Excavating an understanding of safety management: Experiences and perspectives from the Swedish mining industry

This thesis explores the conditions for, interpretations of and reactions to safety management strategies and practices implemented in the Swedish mining industry. The concept of ‘safety’ is depicted as one of the more important aspects of organisational management in mining industry contexts by both the mining industry itself and by researchers in related research fields. However, due to the complex nature of mining industry operations, interpretations of ‘safety’ and priorities regarding its development can vary greatly between people from different roles operating in mining workplaces. A machine operator with a more practical perspective on safety management may for example prioritise the physical safety of themselves and their colleagues and considers themselves safe when there is mutual trust and cohesion within their team. Meanwhile, managers and safety specialists with more strategic perspectives might instead focus on efforts to develop cultural values which promote safer attitudes and behaviours, and on balancing productivity with safety goals. These perspectives both seek to address important issues that safety management efforts may aim to address, yet they are characterised by different approaches to safety. While many different studies have explored safety and its management in mining contexts, the most common approach has been to consider safety based on the conceptualisations of leaders and managers. Few studies have approached safety management from the perspectives of personnel and contractor employees closer to the practical work. Fewer still are the studies that have emphasised these differences in approaches to safety in mining organisations and have examined how they can influence the outcomes of safety management efforts. The purpose of this thesis is thus to explore safety management in Swedish mining and highlight nuanced perspectives and experiences of methodologies and outcomes. In doing so, I identify how a broader understanding for and acknowledgement of the characteristics of mining industry safety management can help with addressing challenges for the continued management of safety. The empirical basis of this thesis is mainly built upon two projects conducted between 2019 and 2024 within and with the Swedish mining industry which focused on studies of safety management strategies and practices. Their contributions consisted of a total of 26 interviews with safety specialists, managers, supervisors, employees and contractor personnel from several different Swedish mining companies. In addition, these projects provided opportunities for document studies of material relating to safety management strategies and practices, and for workplace observations at some of the participating companies’ mining operations. The theoretical framework of this thesis focuses on organisational aspects which influence safety management efforts by, e.g., recommending certain approaches to management or exploring factors that can explain assumptions and behaviours relating to safety. The results show that, while safety management in the Swedish mining industry is generally perceived as having shown progress in recent years, challenges related to aspects such as communication, leadership and differing conceptualisations of safety remain. A shared characteristic of these challenges is that they relate to and involve different groups with nuanced perspectives and conceptualisations of safety. Safety management strategies may for example be difficult for employees to engage with; and physical, social and organisational separations can hinder the development of shared safety cultures between, e.g., client and contractor personnel. The experiences and examples examined in this thesis have shown how differences in expectations or interpretations can act as obstacles for effective and cohesive safety management efforts. Furthermore, this thesis has highlighted the Swedish mining industry’s normative and top-driven approaches to managing safety and safety cultures, and the challenges it faces with addressing aspects such as power relations and underlying cultural values. Ultimately, this thesis suggests that safety management efforts would benefit from seeking to understand and address the nuances between the various strategic and practical perspectives of safety involved. By encouraging communication, collaboration and mutual understanding for safety between different hierarchical levels and groups within mining organisations, these differences can be bridged and encourage more cohesive safety cultures.