Three weeks after the collapse and flooding at the El Pinabete mine in Sabinas, Coahuila, where 10 miners remain trapped, the Mexican Mining Chamber (Camimex), one of the largest representatives of the sector in the country, recognizes that in the complex It operated with irregularities .
The president of the organization, Jaime Gutiérrez Núñez, pointed out that many of these wells are “clandestine” , in addition to the fact that the employees do not have the necessary equipment for the safety of the workers.
“These types of operations are almost artisanal. The coal pits, in many cases, are clandestine and operate illegally,” he asserted.
The union leader stressed that there should be greater supervision and regulation by the authorities, as is the case with formal mining in the country , and requested greater supervision by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS).
In Mexico there is the , which sets the safety standards for underground coal mine operations. However, the lack of supervision favors non-compliance with regulations.
“We believe that there should be more supervision of all kinds in these activities that are not being regulated and that are dangerous,” said Gutiérrez Núñez.
Karen Flores, director of Camimex, called on the authorities, companies and civil society to prevent this type of mishap from happening . “Especially in this type of wells and operations that operate illegally,” he added.
What is the incidence of accidents in mining?
According to data from Camimex and the Mexican Social Security Institute, the incidence rate in the mining sector is 1.01 , which is below the national average of 1.54.
Gutiérrez stressed that events such as the one in El Pinabete, Coahuila, provoke an erroneous image of mining in public opinion, because when it is regulated and complied with the guidelines set by the Law, operations are safe.
At the end of last year, the mining sector registered a total of 406,179 jobs, which meant an annual increase of 10.4%.
Sonora, Zacatecas, Chihuahua, Durango and Guerrero concentrate the majority of the national metallurgical mining production, contributing 83.8% of the total. The greatest generation of value is also concentrated in these states. Silver and gold, which together accounted for 56.1% of the value of national metallurgical mining production.
Although the value of coal production is not comparable to that of these minerals, its extraction is a risky activity. According to data from the organization Familia Pasta de Conchos, since this activity began at the end of the 19th century there have been 310 fatal events in coal mines, in which just over 3,000 people have died.
