Occupational Safety and Health of Coal Miners in India: A Study

Abstract

Coal mining in India is one of the most dangerous industries, exposing workers to high occupational health risks in terms of respiratory disease, skin lesions, hearing loss, and physical injury. This paper reviews occupational health in Indian coal mines in terms of qualitative review and quantitative analysis of secondary databases deriving from official, academic, and regulating sources. The findings, based on descriptive statistics and regression analysis, reveal marked reductions in both fatal and critical accidents in the past decade, citing stricter regulations, mechanizations, and medical surveillance as drivers of improvement in safety. However, persistent prevalence in terms of respiratory disorders in the form of silicosis and pneumoconiosis suggests persistent gaps in controlling dust and health surveillance. Legislative laws in terms of the Mines Act, 1952 and Coal Mines Regulations, 2017 have assisted in strengthening workplace safety, but gaps in enforcing these persist. The study identifies robust advocacy for interdisciplinary interventions in terms of policy, technology, health surveillance, and welfare of workers as means to foster Indian coal mines' occupational health in an enduring sense.