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

mining, and support service activities. Although the coal mining subsector 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.