HC Deb 24 July 1987 vol 120 cc672-4W
Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many major injury accidents to persons on British Coal Corporation colliery books were reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Cope

There were 843 major injury accidents recorded at British Coal collieries in 1986–87.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many part I and part II dangerous occurrences were reported in British Coal Corporation collieries in the years 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984–85 and 1985–86, respectively.

Mr. Cope

The information requested is listed as follows:

Number
1976 1201
1977 1201
1978 1201
1979 226
1980 197
1981 256

Number
1982 311
1983 328
1984–852 222
1985–86 272
1 Average.
2 15-month period including a period of industrial action.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many part I and part II dangerous occurrences were reported in small licensed coal mines in 1986–87.

Mr. Cope

There was one part I dangerous occurrence and five part II dangerous occurrences reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many part I and part II dangerous occurrences were reported in British Coal Corporation collieries in 1986–87.

Mr. Cope

There were 24 part I dangerous occurrrences and 338 part II dangerous occurences reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the major injury accident rate per 100,000 manshifts to persons on colliery books, reported in 1986–87 in British Coal Corporation collieries.

Mr. Cope

The major injury accident rate at British Coal collieries in 1986–87 was 3.05 per 100,000 manshifts.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will place in the Library an analysis of all the major injury accidents to persons on British Coal Corporation colliery books that were reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Cope

The information is not yet available. Publications containing the information required will be placed in the Library as soon as they become available.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the major injury accident rate per 100,000 manshifts in British Coal Corporation collieries and to persons not on British Coal Corporation colliery books, but working at British Coal Corporation collieries, reported in 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87, respectively.

Mr. Lee

Information is available only for those persons on British Coal Colliery books and it was as follows:

Year Per 100,000 manshifts
1981–82 1.69
1982–83 1.69
1983–84 1.82
1984–85 1.43
1985–86 1.94
1986–87 3.05

It is not possible to supply rates for those persons not on colliery books.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the major injury accident rate per 100,000 manshifts in British Coal Corporation collieries to persons not on colliery books in 1986–87.

Mr. Cope

It is not possible to provide rates for those persons not on colliery books.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many major injury accidents in British Coal Corporation collieries affecting persons not on colliery books were reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Cope

Eighty-seven major injury accidents were reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many fatalities and major injury accidents were reported in small licensed coal mines in 1986–87.

Mr. Lee

Fifty-two major injury accidents and three fatal accidents were reported in 1986–87.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State For Employment if he will provide the following information in respect of each major injury accident occurring in 1986–87 to persons on British Coal Corporation colliery books (a) location, distinguishing between underground or surface, (b) occupation of accident victims, (c) location in colliery and site of accident, (d) time and date of accident and (e) brief description of accident.

Mr. Cope

The information is not available in the form requested. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the introduction of the Riddor regulations has had on the number of part I and part II dangerous occurrences reported in British Coal Corporation collieries.

Mr. Cope

In British coal mines 24 dangerous occurrences were reported in 1986–87 under part I of RIDDOR. Two of these are attributable to the effect of RIDDOR, one being a new category and one transferred from part II.

Two hundred and thirty eight dangerous occurrences were reported under part II of RIDDOR; 106 incidents were in new categories introduced by RIDDOR; seven accidents were reported which would have been dangerous occurrences under part II of the previous reporting arrangements.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the introduction of the Riddor regulations has had on the number of major injury accidents reported in the coal industry.

Mr. Cope

There were 982 major injury accidents in 1986–87 in coal mines, compared with 732 major injury accidents in 1985–86, representing an increase of 34.2 per cent.

Of the 982 accidents reported in 1986–87, 295 (representing 30.04 per cent.) were estimated to be due to the effects of RIDDOR.

Mr. Meale

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the introduction of the Riddor regulations has had on the number of part I and part II dangerous occurrences reported in small licensed coal mines.

Mr. Cope

In 1986–87 at licensed coal mines there was one dangerous occurrence reported under part I of RIDDOR and five dangerous occurrences under part II. The one incident in part I was attributable to the introduction of RIDDOR. The five incidents under part II would have been reported under the previous arrangements.