Safety Management is a core issue for all businesses operating in me mining industry. It covers all aspects of occupational health and safety and is a very personal issue at all levels in a business. When you succeed the business can grow, but fail in safety management and ultimately the business will be compromised. The issue of contractor safety management, as one part of safety management, has been a focus of industry attention in recent times, with a perception that it has its own peculiar issues to deal with - that contractors have to reach industry standards; that they need to be accommodated in owner/operator safety systems; and that they present a particular risk to the industry that requires special attention. It is proposed that safety management is a core business issue for the contracting fraternity and is a primary driver in the contracting business - no different from that of the owner/operator and hence does not present a particular risk to the industry. The management of safety in the mining industry, whether by a contractor or owner/operator, must have the same focus. Where small contractors are involved, their role on a mine site may be no different from that of a mining crew. Here the management of safety is a responsibility of the crew, which seeks its direction and safety leadership from the behaviour of site and senior management of the owner/operator. As the role of the contractor increases at a particular site, so the influence of the site and senior management of the contractor becomes more influential. Both the contractor and owner management must be aware of the change in the safety management process on site, to ensure that their futures are not compromised by a lack of understanding in their respective responsibilities to safety management. In this paper, case studies will be used to explore the need for management and employees to be made aware of their responsibilities, and the process by which this can happen, as the role of the contractors changes in the industry.
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