Towards safer mines: Analyzing occupational health and safety perceptions and injury patterns in Serbian underground mining

BackgroundMining is a high-risk sector, particularly in underground environments, where workers face daily hazards. This research evaluates workplace safety perceptions in Serbian underground coal mines, ranking workers by education, age, and job role, while incorporating injury data to provide a comprehensive assessment of safety across different worker groups.ObjectiveThis study is aimed at analyses of the correlation between occupational health and safety (OHS) perceptions and the injury index across different worker groups, to identify improvement opportunities and propose targeted measures for enhancing OHS practices.MethodsThe PROMETHEE II method categorized workers based on production units, qualifications, and age, focusing on criteria like protective equipment, work conditions, risk awareness, management, work organization, and training. The entropy method provided objective weightings for these criteria, allowing for comparison with injury index rankings to establish priorities for improvement.ResultsŠtavalj and Vrška Čuka ranked highest in OHS perception. Workers with MSc/Dr qualifications displayed heightened awareness of safety, while those aged 56 to 65 exhibited the best understanding of health and safety. Spearman rank correlation coefficients revealed a strong negative correlation (-0.796) for production units, a strong positive correlation (0.70) for qualifications, and a very strong positive correlation (0.90) for age concerning PROMETHEE II rankings and injury index indicators.ConclusionsThe disparities between worker perception rankings and injury index rankings suggest opportunities for targeted safety improvements and enhanced training protocols.