24th Conference “Problems of Safety and Health Protection in the Polish Mining Industry”

More than 200 participants attended the 24^th Conference on "Problems of Safety and Health Protection in the Polish Mining Industry," which was held on April 18 and 19 in Wisla.

The event was taken under the honorary patronage of: Marzena Czarnecka, the Minister of Industry, and Borys Budka, the Minister of State Assets.

Among the numerous guests and speakers were representatives of state, social and scientific institutions, mines and mining-related companies from all over Poland, as well as guests from abroad.

This year's session was opened by the 1^st Vice President of the State Mining Authority, Krzysztof Król, the Acting President of the State Mining Authority. He opened with a minute of silence in connection with the tragic tremor that occurred at the Mysłowice-Wesoła mine on April 17 of this year. In his address, he stressed that the organized conference is an important platform for exchanging current solutions in the field of broadly understood safety in the mining industry, especially in the context of transformations that affect or will affect its various aspects.

The floor was then taken by Dariusz Minkowski, Deputy Chief Labour Inspector, who read a letter from Minister Katarzyna Łażewska-Hrycko, the Chief Labour Inspector.

After the welcoming speeches, the substantive session began, led by the 1^st Vice President of the State Mining Authority Krzysztof Król - the Acting President of the SMA, and Zbigniew Lubosik, President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Mining Engineers and Technicians, Deputy Director for Geoengineering and Industrial Safety at the Central Mining Institute - National Research Institute, and Director of the “Barbara” Experimental Mine.

The two-day conference was abundant in interesting speeches and lectures, covering all types of mining techniques as well as various issues and problems related to safety in the mining industry. The speakers were asked many questions.

Lively discussions and polemics took place in the breaks between sessions. The participants exchanged their experiences and established initiatives of cooperation on various levels, which only confirmed that the conference on “Problems of safety and health protection in the Polish mining industry” is an event that is important and necessary for the mining industry.

The cyclical Conference “Problems of safety and health protection in the Polish mining industry” has been organized since 1999. Its main purpose is to present current issues and actions taken to improve the state of occupational safety in various areas of the Polish mining industry. For years, the conference has focused on developing solutions to important mining problems concerning, among other things:

• health and safety in mining,
• natural and technical hazards in mining,
• general security,
• modern solutions regarding mining machinery and equipment,
• qualification and training of personnel in the mining industry.

This year’s event was organized by: The State Mining Authority, the Central Mining Institute - National Research Institute in Katowice, the Association of Mining Engineers and Technicians and the District Labour Inspectorate in Katowice.