Fewer Injuries in Mining Operations Last Year

OSTRAVA – Compared to 2007, key safety indicators and injury incidence rates at OKD (including employees of contractors) showed positive trends last year. In 2008, there was a significant year-on-year decline of registered injuries at work, from 519 in 2007 to 416 in 2008, i.e. 20 percent less. The otherwise positive results were somewhat tainted by seven fatal injuries.

Principal causes of the occupational injuries include poorly assessed or underestimated risks, breaches of working discipline by the injured, unpredictable risks or human errors.

The otherwise positive results in 2008 were adversely affected by seven fatal occupational injuries (there were four fatal injuries in 2007) involving:

• 3 employees of OKD, a. s.;
• 3 employees of ALPEX PBG (two of whom died in a mine shock/tremor occurring at the Karviná Mine in November 2008);
• 1 employee of CARBOKOV.

The number of serious occupational injuries increased to seven. Principal causes of the fatal occupational injuries (except for the two deaths in a mine shock mentioned above) and serious occupational injuries included incorrect actions of the victims and underestimation of risks, i.e. movement in hazardous areas, breaches of safety regulations and operating rules. The year-on-year increase of emergencies was caused mainly by mine shocks and deaths of employees.   

Compared to 2007, the number of shifts per one registered occupational injury dropped by 1 percent, i.e. by 1.26 shifts, and the number of injuries requiring a hospital stay exceeding 5 days dropped by 9.

During the first quarter of 2008, selected mining professions underwent a test round of so-called “vitaminization”. Results of the vitamin treatment indicated that the rate of absences at work due to illness showed a year-on-year decrease (compared to the same period of 2007), which is why another round of the vitamin treatment is planned in 2009.

A central surface A/C station was built at the ČSM Mine, its purpose being to improve underground microclimatic conditions. It is being put into operation at the moment.

Following negotiations with trade union representatives, the management of the company adopted a key document last year, namely the “OKD Safety Policy”, which emphasized that workforce safety was the foremost priority for the management of OKD.  The company also formulated and implemented new “Safety Principles at OKD” and announced a “Safety 2010” programme, which includes, inter alia, regular monthly meetings organized in cooperation with trade unions and attended by top managers of the company. Working conditions in 2008 were significantly improved, as new state-of-the-art underground extraction technologies were gradually introduced and new and modern protective aids, meters and indicators distributed to employees.

Insofar as safety and hygiene at work is concerned, OKD’s priority in 2009 is a further improvement and provision of prerequisites needed for safe work. We believe these measures will help reduce the number of injuries (no matter whether they result in an absence at work or not) and emergencies, and improve underground microclimatic conditions.

Miroslav Mančař

Head of the Occupational Safety and Protection of Health at Work Department