Development, effectiveness, and deficiency of China's Coal Mine Safety Supervision System

Abstract

Coal mine safety is closely related to the stable development of China's economy. Coal mine safety supervision system provides a powerful guarantee of coal mine safety. A comprehensive review of the reform process of China's coal mine safety supervision system is important for exploring its impact on coal mine safety production. This study focuses on the reform process of China's coal mine safety supervision system from the establishment of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety (SACMS, later renamed the National Mine Safety Administration (NMSA) in 2020) in 1999–2022. The safety status and safety supervision systems of the coal mining industry and the construction industry are compared to verify the importance of the establishment of the SACMS. It is found that the coal mine safety status has improved significantly, and the number of fatalities has decreased steadily, which is in sharp contrast with the accident trend in the construction industry. Finally, this study compared the coal mine safety status between the United States and China. Results show that there is still a gap between the two countries in coal mine safety levels. Coal mine geological conditions, coal mining technology, safety training, and coal mine safety supervision forces are the influencing factors of coal mine safety. Based on the advanced experience of the United States, this research puts forward suggestions for China's safety supervision. In addition, the law enforcement activities of the NMSA are also reflected in this study. The outcomes are significant for understanding the containment effect of coal mine safety supervision on coal mine accidents. Besides, the research also provides professional materials for coal mine enterprises and other production industries, which is conducive to promoting the safe production of various industries to a certain extent.