HC Deb 18 April 1989 vol 151 cc146-7W
109. Mr. Lofthouse

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in mining in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

131. Mr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in mining in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

Mr. Nicholls

The available information is shown in the table:

Injuries in the mining industry reported to enforcing authorities1
Incidence rates (per 100,000 employees)
Fatal Serious/major Fatal Serious/major
1974
Coal mines4 48 2497 18.7 2193.6
Other mines 2 214 n/a n/a
TOTAL 50 2511 n/a n/a
1978
Coal mines4 63 2.494 25.4 2199.1
Other mines 6 217 n/a n/a
Total 69 2511 n/a n/a

Incidence rates (per 100,000 employees)
Fatal Serious/major Fatal Serious/major
1987–885
Coal mines4 12 3756 11.2 3708.5
Other mines 1 314 n/a n/a
TOTAL 13 3770 n/a n/a
n/a—Not available.
1 Reported to HSE's Inspectorate of Mines and Quarries and all other relevant enforcing authorities.
2 Serious injuries as reported under 1954 Mines and Quarries Act.
3 Major injuries as reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1985, which widened the definition of serious injury as compared with the 1954 Act definition.
4 Excludes opencast coal mining.
5 Provisional data for the year commencing 1 April 1987.

136. Mr. John Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of accidents in coal mining in the last 12 months occurred in private coal mines.

Mr. Nicholls

Provisional accident figures for the 12-month period ending 31 March 1989 indicate that fatal and major injuries at private coal mines represented 10 per cent. and 3.3 per cent. respectively of the total reported accidents in these categories at all coal mines.

It is not possible to differentiate the over three-day accidents recorded under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 without incurring disproportionate cost.