A Quantitative risk assessment methodology for occupational accidents in underground coal mines: a case of Turkish hard coal enterprises

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2016
Erdoğan, Hasan Hüseyin
Underground coal mining is one of the most dangerous occupations throughout the world. The incidence of injuries and the days lost due to accidents in underground coal mines are much greater than industrial average. In general, the reasons behind an underground occupational accident are too complex to analyze. The risk analysis and assessment is the most suitable method to cope with these type of issues. This study proposes a quantitative methodology for the analysis and assessment of risks associated with mine accidents in the mines of Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises (TTK). The accidents in TTK between the years 2000 and 2014 are firstly statistically analyzed with respect to the number, type and location of accidents, education level, experience and age of the casualties and also injuries, days lost resulting from such accidents. Mines are compared with respect to number, type, and location of accidents and days lost using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Hazards are classified as individual, operational and locational hazards and quantified using contingency tables and conditional and total probability theorems. Injuries and days lost are considered as severities. Event trees for each hazard class are prepared. Lower and upper boundaries of risks for injury and days lost are determined. Injury and days lost risks are evaluated and mines are compared accordingly. Risk evaluation results show that Armutçuk, Karadon and Üzülmez mines have high risk levels especially for injury risks while Amasra and Kozlu mines are at the safer side. Some measures are recommended to decrease the determined high risk levels.  

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Citation Formats
H. H. Erdoğan, “A Quantitative risk assessment methodology for occupational accidents in underground coal mines: a case of Turkish hard coal enterprises,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2016.