6 Aug 2013

Corporate manslaughter charge wanted by Pike safety manager

10:54 am on 6 August 2013

The man who was the safety manager at the time of the Pike River mine disaster wants a charge of corporate manslaughter to be introduced.

The Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee was in Greymouth on Monday to hear submissions on the Health and Safety Bill, which seeks to implement changes recommended by the Pike River Royal Commission.

Neville Rockhouse, whose son was among the 29 men who died, told the committee the explosions in the coal mine in 2010 were not caused by systemic failure, but by arrogance and greed.

He wants a corporate manslaughter charge to be created so that individuals within organisations can be held accountable for actions leading to death.