Kolkata, Sep 10 (IANS): The amendment to the Mines Vocational Training Rules, aimed at better training of the miners and related officials, is expected to be ready early next year, a government official said here.

"Two government committees are working on it," said Rahul Guha, director general, mines safety, of the union labour and employment ministry, at an event organised by CII on Thursday.

He stressed on the need for preparing individual safety management plan based on risk assessment for every coal mine for further improvement in the standards of safety.

"No matter how sophisticated the safety machineries and equipment we have at our disposal, we must have people who are properly skilled and trained. In fact, most safety personnel are found to be unsuitable," he said.

Accidents will be fewer if a proper plan on management of individual mines is in place and reviews are conducted periodically to assess the situation, he noted.

"This is where the importance of training comes into play."

"With coal production projected to expand on a massive scale - about 1 billion tonne in 4-5 years' time, it is high time we tested our own emergency preparedness, spotted where the gaps exist and knew how to plug them," Guha said.

The Mines Vocational Training Rules adopted in 1966 provides for extensive general vocational and refresher modules for training of miners and other personnel both in underground and surface operations.