MineARC is happy to confirm the signing of an exclusive China-wide distributor agreement with the Shenyang Branch of the China Coal Research Institute (SYCCRI).

SYCCRI operates as a safety research and development body within the Chinese coal industry, and is itself a subsidiary of the Central Government's Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

Over the past year, MineARC has been working closely with SYCCRI to develop and introduce a set of Chinese regulations to govern the compulsory provision of refuge chambers in all licensed underground coal mines. These regulations are currently being written by SYCCRI and two other organisations, using MineARC's patented CoalSAFE Refuge Chamber model as a platform for 'industry best practice'. The regulations are expected to be in place by late 2009.

The move by SYCCRI on behalf of the Central Government demonstrates a commitment to bringing China's current mine safety levels up to that of 'developed producers' such as Australia and the United States. China's coal industry, the world's largest, is also notoriously the world's most dangerous - over 3000 miners are reported to have died in underground coal operations in 2008 alone.

MineARC has long advocated a more uniformed approach to the safety of underground workers across the globe. We welcome the wider initiatives on behalf of the Chinese Central Government and we look forward to playing a part in improving the safety standards of the nations' underground operations.

We are extremely pleased to have secured SYCCRI as our long-term partner in the region, and we look forward to our organisations' joint future together.

To learn more about SYCCRI please follow this link to their website - available in both traditional Mandarin and English. For any further queries contact MineARC directly.