The facts of the use of expired measuring instruments were revealed at the facilities of ArcelorMittal Temirtau. For these violations, the company was fined 16.5 million tenge, according to the Committee for Technical Regulation and Merology of the MTI RK.
As specified in the information, the Committee conducted an audit of the activities of seven mines and the central processing plant “Vostochny”. The check was appointed by the prosecutor’s office of the Karaganda region, during which the fact of the use of 89 units of measuring instruments with an expired verification period was established at all facilities.
“Thus, the protection of the interests of individuals and legal entities from unreliable measurement results is not ensured, which directly affects the safety of life and health of workers who mine coal underground, as well as during its enrichment,” said Kuanysh Yelikbaev, Chairman of the Committee for Technical Regulation and Merology .
These are measuring instruments – electrocontact pressure gauges of various types, technical pressure gauges, thermometers that are used in areas such as cage and skip hoists, a compressor room, a boiler room, a coal rock hoist, a ventilation hoist.
According to the current legislation in the field of ensuring the uniformity of measurements, measuring instruments that are objects of state metrological control, after approval of their type or metrological certification and registration in the register of the state system for ensuring the uniformity of measurements, before being put into circulation, after repair, during operation, are verified.
Based on the submission of the prosecutor’s office of the Karaganda region and materials, “ArcelorMittal Temirtau” was brought to administrative responsibility under paragraph 2 of part 1 of Article 419 of the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Administrative Offenses”.
In addition, in relation to the enterprise, a private submission was made to eliminate the causes and conditions that contribute to the commission of violations of the law, which have been eliminated to date.
It was also established that in ArcelorMittal Temirtau, when extracting hard coal by underground method, measurements are carried out that are not subject to state regulation, since they are not included in the industry lists of measurements. These measurements directly affect the safety, security and working conditions. To ensure the safety of work, proposals have been prepared to expand the lists of measurements for further consideration and approval by their sectoral state bodies.