Glowing report for Banks Mining
Independent audit by SGS backs company’s operational standards, procedures and performance
AN independent audit of Banks Mining’s operational procedures and performance has given the Durham-based firm a glowing report card.
Inspectors from SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, visited five Banks Group sites to assess the company’s competence in the design, development and operation of surface coal mines.
The visit was designed to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the company’s management systems, and to confirm that Banks’ mining operations continue to meet with all the requirements of the ISO 14001:2004 environmental management standard, which the company has held since its introduction a decade ago.
After conducting a detailed and wide-ranging review across the business, SGS’s inspectors did not find a single concern over non-conformity with any of the required standards.
The SGS team visited the Shotton, Brenkley Lane and Rusha surface mine sites, as well as Banks’ West Cornforth site and its headquarters building in Meadowfield, and compiled its report based on staff interviews, observation of activities and review of documentation and records.
Gavin Styles, executive director at Banks Mining, said: ‘Working to the highest possible operational, environmental and management standards is an essential part of Banks’ make-up, and we’re fully and permanently committed to working our surface mine sites as safely, responsibly and efficiently as possible.
‘The findings of this excellent report are based on the hard work and dedication of everyone who works in our mining business, both on our three active sites and at West Cornforth and Meadowfield, and they should all take a great deal of satisfaction in the feedback that we’ve received.’
Mr Styles added: ‘While we’re very pleased to get such positive feedback from SGS’s inspectors, we know that we can’t rest on our laurels – maintaining these high standards is always an ongoing process, and we’ll continue to look for ways in which we can improve on what we do and how we do it.’
