Professor Patrick Foster

I am the Head of the Camborne School of Mines and Professor in Mine Safety and I lecture and undertake research into the health, safety and working environment aspects of mining and quarrying. My particular research interests are in safety management systems, human factors, risk management, environemntal impacts of mining & climate change.

I graduated in Mining Engineering from the University of Nottingham and continued there to undertake a PhD looking into safety risk assessment in the mining industry supported by British Coal. Following this I joined International Mining Consultants Ltd as a Mine Safety Consultant where I was involved in health & safety management system audits, risk assessment training and research in the UK, India and South Africa.

EXPERIENCE

2000 to present: Camborne School of Mines (University of Exeter)

2016 to present: Associate Professor in Mine Safety

2004 to 2016: Senior Lecturer in Mining Engineering

Lecturing and Research in health, safety and working environmental aspects of Mining Engineering.

• Lecture subjects include Health & Safety Management, Mine Ventilation & Surveying;
• Research interests are: Safety Risk Management Techniques & Applications, Human Factors and Ergonomics, HS&E Management Systems and their effectiveness, Behavioural Safety

2014 to present: CSM Director of Education

2002 to 2014: Statutory Mine Manager, CSM Test Mine

1996 - 2000: International Mining Consultants Ltd

Based in the UK and South Africa. Work included consultancy, project management and contract research on several major mining projects both in the UK and internationally. These have included:

• Study of the health and safety management provisions of Indian coal mines as part of a World Bank funded programme to improve the Environmental and Social management of India’s coal mining operations.
• Auditing the health and safety systems of mines in the UK against the requirements of UK legislation and international best practice.
• Undertaking Initial Status reviews against the requirements of BS8800/OHSAS18001 in South African coal mining operations (both surface and underground).
• Research studying the efficiency of mining transport operations, application of virtual reality to mining operations, safety of remote control mining operations & the safe application of small incline and vertical winder systems.
• Design and implementation of a corporation wide health and safety risk management system for a major South African mining house.