Accident Prevention in Underground Coal Mines

This paper is based on the accident prevention pro-gram carried out in the coal mines of Alberta. It defines the role of the Alberta Mines Branch and of The Work-men's Compensation Board, and relates how a safety pro-gram was initiated. The formation of the Alberta Class 1 Mining Safety Council is also described. The responsibilities of both management and the individual worker are then outlined, and the main features of a successful accident prevention program are delineated. T HE purpose of this paper is not to repeat generalities and platitudes about industrial safety, but rather to relate the experience of Alberta coal mines during the past number of years in their efforts to keep accidents to a minimum. It has been learned from experience that many basic principles are as sound today as they were 20 years ago. How-ever the complexities of modern mining methods and the modern man or miner have created problems that did not exist then.