Karviná Mine: Safety status improves

KARVINÁ – At the beginning of this year, the occupational safety evolution in the Karviná Mine was not satisfactory. However since the end of the first quarter, when a few fundamental measures were taken and implemented, it has been possible to register a positive trend.

If we compare this year’s results with the last year’s ones, we can particularly positively  evaluate the fact that in spite of the higher number of recorded injuries, the number of lost time accidents has decreased by more than 21 %. In comparison with the last year’s 51 registered injuries, there have been 40 registered injuries this year. Both the mining plants of the Karviná Mine and contractors participate in this result.

Injury Incidence Rate reduced

The reduced number of registered injuries has positively reflected in the evolution of Injury Incidence Rate and Injury Seriousness Coefficient. The values of these monitored indicators have decreased by 21 % and 17 % to 8.56 and 8.60 respectively. The Injury Incidence Rate has thus dropped below the target data of 10.0, set for this year.

The second half of February was affected by an unfavourable evolution of extraordinary events. Apart from the fatality incurred by a contractor’s employee and serious injury incurred by a ČSA3 shaft maintenance man, a shock bump was registered in one of the ČSA Mine longwalls, and in an air return current of a longwall being recovered in the Lazy Mine, a CO concentration increase was registered.

Safety First

Safety First – this is a slogan of a new safety campaign, which was established as a part of the PERSPective 2015 Program. It aims at involving all employees in the permanent improvement of occupational health and safety standards with a view to reduce the Injury Incidence Rate to 5 by the end of 2015.

The safety campaign is currently a top priority for us. It particularly includes the completion of an extensive replacement of personal protective equipment, safe work promotion, specification of persons responsible for housekeeping, safety and state of walking and transport ways. Last but not least, it also includes a competition for Gift Voucher for Škoda Fabia Car and other prizes for employees who will not have incurred any work injury by the end of the year.

The announced Safe Work Area Program represents another motivation measure for the working parties carrying out preparation, mining, equipping and recovery jobs. In the Karviná Mine, the regular company’s monthly Safety Forums continue to be held, and examinations of techno-economic personnel in safety rules have contributed to improving their knowledge of safety issues.

In conclusion, we have to point out again that each employee is responsible not only for his or her own health, but also for the health of his or her colleagues.

(Zdeněk Hanák, Occupational Health & Safety Manager, Karviná Mine)