Best Practices and Methodologies on Mine Safety and Health Inspection

Importance of the work inspection The work inspection should be seen as a fundamental tool in achieving the objective of decent work. A well organized service of work inspection, with the appropriate resources and legal instruments, is an important component of the economic and social development of a country. It is because of this that the Federal Work Inspection in Mexico has started a transformation on its acting, leaving aside what by inertia, habit or custom, was made and which did not demonstrate efficient results, as it wasn’t capable of creating a conscience of prevention, nor inducing a public behavior of complying with the Norm.

The actions taken by the Secretariat of Labor and Social Prevision in this sense was to concrete a deconcentration process of the operation of the inspection faculty to the Federal Labor Delegations, on the 32 Federation Entities. Nevertheless, even though it conferred surveillance faculties to the Federal Labor Delegations, the Department of Federal Labor Inspection withheld the extraordinary exercise of planning and implementing inspection programs on work centers classified as high risk, as on the case of the coal mines located in Coahuila,.

Overlook compliance of the labor standards which guide and protect formal work Facilitate technical information and advise the workers and employers on the most effective way to comply with the labor norms. Point out the terms to comply with the measures that are suggested on this matter and to order the adoption on measures of immediate application, in cases of imminent danger. To perform the studies and gather the data required by the authorities and the ones it considers convenient to procure the harmony of the relations between workers and employers. The Work Inspection Work Inspection in Mexico

Types of Inspection Initial Are those performed for the first time at the work centers, or for expansion or modification Periodical Are those performed at intervals of twelve months, term which could be extended or reduced according with the results Verification Are those performed when there is a need to confirm the compliance of the technical measures or orders Extraordinary When there is knowledge of possible violations When there is knowledge of accidents or incidents occurred at a work center When there is knowledge of the existence of imminent danger to the physical integrity or health of the workers

NOM-023-STPS-2003 Work on mines – Safety and health conditions at the workplace

Universe of Work Centers (56) Program of federal inspection at the coal region 11 Underground Mines 07 Mines at open slopes 05 Washing plants 02 “coquizadoras” plants 01 Transportation Unit 30 Contractors

78 inspection visits were performed Workers companies of coal extraction and benefit Workers at contractors Universe of workers (9,784) 52 26

Direct non-compliances on the subject of Security and Hygiene Direct non-compliances on the subject of General Working Conditions 1,738 technical measures were dictated. Non-compliances detected Results 30 contractor companies were detected

Was not possible to prove 70 Sanction requirements were filed Percentage of compliance Preventive measures Onset of the Sanctions Administrative procedure Given the closing of operation areas and substitution of machinery and equipment Results Compliance

“The compliance of standards at work centers can be accredited through the opinions issued by the verification units, test laboratories and certification organizations according to the terms of the Federal Law on Metrology and Standarization” Promotion for the creation of Verification Units amongst the entrepreneurs of the mining industry Verification Units

Proposal for Creating Verification Units in the Mining Industry Verification Units specially for NOM-023-STPS-2003, or in its case, the norm which substitutes it.

Preventive Programs of Safety and Health at the Workplace Self-verification Self-Compliance The immediate benefit is the involvement of workers and employers on the security and health of the facilities of the work center.

To establish the effectiveness of the programs of Federal Labor Inspection. To reposition the function of policies, supervision, evaluation, control and performance for the federal labor inspection. To implement the best practices for Federal Labor Inspection and culture of self-compliance. Best Practices on Mine Inspection