Dr Patrick J Foster 
Anglo American plc Senior Lecturer in Mining Engineering
Contact details
Email: P.J.Foster@csm.ex.ac.uk
Biography
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
BEng (Hons) Mining Engineering Division 2:1, University of Nottingham, 1992
PhD Mine Safety, University of Nottingham, 1997
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Chartered Engineer
Fellow of the Institution of Materials, Minerals & Mining (FIMMM)
Chartered Member Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH)
Member of the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa (MMVSSA)
Member of the Institute of Quarrying (MIQ)
Council Member (2003 - present) - Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
Council Member (2008 - present) - Mining Association of the United Kingdom
Member (2001 - present) Quarry National Joint Advisory Committee
Hononary Secretary (2004 - present) - SW Branch of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
Branch President (2003/04) - SW Branch of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
Member of UK-Queensland Mining Working Group (UKT&I) (2005)
Member of DTI (UKT&I) Mining Trade Advisory Group (2003-05)
PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
2000 – Present Anglo American plc Lecturer in Mining Engineering, Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter
Lecturing and Research in health, safety and environmental aspects of Mining Engineering.
Statutory Mine Manager, Holman's 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 Coal Preparation plants in the UK against the requirements of UK legislation and international best practice.
- Undertaking Initial Status reviews against the requirements of BS8800/OHSAS18001 at a number of South African coal mining operations (both surface and underground).
- Research funded by the European Coal & Steel Community (ECSC) studying the efficiency of mining transport operations and the application of virtual reality to mining operations.
- Research funded by SIMRAC ( South Africa) studying the safe application of small incline and vertical winder systems within gold and platinum mines in South Africa.
- Design and implementation of a corporation wide health and safety risk management system for a major South African mining house. This included the development and delivery of a number of training courses to Corporate staff, Mine Managers, Trainers and Safety Officers on the system.
RESEARCH
Mining and Minerals Engineering
Recent research projects (2001 to date)
Minerals Industry Research Organisation MIST Programme - Improving the Safety of Lone Workers in Quarrying Operations through Behavioural Safety Interventions – May 07 – February 08
ESF Cornwall Research Fund - Improving the Health & Safety Performance at Small Quarries through Behavioural Based Safety Interventions - Sep 06 – June 07
Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Mines Rescue Service Ltd - Development and application of advanced wireless technologies in the underground and built environment - Nov 05-Nov 08
Minerals Industry Research Organisation MIST Programme - Improving Standards of Safety & Health in the Quarrying Sector” - Oct 04-March 07
Minerals Industry Research Organisation ODPM-ALSF Programme - Education Strategy for the Planning & Safe Operation of Quarries - Oct 04-Sep 06
Jobling-Purser Ltd - Development of an Automated Laser Profiling Device – Mar 04-Sept 07
European Coal & Steel Community (ECSC) - The Application & Effectiveness of VR as a training medium in the Mining Industry -July 2002 - June 2005
EPSRC /Mines Rescue Service Ltd - Advanced Underground Data Transmission Technologies – Sept 02 -Aug 05.
CSIR Miningtek/SIMRAC ( South Africa) - Risk Analysis of Scraper Winch Systems in South African Gold & Platinum Mines – June – Sep 2003
ESF/HSE - Accident Aetiology in the Quarrying Industry– Nov 01 to June 04.
Recent publications (2001 to date)
P.J. Foster, A. Parand A & J.Bennett (2007) Behavioural Safety & Performance
Indicators: Research Based Approaches undertaken in the UK Quarrying
Industry, Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference of Safety in
Mines Research Institutes, Beijing, China, September, pp 191-200,
Beijing: National Centre for International Exchange & Co-operation on
Work Safety.
G.Kennedy, P.J.Foster, C.I.Faulks, D.Brenkley , M.D.Bedford & D.Gibson
(2007) Improving Underground Mine Safety with High Resilience Mesh Smart
Sensor Networks, Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference of
Safety in Mines Research Institutes, Beijing, China, September, pp
226-233, Beijing: National Centre for International Exchange &
Co-operation on Work Safety.
J. Bennett & P.J Foster (2007) Developing an Industry Specific Approach to a Safety Management System, Policy & Practice in Health & Safety, Vol 5 (1) , pp 77-99
P.J.Foster (2006) Improving Safety in the UK Quarrying Industry through the Hard Target & Behavioural Safety, International Council on Mining & Metals (ICMM) Health & Safety Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, November.
G. Kennedy & P.J.Foster (2006) High Resilience Networks and Microwave Propagation in Underground Mines, IEEE European Conference on Wireless Technology, Manchester, September
A. Parand & P.J. Foster (2006) Behavioural-Based Safety in the Minerals Industry: A Research Based Methodology Carried out in the UK Quarrying Sector, Queensland Resources Council Mining Health & Safety Conference 2006, Townsville, August.
P.J.Foster & A Burton (2006) Modelling Potential Sightline Improvements to Underground Mining Vehicles Using Virtual Reality, Mining Technology Vol 115 (3) pp 85-90
J. Bennett & P.J.Foster (2005) Predicting Progress: The Use of Leading Indicators in Occupational Health and Safety , Policy & Practice in Safety & Health, Volume 3(2) December
P.J.Foster (2005) Mining Training & Education: A UK Perspective, 1 st China International Conference on Coal Mine Gas Control & Utilisation, Beijing, 26-27 October
P.J. Foster, J. Jobling-Purser & G.Kennedy (2005)
Underground Void Visualisation using a low-cost automated ROV , 31 st International Conference of Safety in Mines Research Institutes, Brisbane, 2-5 October
G. Kennedy & P.J. Foster (2005) Low-Power Wireless Mesh Networks in Underground Mining, Bulletin of the Australian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy, March/April, pp 60-67
P. Foster & R. Pearce (2005) Hard Targets: Improving Safety in the UK Quarrying Industry, Journal of the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa, 58 (1), pp 14-17
P.J. Foster, A. Wetherelt, J. Jobling-Purser and D.Parker (2004) Underground Void Visualisation using a Low Cost Laser based System. 1st FIG International Symposium on Engineering Surveys for Construction Works and Structural Engineering, Nottingham, June 2004.
J.A. Jobling-Purser, D.F. Parker & P.J. Foster (2004) Development of a fully automated 3D profiling machine for underground void visualization and deformation monitoring, JKMRC International Student Conference 2004, Brisbane, Australia, 6-7 Sept, 2004
Foster P.J. & Burton A. (2004) Virtual Reality in Improving Mining Ergonomics, Journal of the South African Institution of Mining & Metallurgy, March 2003, pp 129-133
P.J. Foster (2003) University Education for the UK Mining & Quarrying Industry, Quarry & Mines 2004, McMillan Scott pp 63-65.
P.J. Foster (2003) Managing Health Risks, Quarry Management, September. pp 47-53
P.J. Foster (2003) Risk Assessment, Quarry Management, May. pp 59-68
P.J. Foster (2003) Safety Management Systems in Quarrying, Quarry Management, March .pp 43-48
P.J. Foster (2003) Accidents: Their Cause & Effect, Quarry Management, January . pp 43-48
TEACHING
Undergraduate modules
CSM 1253 Surveying
CSM 1257 Thermodynamics & Fluid Mechanics
CSM 3305 Health and Safety, Risk Management
CSM 3331 Working Environment and Ventilation
MSc modules
CSM M101 Hazard and Risk Assessment
CSM M105 Engineering Surveying
CSM M122 Health, Safety and Environmental Management
ADMINISTRATION
Statutory Mine Manager, Holmans Test Mine
Programme Director – MSc Surveying & Land/Environmental Manager
Hon Secretary & Treasurer– CSM Rugby Football Club
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