TKV: Strengthening solutions to ensure labor safety

Despite tightening occupational safety ( OSH ) work, the coal industry has still had a number of unfortunate occupational accidents in recent times. To eliminate the risks of OSH loss at work, the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group (TKV) is requiring units to tighten working procedures, increase inspection, supervision, detection, prevention, and handling of violations to minimize the risks of OSH loss and incidents.

Thong Nhat Coal Company promotes labor safety slogans at many work locations.

In recent times, safety work has always been an important issue that has been implemented resolutely by the entire coal industry. In the first 6 months of the year alone, TKV has issued many guiding documents and detailed regulations on the establishment and implementation of occupational safety and health (OSH) work, strengthening the implementation of measures to ensure natural disaster prevention and search and rescue. The entire Group has organized specialized inspections of all units in TKV with 14 rounds according to telegrams, 3 surprise inspections and has issued documents directing the immediate correction of existing problems and rectification, review and handling of units. In the first 6 months of the year, TKV units have spent more than 700 billion VND on OSH work.

However, in the context of increasingly deep underground coal mining, workers have to work in cramped environments, facing many unsafe risks. Since the beginning of the year, TKV enterprises in the province have had 7 serious work accidents, killing 17 people. Faced with the increasing and unpredictable situation of work accidents, from now until the end of 2024, the Group has set a goal of minimizing the number of work accidents and incidents caused by subjectivity; reducing the number of type 1 incidents and serious work accidents compared to the same period in 2023; and preventing catastrophic accidents and incidents.

Accordingly, TKV and its member units focus on investing in mechanization and automation to increase labor productivity, improve working conditions and travel for workers, especially in the underground production sector. The application of mechanization will reduce direct labor compared to conventional longwalls, contributing to minimizing risks. For open-pit mines, TKV puts into use large-capacity mechanical equipment such as 96-ton trucks, large-diameter drills, hydraulic drills, electric excavators, hydraulic backhoes, combined truck-conveyor transport systems, flexible-frame trucks, etc.

TKV currently has 13 underground coal mining units. Up to now, 100% of units have installed and put into operation an automatic centralized mine gas monitoring system. This system continuously updates parameters and mine gas data transmitted to the centralized production control center to help units control parameters quickly, accurately, and safely... To eliminate the risk of occupational safety loss, all underground coal production units of TKV are currently strengthening the implementation of ventilation and mine gas control solutions, preventing spontaneous combustion of coal in underground mines; installing sufficient wind and gas meters, mine gas monitoring and control systems for objects in underground mines; equipping and strictly implementing measurement and control work with handheld gas meters.

TKV also requires units to maintain the process to ensure that there is a commander to lead workers into the furnace, control the gas before and during the production shift according to regulations. The work of controlling coal self-ignition prevention includes the installation of a complete system of nitrogen gas pumping pipes, temperature control pipes, gas control pipes, etc. In addition, the work of checking and controlling occupational safety and health is enhanced, especially at the underground mine unit to detect risks early, handle and eliminate risks and violations of occupational safety and health.

Vang Danh Coal Joint Stock Company tests occupational safety and health knowledge for all employees.

TKV General Director Dang Thanh Hai said: The last months of the year are the time when mines accelerate and increase coal mining output, the risk of occupational safety loss is still present in many locations. The Group requires units to pay special attention to implementing occupational safety and health work well, identifying it as task number 1. Accordingly, it is required to review, supplement, and build a team of occupational safety and health workers with high qualifications, capacity, and responsibility; enhance the role and position of the occupational safety and health team and have a mechanism to improve operational efficiency. Along with investing in modern technology, the Coal industry also focuses on promoting propaganda and education on policies and laws, raising the sense of safety autonomy of workers and employers. At the same time, regularly review and improve processes, regulations, and technical safety management records, supplement incident response plans, search and rescue, fire prevention and fighting, and natural disasters.

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