Safety and Health in Mining

Abstract

In the history of the mining sector, in its beginnings it faced very high levels of risks both safety and health. The data are limited to serious accidents, and these are mainly associated with falls from land, transport and machinery. Analysis of these data suggests that the leading causes of death tend to be the same as those of serious injuries, while disasters have a different profile. Over the past decade, mining disasters have been associated with explosions due to flammable gases, a fire on a conveyor belt, a flood of mud and water, and rock outbursts. Mandatory compliance with a company's safety, health and environmental regulations is a minimum and can be significantly improved by adding a long-term management planning and implementation process with a deeper cultural shift towards continuous improvement in safety and quality. Note that the purpose of integrating health and safety into other management systems is the need for health and safety management to be central, rather than an organizational objective.