Determination of risk assessment and levels of awareness for uses of personal protective equipment in an underground mine

Mineworkers face various work accidents and occupational diseases at all times as underground mining activities involve many dangers and risks. One of the most important ways to protect mineworkers from these dangers and risks is the use of personal protective equipment. However, it is known that mineworkers do not use personal protective equipment from time to time for various reasons. In this case, possible work accidents can cause serious injuries, permanent diseases and even deaths on mineworkers. In order to prevent these, risk analysis should be carried out and occupational health and safety awareness of the mineworkers should be increased. In this thesis, the risks and dangers that may arise when mineworkers in an underground mine operating in the province of Gümüşhane do not use personal protective equipment during their work were determined by L-type matrix risk analysis method. Also, a survey was conducted to determine the occupational health and safety information and the perception of using personal protective equipment of underground workers. The data obtained from the survey were evaluated statistically and presented with graphical representations. In order to determine the relationship between some binary variables, it was analyzed with the Chi-Square test using the SPSS 23.0 package program and the significance level was evaluated as p <0.05. The risk analysis showed that barrettes had the highest risk scores, while CO masks, headlamps, body coveralls, work shoes and dust masks had high-risk scores, and work glasses and ear protectors had medium and low-risk scores. In most of the personal protective equipment used underground, the risk levels are determined that unbearable and significant risk level, revealing the importance of their use. The survey study revealed that a significant relationship was found between the period of occupational health and safety training, mentioning risk analysis in safety training, having problems in the use of personal protective equipment, not believing in the protection of personal protective equipment and mineworkers who had an accident.