Shanxi Safety Committee Holds Expanded Meeting: Learn Lessons from Coal Mine Accident, Thoroughly Investigate Hazards

On May 24, the Shanxi Provincial Safety Committee held an expanded plenary meeting to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions regarding the coal mine gas explosion accident in Qinyuan County, Changzhi City, and to deploy safety risk inspection and rectification work across the province's coal mining sector.

The meeting was attended by Shanxi Provincial Party Secretary Tang Dengjie, Governor Lu Dongliang, Executive Vice Governor Dong Xiaoyu, and other provincial leaders. The meeting pointed out that the accident caused heavy casualties, exposing many weak links in Shanxi's safety production work, with extremely heavy costs and profound lessons.

The meeting emphasized the need to firmly establish a safety development concept, always maintaining that development must never come at the cost of human life. It called for comprehensively investigating and rectifying safety risks in the coal mining sector with the most resolute attitude and most decisive actions, resolutely preventing major accidents.

Arrangements were made for the rescue and handling of the Qinyuan County coal mine gas explosion accident, including continued rescue operations, medical treatment of the injured, and follow-up procedures. The meeting stressed that coal mine safety remains the top priority of Shanxi's safety production work, requiring strict implementation of the State Council Safety Committee's "eight hard measures" for mine safety.

Key measures include: strengthening major hazard management in coal mines by comprehensively inspecting gas, water, fire, roof, and coal dust risks; enhancing safety supervision and on-site management; strictly enforcing project approval and safety production permits; and intensifying efforts against illegal production activities including concealed workface operations, safety monitoring fraud, and illegal subcontracting.

The meeting called for a comprehensive approach to safety risks across all sectors including non-coal mines, hazardous chemicals, transportation, construction, tourism, gas, and fire safety. It emphasized leveraging technology to improve safety standards, accelerating the elimination of outdated equipment and processes in high-risk industries.

The meeting also stressed the importance of integrating safety production work with the education campaign on establishing correct performance view, ensuring responsibility chains are firmly in place at all levels from party leadership to government departments to enterprises.