Analysis of occupational accidents and occupational diseases occuring in the mining sector

The mining sector draws attention as the most dangerous sector when compared to other sectors.Due to the difficulty of the working environment and a number of different factors(ergonomic, conditions, rock breaks, collapse, artificial lighting) in the working environment,the employees of the sector are in great danger in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS). The aim of this study is to analyze and investigate the data of mining industry work accidents and especially occupational diseases, which is one of the fields of activity where the most losses in terms of work accidents and occupational diseases are experienced. In the study, the situation determination was made by using the data in the TurkStat and SSI databases and in the literature resources for research purposes. The research includes data from 2002 to 2020. According to the findings of the study, between 1995 and 2020, 17886 employees suffered from occupational diseases, and 916 (5.2%) of these employees died. After 2012, the death rate as a result of work accidents and occupational diseases decreased below 10 per thousand. Since 2016, it has decreased below 5 per thousand. Death due to occupational disease was seen as 6 people between 2012-2020. Death rates as a result of work accidents and occupational diseases in the mining field continued to increase from 2002 to 2020. In the field of activity that constitutes the mining sector, the most common occupational accidents and diseases occur in coal and lignite extraction and other mining and quarries. A total of 409 mining workers were affected by occupational diseases and 5 miners lost their lives due to occupational diseases between 2015 and 2020. According to the results of the comparison of occupational diseases occurring in the mining industry and other fields of activity, it has been observed that while the incidence of occupational diseases in other sectors has increased over the years, it has decreased or remained in a certain range after 2011 in the mining field. Occupational accidents in the mining sector tend to increase until 2020, and the number of occupational accidents, which was 7437 in 2002, increased to 11216 in 2020. According to these results, the number of occupational accidents has increased by 50% in 18 years. The highest occupational accident occurred in 2013 (14186 occupational accidents). As a result, it has been determined that occupational accidents in the mining sector increase by 10% every 5 years.