The relationship between occupational burnout and risk perception in coal miners: neurophysiological evidence from fNIRS

This study aimed to examine the association between occupational burnout and risk perception ability among coal miners, providing a neurophysiological basis. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey was administered to 72 miners to assess burnout, while functional near-infrared spectroscopy measured hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex during risk perception tasks. The findings revealed that: (1) miners with higher levels of burnout exhibited reduced risk perception capabilities; (2) the association between burnout levels and risk perception ability varied depending on whether the risk factors were human-, equipment-, environment-, or management-related; and (3) significant differences in prefrontal cortex activation were observed among miners with different levels of burnout, suggesting that burnout is associated with cognitive processing efficiency for risk information. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing miners' risk perception from the burnout perspective, potentially reducing coal mine accidents.