Overseas news briefs

China: Illegal coal mines closed

More than 3500 illegal coal mines were shut down last year in China's largest coal-producing area "“ Shanxi Province "“ in an effort to improve safety. A quarter of China's 2.1 billion tonnes of coal came from Shanxi in 2006, which was responsible for the deaths of 476 people in 149 fatal coal mine accidents.

UK: Asbestos exposure through "˜hugging'

A Plymouth woman in the UK is to be compensated for developing an asbestos-related cancer through hugging her father. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has admitted liability for her mesolthelioma that is believed to be the result of hugging her father, a lagger, upon his return from an MoD-owned dockyard when she was aged between two and seven. Her father died at the age of 68 from asbestos-related lung cancer.

USA: Refinery workers caught in blast

Two men have been injured in an explosion at a Texas refinery after hunting for the source of a loud bang. The men reportedly ran towards a propane deasphalter to investigate the source of the noise, but when they saw it was propane being released they began to run away again. The men have since been released from a local burn centre.

Kenya: Salt companies to comply with safety guidelines

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is giving salt harvesting companies in Malindi three months to comply with its health and safety recommendations following a study into human rights violations of employees in the salt industry. The study found a lack of protective equipment being supplied, unsafe machinery and inadequate toilet facilities. The KNCHR has recommended that all workers be provided with protective gear, and that companies employ workers on a contractual basis if the work is not seasonal and allow workers to join trade unions.