Analysis of implementing Conventions of the International Labour Organization in the coal industry of the Russian Federation

An earlier analysis of accidents, industrial injuries and occupational diseases in the coal industry, in which one of the authors participated, showed that there has been a dynamic decline in the industrial injury rate since 2014 (35.6% reduction by 2023). In their study, the authors raise the question whether there is a need to develop any additional measures to further reduce the injury rate. They consider it necessary to draw attention to the fact that 25% of the fatal accidents occurred due to unsatisfactory organization of the works, while 37.5% of them were due to violation of the labour discipline. The paper reviews the conventions related to labour safety in the coal industry, which are ratified in Russia and how these norms are reflected in the coal industry legislation of the Russian Federation. The research also includes studies of the international experience in occupational and industrial safety. The authors make a conclusion that the process of harmonizing the provisions of the International Labour Organization into the legislation of the Russian Federation related to the coal industry continues to improve and generally complies with the international standards. A positive progress in solving the issues related to ensuring safe working conditions for miners will largely depend on improving the risk-based management approaches and reliable assessment of the occupational risks at workplaces, as well as coordination of reliable information that takes place in the coal industry.