MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, COAL AND MINES
(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)
(a): The provisions for occupational safety & health for persons employed in the mines have been made in the Mines Act 1952 and rules & regulations framed there under. The applicable legislation to the coal mines are: (i) The Mines Act 1952, (ii) The Mines Rules, 1955, (iii) The Coal-Mines Regulations, 2017 (iv) The Mines Rescue rules, 1985, (v) The Mines Vocational Training Rules 1966, (vi) The Mines Creche Rules, 1985, etc. Besides, Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) issues Circulars form time to time based on the accidents and the technological advancements in the mining method and the machinery.
(b): The Act / Rules are reviewed and amended from time to time to incorporate the changes in Occupational Safety and health of mine workers in line with the technological advancements in mining industry. The Coal Mines Regulation (CMR) 1957 has been amended as Coal Mines Regulations 2017 and Oil Mines Regulation, 1984 has been amended as the, Oil Mines Regulations 2017. Further, the Mines Act 1952 has been subsumed into "The Occupational Safety Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020" which has been notified on 29th September, 2020. It will come into force on the date as notified by the Central Government.
(c) & (d): The number of accidents in coal mines and number of persons injured during 2019 to 2021 and the current year is Annexed-I. Compensation are paid as per the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923 enacted by Govt. of India. Apart from this, Coal India Ltd. (CIL) and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL) provide compensation and other monetary relief etc. to the family of deceased who died in any mine accidents, as per details mentioned at Annexure-II.
(e): 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).
(f) & (g): Safety Audit of mines are being conducted every year voluntarily to assess safety status of mine. In the year 2021-22, Safety Audit has been conducted in all 301 producing mines of CIL and its subsidiaries. Appropriate corrective actions have been taken to rectify the Mine-specific deficiencies, if any, identified during the said audit.
(h): DGMS has taken further steps to improve safety standards of coal mines in the country. The steps taken as provided under the provisions of the Mines Act 1952 and its subordinate legislation are as under: -
(i) Legislative measures:
a. Enquiry into the accident and dangerous occurrences to ascertain the cause and circumstances that led to the accident and suggests suitable remedial measures to the mine management.
b. Inspection of the mines: Pointing out contraventions, temporary stoppages of a mine or part thereof; serving the Improvement Notices & Prohibitory Orders to rectify the contraventions of statute relevant to the safety, health and working conditions at a mine observed during the course of inspections.
(ii) Developmental measures such as standard setting, adopting various recommendations of the ILO Conventions,
(iii) Promotional measures such as holding National. Conferences on Safety in mines, conducting National Safety Awards (Mines), imparting Vocational Training and Other Training, Observance of Safety Weeks and Safety Campaigns, Holding Rescue Competition, promoting participation of worker in safety management, awareness and information dissemination.
(iv) Technical measures such as Introduction of Risk Assessment Techniques and preparation of Safety Management Plan aimed at mitigation of risks and to ensure safety of workmen, introduction of standard operating procedures to avoid unsafe practices in mines, issuing DGMS Circulars as guidelines for safe operations in identified thrust areas from time to time.
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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Annexure-I
Details of accident State wise in Coal Mines 2019-2022
State No. of Fatal Accident No. of Serious Accident Injured
2019
Chhattisgarh 7 10 10
Jharkhand 11 7 12
Madhya Pradesh 3 8 8
Maharashtra 3 12 13
Orissa 7 2 2
Rajasthan 1 0 0
Telangana 8 143 143
Tamil Nadu 1 0 0
Uttar Pradesh 2 0 1
West Bengal 8 11 15
TOTAL 51 193 204
2020
Chhattisgarh 12 5 5
Gujarat 0 1 1
Jharkhand 8 11 16
Madhya Pradesh 4 5 7
Maharashtra 4 4 4
Orissa 5 2 2
Telangana 9 80 87
Uttar Pradesh 0 2 3
West Bengal 6 8 14
TOTAL 48 118 139
2021
Chhattisgarh 5 10 10
Jharkhand 7 15 17
Madhya Pradesh 7 16 16
Maharashtra 4 5 6
Orissa 2 3 3
Telangana 7 127 129
Tamil Nadu 2 1 1
Uttar Pradesh 1 1 1
West Bengal 10 10 12
TOTAL 43 188 196
2022 (upto June 2022)
Chhattisgarh 2 12 12
Jharkhand 6 7 7
Madhya Pradesh 6 5 5
Maharashtra 2 5 5
Orissa 0 4 4
Telangana 2 27 28
West Bengal 7 4 5
TOTAL 25 64 66
Annexure-II
Compensation and other monetary relief etc. paid to the family of deceased who died in any mine accident arising out of and in course of employment-
In case of Departmental Employee –
1. Payment of compensation under the Employee''s Compensation Act 1923 (last amended vide notification S.O. 71 (E) dated January 3, 2020).
2. Employment is offered to the dependent of deceased departmental employee due to mine accident. In case there is no eligible person for employment, monetary compensation per month is paid to the family of the deceased in lieu of employment.
3. Rs. 15 lakhs is paid to the dependent of deceased departmental employee as a special relief / ex-gratia, which is in addition to the amount payable under the Employee’s Compensation Act-1923 (amended upto 2020). (Amount revised vide Office Order dt 14.11.2019)
4. Immediate payment of lump sum amount (generally Rs 20,000) to the family of deceased for funeral, transport expenses etc.
5. Monetary benefits under Life Cover Scheme (LCS) of Rs 1,25,000/ w.e.f. 1.10.2017 as per NCWA-X.
6. Ex-gratia amount of Rs 90,000/ in case of death or permanent total disablement resulting on account of accident arising out of and in course of employment w.e.f 01.10.2017 as per NCWA-X.
7. Gratuity on the basis of the length of service as per the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
8. Other benefits like P.F as per CMPF rule, Pension as per CMPS, 1998, Encashment of EL etc. as per company (CIL) rules.
In case of contractual Employee -
1. Payment of compensation under the Employee''s Compensation Act 1923 (last amended vide notification S.O. 71 (E) dated January 3, 2020).
2. Rs. 15 lakhs is paid to the dependent of deceased departmental employee as a special relief / ex-gratia, which is in addition to the amount payable under the Employee’s Compensation Act-1923 (amended upto 2020). (Amount revised vide Office Order dt 14.11.2019)
3. Gratuity on the basis of the length of service.
4. Other benefits like P.F as per CMPF / EPF rule.
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