A study of epistemological aspect in research on work-related accidents : A case of coal mining in Zonguldak

Work-related injuries and occupational diseases have been one of the most important structural problems of working life in Turkey. These kill a lot of workers. The problem is multidimensional one and entails scientific studies in many different areas, including medicine, engineering, chemistry and social policy. It would be a proper way to examine the different areas of production with different working conditions separately to find out the reasons behind the fact. On the other hand, there is not enough scientific research. The vast majority of existing literature argue that work-related injuries and deaths are caused by workers' defective behaviour. It should be noted that the official approach is the same. The mining sector is one of the most identified sectors where work-related injuries and deaths are most prevalent. This study considers the mining industry and investigates the reasons behind work-related injuries and deaths in Zonguldak coal mines. As mentioned above, this phenomenon, which is multidimensional, is examined in terms of both the politics of production and social policy. This dissertation challenges the idea that work-related injuries and deaths result from workers' defective behaviour, because it has an epistemological fallacy. In order to be able to analyse work-related injuries and deaths properly, it is assumed that there is a need to employ an epistemological approach which enables researchers to investigate the politics of production, labour relations and social policies, and to examine the working conditions at workplace. Departing from such an epistemological approach, the dissertation focuses on the politics of production first and then social policies. Lastly, it discusses on the finding gathered in a fieldwork carried out in Zonguldak coal mines. During the fieldwork working conditions were observed and the workers who had work-related injury were interviewed with face to face by the researcher in person. As a result it argued that the politics of pruduction giving the priority to quantity of production and profitability, ineffective social policies to combat with the problem, widespread informal production and employment are the main structural factors behind the work-related injuries and deaths in mining industry.