Mine accidents can be caused by human error, equipment failure, or unsafe conditions. A thorough investigation into the causes of an accident considers factors related to the task being performed, materials used, work environment, personnel involved, and management systems. Accident prevention requires proper planning, training, use of protective equipment, and a safety-focused organizational culture. Implementing engineering controls, work instructions, hazard monitoring, and management oversight can help control accidents.

1. Mine Accidents -
Causes, Investigation, Prevention and Control
R Biswas
Deputy Manager (Mining)
Kiriburu Iron Ore Mine
RMD, SAIL

2. Accidents & Safety
• Accidents : Unplanned & Unexpected
occurrence that interrupts the work
activities, and they may or may not result
in injury or loss of assets.in injury or loss of assets.
• Safety : State of Mind for awareness of
Injury
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3. Safety
Safety
Mine Safety Employee Safety
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Planning
Equipping
Devising Technology
Selection of Persons
Proper Training
Exhortation (action)
Factors Controlling Safety

4. Type of Mine Accidents
• Fatal Accidents cause loss of life
• Serious Bodily Injuries – Permanent loss of any
part of the body, permanent loss of sight or
hearing, fracture of any bones or joints
• Reportable Injuries – Other than serious bodily• Reportable Injuries – Other than serious bodily
injury, enforced absence of the injured from
work for a period of 72 hrs. or more
• Minor Injuries : Not serious bodily injury nor
reportable injury, enforced absence from work
for a period exceeding 24 hrs
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5. 300300
2929
11
NONNON--INJURYINJURY
MINOR INJURIESMINOR INJURIES
SERIOUS / FATALSERIOUS / FATAL
THE HEINRICH THEORY
(USA-1931)
THE TYE/PEARSON THEORY
(UK-1974/75)
Accident Ratio
600600
3030
1010
NONNON--INJURYINJURY
PROPERTY DAMAGEPROPERTY DAMAGE
MINOR INJURIESMINOR INJURIES
THE BIRD THEORY
(USA-1969)
11 SERIOUS / FATALSERIOUS / FATAL
400400
8080
5050
NONNON--INJURY / DAMAGEINJURY / DAMAGE
PROPERTY DAMAGEPROPERTY DAMAGE
MINOR INJURIESMINOR INJURIES
(1 TO 3 DAYS MC)(1 TO 3 DAYS MC)
(UK-1974/75)
11 SERIOUS / FATALSERIOUS / FATAL
33
FIRSTFIRST--AID INJURIESAID INJURIES

6. Accident Ratio
• Accidents do occur but are caused- 85% of
Accidents are caused due to Human-error
• In Opencast Mines majority of accidents are
caused by HEMM
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7. Accident Statistics in Indian Mines
Trend in Death Rate per 1000 persons employed
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8. Accident Statistics in Indian Mines
50
41
54
40
45
65
Fatal Serious
Number of Accidents in Non-Coal Mines
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41
34 35
40
35 37 36
22
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

9. Accident Statistics in Indian Mines
Accidents and Casualties in 2015 by Major Minerals
Mineral Number of Accidents Number of Persons
Fatal Serious Killed Seriously
injured*
Coal 68 268 69 281
Oil 4 13 5 25
Copper 1 2 1 2
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Copper 1 2 1 2
Galena & Sphalerite 2 4 2 4
Gold 1 4 1 4
Iron Ore 12 7 12 8
Lime Stone 2 1 2 1
Manganese 1 1 1 1
Stone 4 0 4 0
Others 17 3 18 5
Total Metalliferous 40 22 41 25
All Minerals 112 303 115 331

10. Accident Statistics in Indian Mines
Cause-wise distribution of fatal accidents in non-coal mines during 2015
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Cause-wise distribution of serious accidents in non-coal mines during 2015

11. Mine accident Causes
• Age Group :
– <40 yrs.– Energetic but not consistent
– >50 yrs.– Lethargic due to age
• Timing Group :
– Change of Shift/End of Shift—Quick Escape
– Night Shift—Sleeping tendency or poor light
– OT Hrs/Long hrs. without rest—Fatigues
• Change of Occupation :
– Unauthorized Work
– Unauthorized deployment
– Lack of knowledge/skill
– Lack of Confidence
– Lack of Conception of Work
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12. Mine accident Causes…..
• Unsafe Act (Violation of
commonly accepted
procedures)- Exposed to
High Risk Man made &
Undesirable Causing
• Unsafe Condition-
Exposure to Man made
high risk Cause accidents
– Condition left uncorrected
– Unsupported work place
– Unexamined MachineUndesirable Causing
Accidents
– Act itself is risky
– No Correction
– No safe work place design
– No safety guidance
– No safety law observance
– Unexamined Machine
– Unobserved safety
standards
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13. Mine accident Causes…..
• Stress/Strain/Mental Imbalance - Exposure to high risk
Man made uncontrolled phenomenon to compel persons
to live in high stress level
– Work Stress
– Production Stress– Production Stress
– Behavioural Stress
– Boss knows the best syndrome
– Overwork
– Exhaustion
– Influence of drug/drink
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14. Cost of Accident
• Cost to the Injured
– Pain & Suffering to the injured and his family, can not be estimated in terms of money
– Loss of Wages
– Loss of Earning Capacity
– Loss on account of permanent disablement
• Cost to the Management
– Direct Cost—Compensation & Medical Expenses
– Indirect Cost—Damages to m/c & property, loss of production, lost time of the injured, co-– Indirect Cost—Damages to m/c & property, loss of production, lost time of the injured, co-
workers & officials, lost time for inspection & preventive action
• Cost to the Society
– Cost of providing Hospital and rehabilitation facilities
– Maintenance of dependence of the injured/killed
– Payment of increased cost of production
• Hidden cost: Estimated 4-5 times of direct cost
– Damage to plant & machinery
– Loss of material
– Loss of production due to stoppage of M/C
– Loss of production by aftermath of accidents
– Loss of business as failure to meet the requirement of consumers due to loss of production
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15. Impact of Accidents
• One Major Accident→ One Shift Disturbed
• One Serious Accident→ One Day Disturbed
• One Fatal Accident→ One Weak Disturbed
• One Disaster→ One Year Disturbed• One Disaster→ One Year Disturbed
• One Major Disaster→ 10 years Or More
Disturbed
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16. Accident Causation
Material
EnvironmentTask
The causes of any accident can be grouped to five categories-
Task, Material, Environment, Personnel & Management.
Environment
PersonnelManagement
Task
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Possible causes are investigated with simple questions.

17. Accident Causation…..
• TASK
– Was a safe work procedure adopted?
– Had the Condition Changed to make the normal
procedure unsafe?
– Were the appropriate tools & materials available?
– Were they used?
– Were safety devices working properly?
For most of these questions, an important
follow-up question is “if not, why not?”
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18. Accident Causation…..
• Material
– Was there an equipment failure?
– What caused to fail?
– Was the machinery poorly designed?
– Were hazardous substances involved?– Were hazardous substances involved?
– Were they clearly identified?
– Was a less hazardous alternative substances possible and
available?
– Was the raw material substandard in some way?
– Should PPE have been used?
Again the answer reveals an unsafe condition-the investigator
must ask WHY this situation was allowed to exist?
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19. Accident Causation…..
• Environment
– What were the weather conditions?
– Was poor house keeping a problem?
– Was it too hot or too cold?
– Was noise a problem?– Was noise a problem?
– Was there adequate light?
– Was toxic or hazardous gases, dusts or fumes present
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20. Accident Causation…..
• Personnel
– Were workers experienced in the work being done?
– Had they been adequately trained?
– Can they physically do the work?
– What was the status of their health?
– Were they tired?– Were they tired?
– Were they under stress?
The purpose of investigation is not to establish blame
against someone but the enquiry will not be complete
unless personal characteristics are considered.
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21. Accident Causation…..
• Management
– Was safety rules communicated to and understood by all
employees?
– Were written procedures available?
– Were they being enforced?
– Was there adequate supervision?– Was there adequate supervision?
– Were workers trained to do the work?
– Had hazards been previously identified?
– Had procedures been developed to overcome?
– Were unsafe conditions corrected?
– Was regular maintenance of equipment carried out?
– Were regular safety inspections carried out?
The model of accident investigations provides a guide for uncovering all
possible causes and reduces the likelihood of looking at facts in
isolation.
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22. Preventive Action on Safety
• Desire to prevent all major injuries ensures
safety
• Effective discipline promotes safety
• Injuries should be prevented for which mind-set
is requiredis required
• Line supervisors are the back-bone to observe
safety
• Every employee has to be made conscious
• Protective equipment help safety
• Equipment, fit for the purpose, help safety
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23. Corrective Action on safety
• Engineering Revision -
Guards, Fences, Interlocking at Proper
Places
• Instructions, Persuasion, Appeals, Training• Instructions, Persuasion, Appeals, Training
- Both Theoretical & Practical
• Personal Adjustments- Job according to
Aptitude- Both Physical & Mental
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24. Accident Prevention
• A self regulatory & goal setting system
• Fit for purpose equipment
• Suitable work method
• Controlled work environment
• Locate and control hazards
• Risk assessment & risk control
• Work culture, unsafe act, unsafe condition etc• Work culture, unsafe act, unsafe condition etc
• Communication of working policy
• Review of SoP, Do’s & Don’ts
• Inspection system, machines, mines, Reports to be analysed for corrective
action
• Interactive Control System
• Two way Communication
• Co-ordination meeting at different levels, recording minutes, fixing up
responsibilities
• Active participation of Workmen’s Inspector and Safety Committee Members
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25. Accident Control
• Routine Inspection & Remedial Measures
• High Standard of Discipline
• Reliability of M/C & Simplicity of Operation
• Maintaining various Safety devices• Maintaining various Safety devices
• Safety at Shop Level
• Identification of Black Spots
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26. Treatment Control & Action Plan
• Elimination : Remove step to eliminate the hazard
completely (100%)
• Substitution : Replace with less hazardous
material, substance or process ( 75%)
• Separation : Isolate hazard from person by
guarding, space or time separation ( 50%)guarding, space or time separation ( 50%)
• Administration : Adjusting the time or conditions of risk
exposure ( 30%)
• Training : Improving skills making tasks less
hazardous to persons involved (20%)
• PPE : Used as the last resort, appropriately designed
where other controls are not practicable (5%)
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27. OPEN SESSION

28. Thank YouThank You
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