnet of the cage.end 1 had three tripe through the-shaft to each single lascaction aada.hr the other two. 1 would hears been quite justified In net even attempting to Inspect the Colcmlal '"las because the condition of sy back was aggravated by driving. Tou should have raised the matter when I cslledce you in KalgoorXie and as explanat ion would have bean gives than. Par freo dodging the responsibilities of ar appointejant I have done far acre than could be reasonably expected of a Inspector at Cue. You need hav^ho misgivings about sy attitude to the work, end I will gladly receive all oritlcieoa and vdooms the opportunity to stats ay reasons for aat particular action which my be frowned upon. She scope of the work performed from thljroffloe la not properly u&derstcod.btit as ay predecessor you should be best fitted to appreciate the difficulties concerned, I have a letter to **** widen was written by you ten years ago whilst occupying ah<* appoint ment- Tew were Incensed by the wannounoed visitations of other inspectors into the Cun Inspectorate, and you vrote to Kr.Fexall expressing the need fer better co-operation se that the officers concerned would be kept fully aware of vhat van planned, To os, it seem that history has been repeated. Three weeks ago a Medical Traetltiooar at feraldtoa gave as a thorough examination and pronounoed that I was run-down needed a long spell. Be vas prepared to have given m a certificate which would virtually have seat b on flick leave until X eotosaneed L.S.leave. however, it was fairly eeseatlel that I eooBlnte the reesfit .trlg-in<orier to .fa.na31.ee ibe.Ahcual -Separt -totalin any case the medico s finding that there was nothing else'wrong with me supplied the necessary pep. 1 o&nosnce leave shortly *** am looking forward tc a better appreciation of ay official problems from ell concerned when 2 got bock Into gear. ] DISTRICT INSPECTOR OF UXUSSfiXS.