The number of coal mine accidents and their subsequent death toll decreased
in China in 2003. But the sobering reality of continued frequent accidents
permits no optimism on workplace safety.
Statistics from the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) indicate that
more than 2,110 people lost their lives in 596 gas explosions in coal mines in
China last year. The death toll and number of explosions dropped by 7.4 per cent
and 6.6 per cent respectively over the previous year.
That might come as a surprise when measured against most people's concern
about the country's overall work safety situation.
Intense media coverage of coal mine accidents in recent years has driven home
to the masses the gravity of the country's workplace safety situation,
especially in the mining sector.
And the fatal gas field blowout last month in Southwest China's Chongqing
Municipality which claimed 243 lives, the worst of its kind in China, has
brought the public's impression of the country's work safety to its lowest
point.
Coal mine accidents still account for about 40 per cent of the nation's total
number of industrial accidents. Worse, work safety awareness has yet to take
root in Chinese enterprises.
The current decrease in the number of coal mine accidents, to a large extent,
should be attributed to the country's campaign to tighten control of work safety
in coal mines, especially those small-sized ones which make up 90 per cent of
the country's total.
For small mines, it is one thing to stop dangerous production during the
national campaign on work safety, it is another thing to make work safety
investment an indispensable part of their cost.
The improved behaviour of small coal mines on work safety should thus not be
taken for granted. Continuous supervision is still called for to further reduce
accidents.
On the other hand, the performance of large State-owned coal mines remains
unsatisfactory. Against the overall improvement of the sector's work safety
record, the number of serious accidents and the death toll in key State-owned
coal mines climbed by 7.4 per cent and 9.4 per cent, according to figures
released by the SAWS.
Criticism used to be focused on private owners of small mines who tried to
maximize profits at the cost of workplace safety. If not a similar lack of work
safety awareness, lax safety management in large State coal mines is now being
exposed.
Admittedly, it will be much more difficult to take drastic measures against
these major coal mines since reduction in their output can seriously impede
growth of the country's energy supply.
Yet, the China National Petroleum Corporation recently carried out an
in-house security inspection after one of its subordinates caused the Chongqing
gas field tragedy.
The bitter lesson learned by this oil giant should be heeded by all coal
mines: ignoring work safety will cost more.
(China Daily)
