What is the meaning of serious accident?

• A. An accident at a coal mine that causes the death of a person OR a person admitted to a hospital as an in-patient for treatment for their injury
• B. An incident causing minor injury only
• C. An incident off-site
• D. A near-miss with no injury

Answer: (A)

In mining safety law, a serious accident is defined by its severity: it includes a death or an incident that results in a person being admitted to hospital as an inpatient for treatment of injuries. This threshold focuses on outcomes that require formal medical care and indicate significant harm, not minor injuries or near-misses.

That’s why the described option is the best fit: it explicitly covers both fatalities and inpatient hospital admissions for injury treatment. In contrast, an incident with only minor injuries, an off-site event, or a near-miss with no injury does not meet this definition and would not be classified as a serious accident under this standard. This definition matters because serious accidents typically trigger mandatory reporting and immediate investigation or safety reviews.