Questions on work safety raised following Sri Aman underground mine explosion - BorneoPost Online
BorneoPost Online, 24 November 2014 - by Norbaiti Phaharoradzi
SIBU: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye has expressed his grave concern over the explosion at an underground coal mine in Sri Aman on Saturday, which left three foreign workers dead and dozens seriously injured.
Expressing condolences to families of the victims, he believed that the matter was now under intense probe.
“We have yet to know the cause. As such, we let the authorities carry out thorough investigation and wait for the outcome,” he said when contacted yesterday.
According to news report, it is believed that the explosion was caused by sparks from a faulty fan inside the gas-filled tunnel, setting it on fire.
The flames, however, died down after the gas inside ran out, enabling survivors to escape.
State police commissioner Dato Sri Muhammad Sabtu Osman was reported as saying in a statement that the mine had been operating over the past eight years with 119 foreign workers.
On this, Lee believed that a possible factor for an accident of this nature to occur could be traced to poor work safety practices.
“This is something that is very rare. In Malaysia, we don’t have many mines; the underground ones, even less.
“There have been no serious reports of any mine disaster until this one.
“After the investigation has been carried out and causes have been identified, I think it is time for the government to review all safety measures in mine operations,” he said.
