Occupational Health and Safety Strategies in Mining

Introduction

Occupational Health and Safety actions in mining go beyond simply controlling and preventing the risks inherent to this activity. This is a comprehensive strategy that seeks not only to safeguard workers’ health, but also to instill a safety culture rooted in active awareness of the importance of safety protocols.

In the complex environment of mining operations, the physical, psychological and emotional well-being of workers is a top priority. The nature of daily production processes involves constant exposure to risks, injuries and dangerous situations, often exceeding the standards of other industries.

In this context, the active participation of workers is essential in the identification and evaluation of potential hazards. Empowering each team member with the necessary tools to recognize and mitigate risks not only strengthens workplace safety, but also promotes a sense of shared responsibility and leadership in each area of operations.

Occupational Health and Safety and Workplace Hazards

Occupational health and safety is a fundamental concept that seeks to protect the physical, mental and social integrity of workers in their work environment. This concept encompasses a series of measures and practices aimed at preventing injuries, illnesses, occupational hazards and accidents, with the objective of promoting a safe and healthy work environment for all ^employees1.

• Occupational health: The occupational health dimension focuses on the complete well-being of workers in relation to their work environment. This involves not only the prevention of physical injuries and occupational illnesses, but also the care of employees’ mental and emotional health. From injury prevention programs to strategies for managing work stress and promoting work-life balance, occupational health seeks to ensure that workers feel supported and protected in the workplace.

• Occupational safety: On the other hand, occupational safety focuses on identifying and mitigating the risks present in the work environment. This includes assessing potential hazards, such as unsafe conditions, defective machinery, exposure to toxic substances and lack of adequate training. The primary objective of occupational safety is to prevent accidents and injuries, ensuring that workers can perform their tasks safely and without risk to their health.

• Risk in the workplace: The term risk refers to the probability of an incident occurring that results in injury or damage to people’s ^health2, which implies a work situation that affects the balance between physical, mental and social aspects. Workers have the right to be effectively protected, so workplaces should be free of risks or at most, when it is impossible to eliminate them, reduce them in a way that does not compromise their health and safety, and this is achieved through prevention.

Risks in mining activities

The intrinsic nature of mining activity places it in a context of constant risk, where the choice of location and working environment are not always factors that can be controlled. This reality contrasts with other industries, where workplace selection is more flexible and adaptive.

The execution of tasks in unfavorable conditions is an inherent characteristic of mining activity, where the presence of multiple risk factors is closely linked to the technology used, the work methods and the type of exploitation. In mining, there are two basic forms of exploitation that define the risk landscape:

1. Subway mining: This type of mining includes all activities aimed at extracting raw materials located below the earth’s surface and transporting them to the surface. Access to these resources is through galleries and shafts interconnected with the surface, creating a working environment characterized by confined spaces and challenging environmental conditions.
2. Open pit mining: This category includes excavations carried out on the earth’s surface to extract minerals from natural deposits. This modality includes various forms of exploitation, such as quarries, salt mines and others, and is characterized by direct exposure to the external environment, although it is not risk-free.

While both forms of mining share a number of common problems for workers, subway mining presents particularities that make it even more dangerous. Among the most prominent risks are the nature of the mine itself, built in natural rock that is not always optimal for engineering, as well as the presence of confined spaces, gas accumulation, flooding risks and other specific challenges that demand additional safety measures and meticulous risk management.

The following are some of the most common mining hazards and their potential consequences:

1. Explosions: In coal mines, methane accumulation is a latent danger, since when combined with fine coal particles, it can generate highly explosive mixtures. In addition, controlled detonations carried out for the expansion of the mining area can also trigger accidental explosions.
2. Exposure to toxic gases: Mining exploration and extraction involves the possibility of encountering pockets of noxious gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, which pose a serious threat to workers’ health. These gases can affect the nervous system and can be life-threatening to those who inhale them.
3. Flooding: Mining activity, especially in remote and poorly studied areas, increases the risk of flooding. Land modifications made during mining can alter the hydrological balance, increasing the likelihood of flash floods that endanger the lives of miners.
4. Mine shaft collapses: Mine shaft collapses pose a serious threat to worker safety. These events may occur due to human error, unfavorable geologic conditions or seismic activities, increasing the risk of serious or fatal injuries.

Mining is fundamental to industrial and economic progress, however it is important to address these risks effectively to ensure the safety and health of workers in this sector. The implementation of preventive measures, adequate training and advanced safety technologies are key elements to mitigate these hazards and promote a safe working environment in mining.

The importance of Occupational Safety and Health in mining

Mining, a crucial industry for the extraction of mineral resources, carries inherent occupational hazards and risks. The importance of occupational health and safety in this sector is manifested in several fundamental aspects:

1. Worker protection: Given the nature of the mining activity, which involves the handling of heavy and complex equipment, as well as exposure to adverse conditions, occupational safety is essential to safeguard the physical integrity and well-being of workers.
2. Compliance: Respect for occupational safety rules and regulations is imperative in mining. Failure to comply with these regulations not only has legal and financial consequences for companies, but also puts workers’ lives at risk.
3. Reduced costs: Investing in occupational safety measures not only protects workers, but also contributes to the operational efficiency and profitability of mining companies by reducing costs associated with occupational accidents and injuries.
4. Corporate image: A strong workplace safety culture not only strengthens the company’s reputation among employees, the community and investors, but also demonstrates its commitment to human well-being and the environment in which it operates.

Strategies for Occupational Health and Safety in mining

Companies operating in the mining sector should consider the following actions to avoid and prevent occupational accidents:

Adequate security management

Safety management must harmonize two fields: the administrative part, where programs, standards, procedures and instructions are established, and the operational part, where day-to-day work activities are carried out. It is in field or operational work where companies must deploy greater control and investment with line supervision to ensure accident prevention.

Behavioral change

The new security approach proposes to work on the behavior of employees. To do this, we must initially identify, analyze and quantify the different behavioral tendencies inherent to each employee and then work on the different aspects found in order to internalize the safety culture inside and outside the workplace.

Investment

It is necessary to include in the annual budget an item for Occupational Health and Safety, only then will it be possible to plan and manage policies for adequate risk reduction. The budget should include training of personnel, provision of security equipment, activation and adaptation of infrastructure, as well as investment in new technologies to facilitate security management.

Security plan

In principle, it is important to know the regulations of each country or sector, for example, in the mining sector the legal requirements are higher due to the risk involved in the operations. In addition to the minimum legal requirements, companies must also establish additional controls that must be included in the security plan.

In the case of Atlas Copco, they have added controls even from the selection of personnel, with the sole purpose of not exposing and/or aggravating any health condition of future workers.

Safety equipment

Proper hazard identification and risk assessment is necessary in order to select personal protective equipment according to the type of work to be performed.

The selection should not only focus on functionality, but also on quality, compliance with national and international standards and exceeding the minimum requirements.

Technology in the mining industry

Currently, technology is an ally for good safety and health practices, it is a good tool to streamline processes within companies and for the relationship with other stakeholders, such as government entities and certifiers that have already ventured into the digital transformation, as these entities require continuous traffic of information and evidence.

OSH technology for the mining industry

This technology helps with the periodic follow-up of items such as: policies, licenses, workers’ medical coverage, inspections, delivery of personal protective equipment, periodic maintenance, management of indicators, reports on health conditions and accidents, among others; these are procedures that demonstrate the mitigation of risks.

HSETools Software

Management systems must become less complex, but this does not mean that functionalities are subtracted or processes are abandoned, or that what has worked up to now is no longer done. HSETools Software is an innovative modular tool, which offers a module to develop a simple, visual management, which presents a balanced scorecard of the organization, thus facilitating the implementation of integrated and effective HSE strategies.

This cloud-based solution allows you to set objectives for a certain period of time, link indicators for each objective, track the level of compliance achieved, generate graphs and reports, compare results with previous periods, and, finally, make the right decisions that lead to a reduction or elimination of injuries and accidents.

Conclusions

In the current complex scenario, mining activity is under increasing scrutiny due to its environmental and social impacts. However, the solution to this problem does not lie in the abolition of mining, but in the adoption of measures that promote environmental and occupational safety standards. Mining, being a pillar of the global economy, needs to evolve towards more sustainable and safer practices.

Workplace safety is essential in the mining industry to protect workers, comply with regulations, reduce costs and protect the company’s image. Mining companies must implement effective occupational safety measures and foster a culture of safety in the workplace to ensure that mining activity is conducted in a safe and sustainable manner.

References

1. Blog HSE: Health, Safety and Environment

2. Arce García, S. E. (2017). Occupational risk prevention and occupational accidents in the Spanish press: representation and coverage from Law No. 31/1995 on Occupational Risk Prevention (1994-2014) [Universidad de Burgos]. https://doi.org/10.36443/10