The role of management in preventing occupational accidents in the mining sector

The mining sector comprises metal ore mining, quarrying, coal mining, and support service activities. Although the coal mining sub-sector accounts for 25% of the number of employees in the mining sector, one in every two occupational accidents occurs in this sector. In this respect, this study aims to determine the perspectives of employees in underground units regarding the process of preventing occupational accidents in the coal mining sub-sector. For this purpose, the study used the grounded theory design of qualitative research designs. This study was conducted on a study group consisting of 20 underground unit employees selected according to the purposeful and theoretical sampling strategy in a coal enterprise with the lowest accident rate in Turkey. Qualitative data in the study were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique in the MAXQDA 2024 program. The research findings show that the prominent factors in preventing occupational accidents in coal mines are the management's commitment to safety, rules, risk awareness and safety focus, inspection, and incentive practices. Among these factors, it is seen that the management's commitment to safety stands out. Prioritizing safety and risk awareness and maintaining this commitment with rules, incentives, and monitoring mechanisms are essential in reducing work accidents.