State of occupational safety in mining in 2022

The main causes of total accidents in 2022 were the following:

• people tripping, slipping or falling over;
• being hit with work tools or hitting other objects;
• falling, rolling off, sliding of rock masses and lumps, rockfall from the ceiling or side of the work, cave-ins;
• falling, rolling off, sliding of objects/materials.

An analysis of the remaining fatal and serious accidents in 2022 shows a dominant role of the “human factor”.

Total accidents in mining in 2018-2022

Górnictwo ogółem (Mining in total)
Górnictwo węgla kamiennego (Hard coal mining)
Kopalnie rud miedzi (Copper ore mines)
Pozostałe zakłady górnicze oraz zakłady (Other mining and mining-related plants)

In 2022, the President of the State Mining Authority appointed two Committees: the Committee for the examination of the causes and circumstances of methane explosion and group accident that on 20 April 2022 occurred at JSW S.A. KWK “Pniówek” in Pawłowice and the Committee for the examination of the causes and circumstances of the rock burst and group accident that on 23 April 2022 occurred at JSW S.A. KWK “Borynia-Zofiówka” Ruch “Zofiówka” in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

The Committee examining the causes and circumstances of the accident at JSW S.A. KWK “Borynia-Zofiówka” Ruch “Zofiówka” completed its works and on 27 October 2022 presented the findings on the causes of the shock that resulted in a rock burst, release of methane in significant amounts and a group accident. The 4x106 J seismic shock that occurred at JSW S.A. KWK “Borynia-Zofiówka” Ruch “Zofiówka” in Jastrzębie-Zdrój on 23 April 2022, resulting in a rock burst, release of methane and a group accident, was a consequence of the activation of a fault with a fading throw found in the western part of the “D” section. The group accident was caused by the release of methane, formation of a non-respirable environment and dynamic impact of the rock burst on those affected, as a result of a spontaneous 4x106 J shock in the rock mass.

The works of the Committee examining the causes and circumstances of the accident at JSW S.A. KWK “Pniówek”, in turn, are still underway.