Copper Mining, Who Keeps Miners Safe? | Mine Inspector Candidate, Brian Matlock | Number Twelve

The Brian Calaway Podcast | Number Twelve Brian and Brandon welcome Brian Matlock, candidate for Arizona State Mine Inspector. Established in the 1912 Arizona Constitution during the Progressive Era, the position is a unique, independent role found nowhere else in the United States. With a career spanning mechanical design engineering, manufacturing quality auditing, forest products, and hard-rock mining across Australia, Mongolia, and North America, Matlock brings a technical perspective to the office. The conversation covers how engineering tolerances relate to worker safety, why "complacency is the enemy of safety," and how AI speeds up design iteration while human experience remains essential to catching floor-level problems. They also discuss the future of Arizona mining: in-situ copper leaching, Oak Flat block caving, and ideas like gravity batteries and tailings reuse. Matlock outlines plans to update decades-old safety codes, bring modern recruiting methods to the skilled trades, and work with tribal nations and experts including Dr. Tommy Rock on remediating Arizona's roughly 120,000 abandoned mines. Topics Covered: Why Arizona is the only state with an elected, independent mine inspector Engineering tolerances, ISO 9001 auditing, and MSHA federal safety reports versus state inspection records AI's role in engineering iteration and where human judgment is still required Why documenting near-misses matters for preventing major incidents In-situ Florence copper extraction and Oak Flat block-caving versus open-pit mining Updating outdated, monolithic safety codes into modular standards with clear trade certification requirements Modern recruiting approaches, including remote and drone-based mining work, for the skilled trades pipeline Volunteer-based approaches to cataloging and securing abandoned mines while preserving bat habitats Uranium mine remediation and partnership with tribal nations Why worker safety is a nonpartisan... *Episode 12 Timeline and Chapters* *00:00:00* - Welcoming Brian Matlock (Candidate for AZ State Mine Inspector) • *00:02:00* - MSHA Federal Safety Reports vs. State Inspection Records • *00:03:54* - Tolerances and Design Engineering: Why Every Engineer is an Inspector • *00:06:48* - ISO 9001 Quality Auditing and the "Magic" of Spotting Hidden Non-Conformities • *00:08:07* - Leadership in Engineering, Resenting Intelligence, and Mentorship • *00:11:12* - AI in Engineering: Iterative Design Calculations vs. Human Nuance • *00:15:27* - The Safety Pyramid: Near-Misses, Incident Ratios, and Preventing Fatalities • *00:17:36* - Brian Matlock's Career: From Police Interceptors to Forest Products & Dragline Chains • *00:22:47* - Modern Mining Mechanics: In-Situ Florence Copper & Oak Flats Block Caving • *00:28:36* - Gravity Batteries and Tailings Rail Car Energy Regeneration • *00:30:55* - Arizona's 1912 Progressive Constitution and the Independent Inspector Watchdog • *00:36:22* - "Complacency is the Enemy of Safety": Why 50 Years of Single-Party Rule Stagnates Code • *00:39:37* - Updating 20-Year-Old Safety Codes & Trade Certifications for Electrical Work • *00:46:45* - The Skilled Trades Deficit & Gamifying Modern Mining for the Next Generation • *00:48:49* - Six Sigma "Voice of the Customer": Community Outreach in Mine Inspection • *00:51:34* - Requisite Resumes for Office: The Legal Qualifications to Run for Mine Inspector • *00:54:10* - Why Worker Safety and Labor Protection Transcends Party Lines • *00:58:42* - Middle Management Challenges & Building a Safety-First Workplace Culture • *01:06:14* - Addressing Anti-Regulatory Rifts and Historical Party Affiliation Pressure • *01:10:13* - Establishing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) vs. Firefighter Management • *01:18:12* - Abandoned Mines: Securing 120,000 Sites with Volunteer Teams & Bat Sanctuaries • *01:24:36* - Uranium Mine Remediation: Partnering with Tribal Nations and Dr. Tommy Rock • *01:27:43* - Win-Win Ecology: Positive-Sum Outcomes for Mining, Safety, and Local Communities • *01:31:22* - "Big Truck Energy" & Final Reflections on Merit-Based Public Service • *01:36:27* - Wrapping Up Episode 12: Brian Squared Plus One