China will strengthen the supervision and management of coal mine
safety, especially at small mines run by private operators, a top
work safety official announced at a press conference held by the
Information Office of the State Council Tuesday in Beijing.
Wang Xianzheng, director of the State Administration of Work
Safety, pledged to continue to close small coal mines operating
illegally and those that do not meet work safety requirements.
Priority will be given to five provinces which have proved black
spots for coal mine accidents: North China's Shanxi Province,
Central China's Henan Province, Southwest China's Guizhou Province,
and Northeast China's Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.
Statistics reveal that 2,584 accidents occurred in coal mines
throughout China from January to September, killing a total of
4,498 people.
More than 70 percent of work accidents in China occurred in private
companies, administration figures disclosed.
"We require all coal mines to insure their employees with
industrial injury insurance to protect their legal interests," said
Shan Chunchang, a vice-administrator.
The State Administration of Work Safety will also cooperate with
the All-China Federation of Trade Unions to strengthen the power of
the unions in those small coal mines, Shan said.
Earlier this year, the State Economic and Trade Commission
published a special regulation on the inspection and management of
safety instruments and products used in coal mines and three other
regulations on safe production.
Another 14 regulations on work safety are expected to be published
by the end of next year, including a regulation to ascertain
responsibility for serious coal mine accidents.
They form part of efforts to guarantee the efficient implementation
of the State law on work safety, which will officially come into
force on Friday.
Monday, however, a fire at Ertang Coal Mine in Nanning, capital of
South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, left 21 miners
dead, Xinhua reported.
Five miners survived the accident which occurred about 4:00 am.
Nine others are still missing, local rescuers said.
(China
Daily October 30, 2002)