The State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing about interpretation of the Opinions on Further Strengthening Mine Safety Management on Sept. 18, 2023. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

In recent years, China has defused major mine safety risks and enhanced supervision, risk identification, and early warning abilities by constructing safety management systems based on information technologies, the country's mine safety authority said at a press conference Monday. 

The National Mine Safety Administration has established a monitoring and pre-warning network to forestall major risks in coal mines such as gas explosions, fires, and floods, said Xue Jianguang, an official from the safety authority. 

With concerted efforts from coal mine enterprises, as well as local and national supervision departments, the network gathers data from all operational coal mines across China, including data of video monitoring and miners' location. The network is able to conduct real-time monitoring on more than 600,000 sensors, more than 800,000 miners at work, as well as video monitoring data from 390,000 monitors, Xue said. The network can also provide analysis and pre-warning to mine enterprises that are under threat of typhoon and heavy rain.

The safety supervision system of non-coal mines is under construction as well, with major focus on tailing ponds, underground mines, and surface mines on high and steep slopes, Xue added. 

Earlier this month, a set of new guidelines were released to improve workplace safety in mines, underscoring the importance of prevention and pre-warning of safety hazards.