Meeting of Experts on Safety and Health in Coal Mines

Geneva, 8-13 May 2006

Participation

The Meeting of Experts on Safety and Health in Coal Mines (Geneva, 8-13 May 2006) was composed of 23 Worker, Employer and Government experts from the following countries: Australia, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, Poland, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, the United States and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Purpose of the Meeting

The purpose of the Meeting was to consider and review a draft and adopt a code of practice to improve the safety and health of those who are involved in one of the world’s highest risk activities. The importance of coal is witnessed by unprecedented growth rates in its consumption and production, particularly in Asia. This positive trend is further strengthened by recent developments in the coal industry, including technologies such as coal liquefaction or gasification and clean coal technologies that will contribute to further and sustainable demand for coal.

ILO codes of practice

The practical recommendations of ILO codes of practice are intended for the use of all those, in both the public and the private sector, who have responsibility for safety and health management in relation to specific occupational hazards, sectors of activity, or equipment. Codes of practice are not intended to replace national laws or regulations or accepted standards. They are drawn up with the objective of providing guidance to those who may be engaged, through social dialogue, in the framing of provisions of this kind or to elaborate programmes of prevention or protection at the national or enterprise level. They are addressed in particular to governmental and public authorities, employers and workers and their organizations as well as management and safety and health committees in related enterprises.

Codes of practice are primarily designed as a basis for prevention and protective measures and are considered as ILO technical standards in occupational safety and health. They contain general principles and specific guidance which concern, in particular, the surveillance of the working environment and of workers’ health; education and training; record-keeping; the role and duties of the competent authority, employers, workers, manufacturers and suppliers; and consultation and cooperation.

Code of practice

The practical recommendations of the code of practice reflect the changes that have taken place in the industry over the past 20 years (eg. privatization, consolidation and further mechanization), and changes to the ILO’s approach to developing codes of practice. A leaner, multiskilled workforce, new technology and a less prescriptive, more systems-oriented approach to addressing safety and health are reflected in the code.

The new code of practice will replace an existing code adopted in 1986. It sets out a national framework that specifies the roles of the competent authorities, employers, workers and their organizations. It also comprises a methodology for identifying hazards, preventing and minimizing risks, as well as specific provisions for safe underground coalmining operations. These specific provisions address most of the currently identified hazards and risks associated with underground coalmining.

Historically, underground coalmining has been one of the highest risk activities for workers’ safety and health. However, significant, sustained improvements in coalmining safety and health have been achieved as a result of new technologies, capital investment, continuous training and changes in attitudes to safety and health among the competent authorities, employers, workers and their representatives. Nonetheless, if a safety net, which includes a number of critical checks and balances, is not in place to assess and control the hazards, accidents and occupational diseases can and do occur.

When used in conjunction with the code’s methodology for hazard identification, risk assessment and control process, these up-to-date, detailed provisions represent current best practice. At the same time, the code is drafted in a way not to inhibit the development of new technologies, better practice or the adoption of alternative measures that provide effective protection to all persons involved in underground coalmining.

Thus it provides important practical guidance in support of the provisions of the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No.176) and its accompanying Recommendation (No.183).

The text of the code of practice (pdf, 1130k), the recommendations for follow-up (pdf, 11k) and the report (pdf, 128k) are available online.

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