Spatial-temporal distribution of outburst accidents from 2001 to 2020 in China and suggestions for prevention and control

Prevention and control of coal and gas outburst is a prerequisite to ensure the safe and efficient mining of coal mines and the stable supply of national energy. Two outburst accidents(Zuoquan Coal Mine outburst accident on March 25 and Dongfeng Coal Mine outburst accident on April 9) occurred in 2021 resulting in 12 deaths, indicating that there is still a very difficult way to go before we achieve the goal of "zero outburst". In view of the current situation of unclear outburst mechanism and frequent outburst accidents, this paper makes statistics data of outburst accidents in China from 2001 to 2020. There were 484 outburst accidents and 3 195 deaths in the past 20 years. Although the outburst accidents have been effectively controlled in recent years, they are still at a relatively high level and more prominent in coal mine accidents. The spatial-temporal distribution law of outburst accidents in China from 2011 to 2020 is further analyzed from the aspects of the grade, place and time of outburst accidents. The results show that there were 93 outburst accidents and 645 deaths in 12 provinces, among which the major outburst accidents continue to dominate, and the death toll of extraordinarily major outburst accidents remains high throughout the year, and the proportion of general outburst accidents increases gradually. The outburst accidents are characterized by "wide and concentrated distribution, more cases and more serious in the south of China". Guizhou Province, Hunan Province, Yunnan Province and Henan Province are the most serious provinces, accounting for 68% and 79% of the total number of accidents and death toll. The outburst accidents mainly occur in May to July and November to December every year, on the 4th-6th, 15th-17th and 28th-29th of each month, 1-2 o'clock, 5-6 o'clock, 10-12 o'clock and 17-20 o'clock every day. The outburst accidents present the periodic development law of high and low alternation. From the perspective of safety management, the outburst prevention measures must be implemented in every day and every shift of production, and the safety management should be strengthened in the period of low incidence of outburst accidents. The long-term virtuous cycle of "enhancing safety awareness-low incidence of accidents-enhancing safety awareness" is the core concept of outburst prevention and control.