Özel, who used to go to work joyfully every morning, according to his brother Şahin Özel, was among the 13 miners killed when a methane explosion rocked a coal mine near the Dursunbey district of Balıkesir. The explosion left 33 others injured, 18 critically. The fact that the latest coal mine explosion was just the latest in a string of such accidents which have claimed the lives of dozens of miners has brought the flaws of the sector into the spotlight in Turkey, which ranks among the countries with the highest rates of work accidents.
Analysts say the safety record of Turkey’s coal mining industry lags behind that of most industrial nations and the inspection of mines, particularly those run by the private sector, is insufficient.
Although European countries are gradually closing down coal mines and mostly depend on machines to extract coal, Nizamettin Tiryaki, a mining engineer at the General Mining Union, based in northwestern Zonguldak, a city famous for its coal mines, said this was not possible in Turkey due to Turkey’s difficult underground terrain, so the sector continues to rely on human labor.
Tiryaki said the necessary measures to prevent accidents and ensure safety in mines are generally implemented by the country’s state-run mines; however, he said the problem was with the mines run by private companies in Turkey.
“Mines run by the private sector are inspected by technical inspectors who are paid by the owners of the mines. So, it is impossible for these inspectors to independently report the shortcomings or the problems they have noticed in a mine because mine owners see taking new safety measures or purchasing high-technology machines to prevent accidents as an unwanted additional cost,” explained Tiryaki.
He also noted that the inspectors commissioned by the Labor Ministry were so low in number, around 700, that they are unable to inspect at each and every mine in Turkey.
Tiryaki suggested that the private mines, where most accidents occur, should be inspected by independent inspectors or engineers whose findings will urge the mine owners to take necessary safety measures.
The explosion near Dursunbey was the second deadly explosion at the same mine in four years, as 17 workers were killed and seven others injured in a similar blast in 2006. A report by experts revealed that poor air-conditioning systems led to a methane gas build-up while improperly insulated electric cables caused a spark that ignited the gas, causing the explosion.
A December accident in neighboring Bursa province also left 19 miners dead.
Turkey’s worst mining disaster was a 1992 gas explosion that killed 270 workers near Zonguldak. Miners’ Union (Maden-İş) Deputy President Ahmet Levent Eşiyok, also complained that technical inspectors at mines were linked to employers, which disincentivizes them to do a thorough inspection and encourages them to ignore shortcomings in an effort to avoid a confrontation with their employers when they are paid.
In this regard, he suggested that the technical inspectors in mines should be independent so that they can report all safety shortcomings to the authorities.
Eşiyok also urged Turkey to ratify the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Convention 176, on safety and health in mines, which was adopted in 1995.
The convention has so far been signed by 24 countries across the world. This convention grants miners the right to freely and without prejudice notify authorities and mine management of unsafe conditions. They have the right to call for expedited inspections or investigations and they have full access to all information and data concerning mine health and safety. They also have the right to leave a mining operation in the event of serious risk. And worker representation backing these rights is guaranteed. “The failure to sign this convention leads to a loss of prestige for Turkey as well,” Eşiyok told Sunday’s Zaman.
Radical proposal from mining engineer
İstanbul Technical University (İTÜ) Mining Engineering department head Professor Orhan Kural proposed that Turkey should close mine, just as in other European countries, in order to prevent the recurrence of deadly mining accidents.
“It is critical that Turkey start closing mines,” said Kural while noting that sanctions imposed on mine companies in the wake of accidents prove to be insufficient. He said the license of the mine near Dursunbey was cancelled after the 2006 blast, but the mine had again become the site of a deadly blast now.
“When the aim of the companies is to earn more money, they ignore every kind of safety measure,” he noted.
The professor also said most of the workers employed in mines in Turkey were uneducated people who were brought in from the villages surrounding a mine, so a lack of education and training played an important role in the occurrence of deadly accidents.
“As the only mining faculty in Turkey, we are ready to make the necessary contribution for the training of miners,” he added.
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