China's accident-plagued mining sector requires an improved
emergency rescue system, said Wang Dexue, deputy director of the
State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), Wednesday at a ceremony
to mark the launch of the national mining rescue command center.
"The center will help to complete the mining emergency rescue
system as well as facilitate the quick reaction of rescue
organizations," Wang said.
"It will also help establish a well-organized and co-coordinated
professional rescue team, reduce the economic and personal losses
caused by accidents and gradually promote work safety among mining
enterprises."
SAWS statistics indicated that 1.073 million accidents of various
kinds, claiming some 139,400 lives, occurred in China during 2002.
Of this total, the number of mishaps in the manufacturing and
mining sectors ranked first, causing the most workplace deaths --
14,924 people.
Fortunately, China's coal mine sector, especially the state-owned
coal mines, possesses a better rescue system thanks to more
personnel, investment and equipment, noted Wang.
The deputy director further stressed that rescuers must improve
their scientific knowledge and acquire more advanced techniques in
the area of emergency rescue to deal with the complex nature of
mining accidents.
Jin Kening, head of the newly established center, said his center
will take charge of organization, command and co-ordination of
national mining rescue and disaster relief.
It
will organize the drafting of regulations and standards on mining
emergency rescue and conduct the certification of professionals in
the field, he said.
In
many cases, it is very difficult for a single mine, even a large
state-owned one, to deal with a fatal accident in which hundreds of
people are threatened with death and injury, said another official
with the center surnamed Yang.
"Our center will arrange trans-provincial or even trans-regional
rescue efforts to help the mines with equipment, technology and
expertise," he added.
In
addition to the mining sector, China has set up emergency rescue
systems in other fields to deal with marine accidents, earthquakes
and forest fires.
The new mining rescue command center will play a cooperative role
with the above-mentioned systems, Yang noted.
Meanwhile, in any sector or enterprise it is best to take
preventative safety measures in the workplace.
Thus, the SAWS and other related departments will organize
nationwide inspections in coal and non-coal mines, civil aviation,
railway and chemical industries and other fields, SAWS officials
said.
(China Daily February 28, 2003)