Lok Sabha Question No. 3455 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-16
Subject: Accidents in Mines
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Gitaben Vajesingbhai Rathva, Riti Pathak, Pradeep Kumar Singh, Jugal Kishore Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3455 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2020

## ACCIDENTS IN MINES

## †3455. SHRIMATI RATHVA GITABEN VAJESINGBHAI:

SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI JUGAL KISHORE SHARMA:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  issued  any  advisory  for  the  safety  of  mine workers  and  their  working  in  the  hazardous  factories  in  Madhya  Pradesh and Jammu-Kashmir and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether the Government has formulated any scheme to ensure the safety of workers working in mines and hazardous factories;
- (c)if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  efforts  being  made  by  the
- Government to reduce the number of accidents in mines;
- (d)whether the Government has made any provision for financial assistance in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)whether  the  Government  has  been  successful  in  reducing  the  number  of accidents in mines and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a): Ministry  of  Labour  &  Employment  has  not  issued  any  advisory  for  the safety  of  mine  workers  and  their  working  in  the  hazardous  factories  in  the country including Madhya Pradesh and Jammu-Kashmir. However, the Central Government has enacted the Mines Act, 1952 and the Factories Act, 1948 for ensuring the occupational safety, health and welfare of the workers employed in  the  mines  and  workers  employed  in  the  factories  registered  under  the Factories  Act,  1948  respectively.  There  are  adequate  provisions  for  ensuing the health, safety and welfare of the mine workers as well as factory workers under these Acts and the Rules and Regulations framed thereunder.

(b): The Government has not formulated any specific scheme to ensure the safety of workers in mines and hazardous factories but the safety, health and welfare  of  the  mine  workers  and  factories  workers  including  hazardous factories are governed in terms of provisions contained in the Mines Act, 1952 and the Factories Act, 1948 and Rules and Regulations made there under.

- (c): Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) under the Ministry of Labour and  Employment,  Government  of  India  administers  the  Mines  Act,  1952  for ensuring safety of the workers employed in mines. DGMS has taken following steps to reduce the number of accidents in mines:-
- (i) To  promote  and  propagate  safety  awareness  in  mines,  National  Safety Awards (Mines), National Conference on Safety in Mines are organized by DGMS. Workers participation and sensitization in matters of safety are ensured through training in safety and by initiatives like observance of safety week and safety campaigns, etc.
- (ii) Safety training programmes are organized among Managers and Supervisors for improving safety standards in mines.
- (iii) Introduction  of  Risk  Assessment  Techniques  and  preparation  of  safety management plan aimed at elimination of risks and to ensure safety of workmen.
- (iv) Introduction of standard operating procedures to avoid unsafe practices in mines.
- (v) Time to time, DGMS  Circulars are issued as guidelines for safe operations in identified thrust areas.
- (d): DGMS administers the provision of the Mines Act, 1952 for ensuring the occupational safety, health and welfare of the workers employed in the mines. There is detailed budgetary outlay for DGMS.
- (e): The  details  of  the  number  of  fatal  accidents,  serious  accidents  and overall  accidents,  as  reported  by  the  mine  management  during  the  calendar year 2015-2019 are as under:

|   Year | Fatal Accident   | Serious Accident   | Total Accident   |
|--------|------------------|--------------------|------------------|
|   2015 | 99 337           | 436                |                  |
|   2016 | 106 305          |                    | 411              |
|   2017 | 102              | 204                | 306              |
|   2018 | 96               | 236                | 332              |
|   2019 | 97               | 176                | 273              |

As  can  be  seen,  the  trend  of  the  fatal  and  serious  accidents  that  took place in mines during the last five years is decreasing.

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