An analysis of fatal gas accidents in Chinese coal mines

Although the total death toll due to various accidents in China's coal mining industry has declined in recent years, coal mine gas accidents, which are usually caused by gas explosions and outbursts, are still threatening miners' lives. Fatal gas accidents in Chinese coal mines are quantitatively analyzed using data from 2006 to 2010. Gas accidents account for a significant portion of the death toll in Chinese coal mining. The analysis of gas accident intervals reveals an approximately exponential distribution. The influence of coal mine ownership, gas content in coal and regions of coal mines on safety is determined quantitatively, and the accidents are grouped by cause. Management problems in the coal mining industry are also dissected. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.