China will carry out "special measures" in 2018 to curb illegal coal mining in order to keep mines safe and cut production capacity, the state Occupational Safety Administration said in a statement Monday.
Coal mines that do not meet safety or operational standards will be ordered to cease operations and remedy violations, the statement said.
Typical violations include workers working longer than permitted, overcapacity in mines, and the use of too many workers, the statement said.
Last month, OSH regulators reported 219 coal mining accidents in 2017 and 375 fatalities, down 30 percent from 2016. The annual mortality rate in the coal sector has steadily declined from a peak of nearly 5,000 in 2003.
However, the number of accidents and deaths is still too high, - said in a statement from the health and safety agency.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also conduct inspections to close down so-called “zombie” mines and reduce excess capacity.
China is seeking to eliminate all coal mines with a capacity of less than 90,000 tons per year to reduce safety risks in coal mines. Some regions have even announced that they are planning to raise this threshold to 150,000 tons or more.
China will step up its fight against illegal coal mining in 2018
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Azovpromstal® 12 February 2018 г. 18:00 |
