Mining accounts for more labour deaths

 
Published: Friday 15 June 2007

Down to EarthDown to Earth Safety in mines has improved today compared to days of bonded mine labour. But mines which employ 1 per cent of the global labour force remain hazardous

Down to Earth Over half the world's mining accidents occur in the Asia-Pacific

Recent mining accidents Down to Earth March 19, 2007 108 killed in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia

Down to Earth February 19, 2006 65 miners killed in an explosion in Pasta de Conches mine, in Coahuila, Mexico

Down to Earth November 2006 23 killed in Halemba mine in Southern Poland

Down to Earth February 14, 2005 210 coal miners were killed in the Sunjiawan mine disaster in Fuxin city, Liaoning province in China

Down to Earth January 2, 2006 12 killed in Sago Mines, West Virginia, usa

Down to Earth September 6, 2006 50 miners died in Bhatdih Colliery in Nagda sector of Dhanbad district, Jharkhand
Indian mines in bad light Down to Earth Open cast coalmines are said to be safer than underground mines. But miners keep dying in fields across the globe. On an average, there were around 0.3 deaths in coalmines per 1,000 employees in India, the us and Japan. The rate was much lower in Germany (0.13) or Australia (0.16)

Down to Earth The number of deaths per tonne of coal produced in India is 8.64 times more than the us. This, however, is 13 times better than China. But the number to deaths in Indian coal mines is 24 times higher than Australian mines and 16 times higher than that of us (to produce a million tonne of coal)

Down to EarthDown to Earth Coal mines in India are more accident prone than those with other minerals and metals. In 2004, coal mines accounted for 81 per cent of accidents, 60 per cent of deaths and 83 per cent of injuries of the total disasters. This, after accidents in coalmines have actually dropped after the nationalisation of coal sector in the 1970s. In India, underground coalmines accounted for 54 per cent of the total casualties

Down to Earth In India, Jharkhand has the highest fatality record 26 per cent (in 2001). Illegal mining compounds matters in the state

Down to Earth In India--going by 2002 salaries--earnings of mine workers have increased 46 times compared to that in 1958, 100 times in iron ore, 28 times in manganese and 21 times in mica mines. But this is far lower than us mine wages an Indian coal miner gets us $3 per day while his us counterpart gets an average of us $114 per day
Value divide Down to Earth The Sago Mine disaster Families of the killed miners were given us $5,000 for funeral expenses of the deceased and other benefits to the miners' families came to about us $19,717 per year.The tax-free benefits were available to the dependent till the dependency lasts or until the worker would have reached age 70

Down to Earth Accident Singareni Collieries, Andhra Pradesh Relatives of the 10 killed in the 2001 accident, given a one-time compensation of Rs 5,00,000 (us $11,300) and an eligible dependant was given a job

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