Central China's Henan Province has instituted new coal miner qualification standards, according to officials with the provincial government.

The provincial regulation stipulates that all mine workers must possess mining credentials by the end of this year. Those without credentials must undergo training and acquire a certificate before returning to their posts.

Newly-recruited miners must be under 30 years old and should have finished middle school before entering the profession. Mine managers need senior high school certificates, and must have had at least two years of mining experience, according to the regulation.

"The measure aims to improve miner qualifications to boost safety and work efficiency," said Liu Shiwei, deputy director of the provincial Mining Industry Administration, adding that companies violating the regulation will face fines.

Henan province, which accounted for eight percent of the total national coal output in 2005, is the first province in China to define professional standards for coal miners, said Liu.

Currently, only 17.6 percent of the 340,000 miners in the province have professional credentials, and the lack of qualified miners is a major reason for coal mine accidents, Liu added.

111 miners were killed in 35 mining accidents in the first 11 months of 2006 in the province. A total of 41 coal mine managers and government officials were sacked or demoted following two coal mine accidents that claimed 26 lives in early 2006.

Nationwide, central and local authorities are stepping up efforts to curb mining accidents -- imposing safety fees, fighting collusion and closing down unsafe, small-scale coal mines.

Source: Xinhua