Modeling of Causes and Consequences of Human Error in Mining Processes Design: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Given the significant role of mining in sustainable development and its intrinsic characteristics, the hazards and potential consequences are a great concern for the industry. A design error is one of the main reasons behind accidents and environmental disasters. This study aims to identify and categorize effective factors influencing design errors and their health, safety, and environmental consequences. The study was carried out based on the theme analysis of 12 Iranian surface miners’ opinions from 14 October to 25 December 2021. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The data analysis procedure was conducted based on the Strauss Model using MAXQDA2022. In the open coding section, 120 and 146 primary codes were identified regarding causes and consequences, respectively. As for the codes for causes, 26 main categories and five subcategory codes were identified, including organizational, personal, environmental, occupational, and external factors. As for the identified codes for consequences, 11 subcategories and three main categories were identified, including safety, health, and environmental effects. The findings of the study revealed that among causes, the external factor (p = 0.3703) had the weakest, and the personal factor (p = 0.003) had the strongest correlations with human error in design. In line with the opinion of the expert participants, design error had significant relationships with safety (p = 0.002), environmental (p = 0.01), and health effects (p = 0.034). The cause-consequence model introduced in this study can help many organizations, particularly surface mines, to provide a good basis for achieving sustainable safety, health management, and sustainable development.