Hi from Melbourne, Australia. I am trying to find out any information regarding the damage to the miners health during the Soviet occupation and use of this mine.
I believe there is a relevant organisation existing.
'Miner's Organisation of .... Go'rniko'w (?)'
I have a close friend here in Melbourne who is a widow of a man who worked there about the early 50's. He subsequently died here in the '70's.
We are dancing and travelling partners.
We drove around Europe including Poland back in '95.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Laurie Edward. (Mr.)

Hello,
Sorry your query hasn't produced much information. I did a google search for the combined terms "Kletno" and "mining" and came up with a link (in fairly poor but understandable English) http://www.showcaves.com/english/pl/mines/Kletno.html . Given that some of the mines in Southwest Britain are 'hot' (high levels of radioactive radon gas) so exploration has to be balanced with a need to keep exposure to radiation within safe(ish) limits I would say that the effects of working for years in a mildly radioactive environment would be the equivalent of 60 to 80 a day ciggie habit. Combined with the risks of silicosis there would be quite a high risk of respiratory disease and cancers of the lung.
All of the above is, really just educated guesswork but I hope it's of some use.

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Like JR I have found nothing of particular relevance to Kletno regarding damage to miners health. I don't know whether this will be of interest or not but the The British Columbia
Medical Association did a comprehensive report on the health dangers of uranium mining in 1980. http://www.ccnr.org/bcma.html 

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I visited this uranium mine in the Polish Sudetes in 2005; there is a short tourist route along one of the rehabilitated adits that opened in 2002. The guide, very much a product of the Communist era, was mega fussy about us observing rules and regulations - no use of video cameras allowed!

From what I understand, the mine was found, developed and funded by the Soviets after an agreement between the Soviet Union and Poland in 1948. The workings were fairly extensive and mined ore was taken to Russia for processing. The mine was worked using forced labour from Polish prisioner labour camps, some soldiers and a few skilled and well-paid miners.

Conditions were particularly bad, with no precautions against exposure to radiation undertaken. Due to the lack of basic protective equipment such as masks, many people fell ill with black lung. Not surprisingly statistics on illnesses and accidents were not kept, but it is anticipated that human cases of radiation sickness were many 😞

I doubt anyone will ever be able to accurately provide proof of deaths from cancer etc., caused by working in this and other uranium mines behind the Iron Curtain.

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