Ten people have died in the past six months and many have been injured, with 80 per cent of mine deaths in the northern province being the result of failure to follow safety procedures, said inspection chief Nguyen Thanh Tam of Quang Ninh Province’s Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

Three fatal accidents last month were typical examples, he said.

On July 21, coalminer Pham Van Chi, from Hoanh Bo coal mine, was buried by a mass of coal from a roof fall.

On the same day, Mao Khe coal company’s mechanic Chu Van Mieng was crushed to death by an excavator bucket when the machine shut down due to a sudden electricity cut.

Two days later, mechanic Nham Van Tu from Nam Mau coal company, was killed by a conveyor belt roller when he tried to clear industrial waste away while it was still operating.

"Had those workers followed the proper procedures, they would probably have been alive," Tam said.

"In Mieng and Tu’s cases, mechanics were not permitted to repair or clean machines while the machines were operating."

Mai Minh Trung, a mining engineer at Hong Thai coal company, said: "In the case of the roof collapse, Chi and his colleagues might have skipped crucial safety steps. To prevent deaths from unexpected coal falls, miners must always examine the gallery from outside with the help of air concentration apparatus.

"The important thing is that miners must consolidate the weak items as they advance."

Trung said, however, that coal companies had set higher productivity targets every year without updating their systems with new technology and without a significant increase in the workforce, so the workers were under pressure to produce more.

"It is understandable why the miners have to take shortcuts."

Le Van Loc, who has been a coalminer for five years at Duong Huy mine, said the miners were paid on production.

"We have to do everything to make as much money as possible. Taking shortcuts is common," Loc said.

"Although we know travelling on the haulage system may knock us over when we go around the sloping corners, we still go that way because we are too exhausted."

Inspection chief Tam said that before starting work, new employees were inducted with a labour safety course and equipped with protection devices.

In every mine there was a deputy director in charge of safety and there were safety wardens at lower levels.

"But it’s the workers’ compliance with the safety regulations that matters," Tam said. "One individual’s mistake, such as smoking inside the shaft, may lead to a disaster."

"Unlike open-cast mines, the underground condition hinders the ability to grasp the whole view. In addition, the pits’ gas pressure is variable. That is why to implement an effective labour safety scheme is not simple."

Many campaigns had been run to publicise the importance of labour safety among coal miners, Tam said. There were even special shows that simulated typical accidents, including gas explosions, with shaft models.

"We hope those activities will gradually change the workers’ behaviour. But we know that it will take some time because most of workers come from rural areas with limited education."

And it was even more dangerous for workers in illegal mines where labour safety was not a priority and posed serious threats to workers, Tam said.

Meanwhile, Quang Ninh was working to solve the problem of illegal mines. In order to improve safety, the managers and supervisors must take responsibilities for any accident happening to their managed workers.