Lok Sabha Question No. 315 (STARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Safety and Security of Coal Mines
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: SUDHEER GUPTA, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.315 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2019

## Safety and Security of Coal Mines

## *315 :SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI ASHOKSHANKARRAOCHAVAN

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

- (a) The details of the guidelines prescribed by the Government for safety and security in coal mines across the country;
- (b) Whether  the  Government  has  conducted  Safety  Audit  in  all  coal  mines  of  Coal  India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries;
- (c) If so, the details thereof and the deficiencies identified during the SafetyAudit;
- (d) Whether the serious injuries in per metric tonne rate is increasing;
- (e) If so, the details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year and the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (f) The further steps taken/ being taken by the Government to improve safety standard of coalmines in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COAL (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

- (a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## 15th Position

## Statement  referred  to  in  reply  to  parts  (a)  to  (f)  in  respect  of  Lok  Sabha Question No. 315 for reply on 2 nd January, 2019 asked by Shri Sudheer Gupta and Shri Ashok Shankarrao Chavan regarding Safety and Security of Coal Mines

- (a): Safety, welfare and health of workers employed in mines are the concern of the Central Government  (Entry  55-Union  List-Article  246).  The  objective  is  regulated  by  the  Mines  Act, 1952  and  the  Rules  and  Regulations  framed  thereunder.  Directorate  General  of  Mines  Safety (DGMS) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India administers this Act in the mining sector. The relevant Regulations/ Rules relating to safety of Coal mines are as below:
- a. Mines Act, 1952
- b. Coal Mines Regulations, 2017
- c. Mines Rules, 1955
- d. Mines Vocational Training Rules, 1966
- e. Mines Rescue Rules, 1985

Also, keeping in line with the mandate under the Mines Act, 1952, the Officers of DGMS undertake  sample  inspections  of  mines  and  based  on  the  contraventions  observed  during  the inspection action as provided under law is taken.

Further,  Ministry  of  Coal  has  not  issued  any  guidelines  in  respect  of  security  of  Coal Mines of CIL and its subsidiaries.  However, Coal companies are availing services of different security  agencies  like  Departmental  Security,  Directorate  General  of  Resettlement  (DGR) sponsored Security, Home Guards, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and State Industrial Security Force (SISF).

(b)&(c):Yes Madam. Safety Audit has been conducted in all producing coal mines of CIL and its subsidiaries in the year 2017-18 by the multi-disciplinary inter-company teams.

During  the  safety  audit  of  each  mine,  the  respective  Safety  Audit  team  assesses  the existing safety status of the respective coal mine and point out deficiencies thereof for each mine. Deficiencies identified by the respective safety audit team are mine, site and situation specific and  varies  from  mine  to  mine.  However,  requisite  corrective  measures,  as  deemed  fit,  for rectifications of such deficiencies have been initiated by the respective mines.

(d)&(e): No Madam. The details of the serious injuries per metric tonne of coal produced, as per returns  submitted  by  Mine  Management  to  DGMS,  shows  a  decreasing  trend  which  are  as follows:

|   Year |   Serious Injury per metric tonne |
|--------|-----------------------------------|
|   2015 |                          4.56e-07 |
|   2016 |                          4.03e-07 |
|   2017 |                          2.79e-07 |
|   2018 |                          2.69e-07 |

(f): Directorate  General  of  Mines  Safety  (DGMS)  has  taken  following  steps  to  improve safety standard of coal mine in the country:

- i) Sample  inspection  of  Mines  and  action  is  taken  as  per  law  based  on  the  observations during the inspections,
2. ii)  Enquiry into Accidents, Dangerous Occurrences etc. and action is taken as per law based on the findings of the enquiry,
3. iii) Amendment of safety laws,
- v) Issue  of  guidelines  for  safer  operations  in  identified  thrust  areas  through  circulars  and issue of technical instructions to DGMS officers for their guidance.
5. vi)  Introduction of Risk Assessment Techniques and preparation of safety management plan aimed at elimination of risks and to ensure safety of workmen.
6. vii)  Introduction of standard operating procedures to avoid unsafe practices in mines.

In addition to above, the following steps to improve safety standard of coal mines are also being taken by coal companies:

1. Preparation  and  implementation  of  risk  assessment  based  Safety  Management  Plans (SMPs).
2. Preparation and implementation of Principal Hazards Management Plans (PHMPs) along with Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP).
3. Formulation and compliance of Site-specific Risk Assessment based Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
4. Conducting safety audit of mines.
5. Online Centralized Safety Monitoring System 'CIL Safety Information System (CSIS)' has been developed for monitoring different safety parameters.

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