27 January 2016

A new Chief Inspector will take over leadership of WorkSafe’s engagement, education and enforcement in the extractives sector at the end of April.

Mark Pizey is currently Solid Energy’s General Manager, Pike River Drift Re-entry Project and has been appointed after an international search to replace the current Chief Inspector Tony Forster who returns to the United Kingdom this week at the conclusion of his contract.

“This is a critical role in WorkSafe’s ongoing commitment to achieving at least a 25 percent reduction in workplace fatalities and serious injuries in New Zealand workplaces by 2020. Mark Pizey is well qualified and experienced to lead this work in the underground and alluvial mining, and the quarrying and tunnelling sectors,” Gordon MacDonald, Chief Executive of WorkSafe New Zealand says.

“Very substantial progress has been made in improving health and safety outcomes in the extractives sector under the outgoing Chief Inspector, and Mr Pizey’s lengthy history in health and safety in this sector, mostly with Solid Energy in executive roles, will ensure continuing leadership based on practical, direct knowledge of the extractives environment.

“Mr Pizey brings hands-on mining engineering experience to the role, along with a strong managerial focus in recent years with Solid Energy. This combination of expertise is not easy to find and we are fortunate to have been able to appoint a person of his calibre to continue our positive collaboration with the sector to achieve better health and safety outcomes for everyone,” Mr MacDonald says.

Mr Pizey will be based in Christchurch.

Until Mr Pizey takes up his role, the Deputy Chief Inspector Extractives, Dave Bellett will lead the team as Acting Chief Inspector.