Speaking at an on-the-job training seminar for labor inspectors held in Antalya by the Labor Inspection Board, Dinçer commented on the mine blast, which killed 19 workers. He said the owner of the mine had not properly ventilated it.
“Had the employer opened up the necessary ventilation, the accident probably would not have happened. But they didn’t. Instead they got distracted by the coal in front of them and decided to extract it without installing ventilation tubes. With the addition of a poorly installed active ventilation system, the result was the accident in question,” Dinçer said. “We need to find ways to ensure that people are convinced on this point [of workplace safety] and take necessary precautions and measures with regard to work safety and security. If there are mistakes or shortcomings that could affect people’s lives or lead to a loss of life, then we cannot allow such operations to go on,” he added.
Meanwhile, Nurullah Ercan, the owner of the mine where the workers were killed, announced to journalists this week that TL 15,000 would be paid as compensation to the workers’ families. Ercan said that he would work to ensure that the miners’ children received an education, providing all necessary financial support, and that upon completing their education, they would be offered jobs within various sectors in which the family of companies that he owns operates.
The explosion, believed to have been caused by methane gas, took place in a mine in the Mustafakemalpaşa district of Bursa, trapping workers underground.
According to a report commissioned by the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, the coal mine did not have an explosion-proof lighting system; it did not have a gallery that linked all the ventilators even though this was mentioned in the company’s initial planning application; there was insufficient ventilation; except for the electrical engines, the equipment used in the transportation of the coal was not explosion-proof; there were broken support posts; there was a collapsed ceiling; and gas levels were measured irregularly. The coal mine has been closed down due to the shortcomings mentioned in the report.
