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Excavating an understanding of safety management: Experiences and perspectives from the Swedish mining industry
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts, Humans and Technology.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3892-8352
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This thesis explores the conditions for, interpretations of and reactions to safety management strategies and practices implemented in the Swedish mining industry. The concept of ‘safety’ is depicted as one of the more important aspects of organisational management in mining industry contexts by both the mining industry itself and by researchers in related research fields. However, due to the complex nature of mining industry operations, interpretations of ‘safety’ and priorities regarding its development can vary greatly between people from different roles operating in mining workplaces. A machine operator with a more practical perspective on safety management may for example prioritise the physical safety of themselves and their colleagues and considers themselves safe when there is mutual trust and cohesion within their team. Meanwhile, managers and safety specialists with more strategic perspectives might instead focus on efforts to develop cultural values which promote safer attitudes and behaviours, and on balancing productivity with safety goals. These perspectives both seek to address important issues that safety management efforts may aim to address, yet they are characterised by different approaches to safety. 

While many different studies have explored safety and its management in mining contexts, the most common approach has been to consider safety based on the conceptualisations of leaders and managers. Few studies have approached safety management from the perspectives of personnel and contractor employees closer to the practical work. Fewer still are the studies that have emphasised these differences in approaches to safety in mining organisations and have examined how they can influence the outcomes of safety management efforts. The purpose of this thesis is thus to explore safety management in Swedish mining and highlight nuanced perspectives and experiences of methodologies and outcomes. In doing so, I identify how a broader understanding for and acknowledgement of the characteristics of mining industry safety management can help with addressing challenges for the continued management of safety.

The empirical basis of this thesis is mainly built upon two projects conducted between 2019 and 2024 within and with the Swedish mining industry which focused on studies of safety management strategies and practices. Their contributions consisted of a total of 26 interviews with safety specialists, managers, supervisors, employees and contractor personnel from several different Swedish mining companies. In addition, these projects provided opportunities for document studies of material relating to safety management strategies and practices, and for workplace observations at some of the participating companies’ mining operations. The theoretical framework of this thesis focuses on organisational aspects which influence safety management efforts by, e.g., recommending certain approaches to management or exploring factors that can explain assumptions and behaviours relating to safety.

The results show that, while safety management in the Swedish mining industry is generally perceived as having shown progress in recent years, challenges related to aspects such as communication, leadership and differing conceptualisations of safety remain. A shared characteristic of these challenges is that they relate to and involve different groups with nuanced perspectives and conceptualisations of safety. Safety management strategies may for example be difficult for employees to engage with; and physical, social and organisational separations can hinder the development of shared safety cultures between, e.g., client and contractor personnel. 

The experiences and examples examined in this thesis have shown how differences in expectations or interpretations can act as obstacles for effective and cohesive safety management efforts. Furthermore, this thesis has highlighted the Swedish mining industry’s normative and top-driven approaches to managing safety and safety cultures, and the challenges it faces with addressing aspects such as power relations and underlying cultural values. Ultimately, this thesis suggests that safety management efforts would benefit from seeking to understand and address the nuances between the various strategic and practical perspectives of safety involved. By encouraging communication, collaboration and mutual understanding for safety between different hierarchical levels and groups within mining organisations, these differences can be bridged and encourage more cohesive safety cultures.

Abstract [sv]

Denna avhandling utforskar förutsättningarna för, tolkningarna av och responsen till strategier och insatser för säkerhetsarbete som implementeras i den svenska gruvindustrins organisationer och arbetsplatser. ’Säkerhet’ som koncept skildras som en av de viktigaste aspekterna av organisatorisk styrning i gruvkontext av både gruvföretag och forskare i anknutna forskningsfält. Gruvdrift medför dock ofta komplexa organisatoriska strukturer som gör att tolkningar av ’säkerhet’ och de prioriteringar som görs gällande dess utveckling kan variera mycket mellan de olika rollerna som är aktiva på gruvarbetsplatser. En maskinoperatör med mer praktisk syn på säkerhetsarbete kanske prioriterar den fysiska hälsan av sig själv och sina kollegor, och känner sig säkrast i grupper som har utvecklat ömsesidigt förtroende och god sammanhållning. Samtidigt kan fokus för chefer och säkerhetsspecialister med mer strategiska perspektiv vara att utveckla kulturella värden inom organisationen som främjar säkrare attityder och beteenden, eller på att balansera produktiviteten med deras säkerhetsmål. Personerna i båda dessa exempel strävar efter att hantera viktiga frågor kopplade till säkerhetsarbete, men de karaktäriseras av skilda tillvägagångssätt och synsätt på säkerhet. Av dessa perspektiv är det ledares och chefers konceptualisering av säkerhet som är mest förekommande bland studier som utforskar säkerhet och system för dess utveckling inom olika gruvkontext. 

Få studier om gruvindustrin som utforskat säkerhetsarbete har fokuserat på anställdas och leverantörers mer praktiska tolkningar av säkerhet och synsätt på säkert arbete. Ännu färre är de studier som betonar dessa skillnader i synsätt och undersöker hur de kan påverka förutsättningarna för och resultaten av säkerhetsinsatser. Syftet med denna avhandling har därför varit att utforska den svenska gruvindustrins säkerhetsarbete för att lyfta fram nyanserade perspektiv och upplevelser av olika tillvägagångssätt och deras påföljder. På så sätt identifierar jag hur en bredare förståelse för och bekräftelse av säkerhetsarbetets kännetecknande aspekter inom gruvindustrin kan underlätta hanterandet av utmaningar för den fortsatta utvecklingen av säkerhet.

Den empiriska grunden för denna avhandling byggs huvudsakligen på två projekt som utfördes mellan år 2019 och 2024 tillsammans med den svenska gruvindustrin, vars fokus var att studera strategier och insatser för säkerhetsarbete inom den industrin. Bidragen bestod av totalt 26 intervjuer med säkerhetsspecialister, chefer, arbetsledare, tjänstemän, kollektivanställda och leverantörspersonal som arbetade för flera olika svenska gruvföretag. Vidare möjliggjorde dessa projekt även för dokumentstudier av material om säkerhetsprogram och strategier, samt för arbetsplatsbesök och observationer vid några av de deltagande företagens gruvanläggningar. Det teoretiska ramverket jag nyttjade mig av för denna avhandling fokuserar på organisatoriska aspekter som har en påverkan på säkerhetsarbete och insatser för säkerhetsutveckling. Exempel inkluderar rekommendationer för ledning och styrning eller utforskande av faktorer som kan förklara antaganden och beteenden relaterade till säkerhet inom organisationer.

Avhandlingens resultat visar på att många utmaningar gällande kommunikation, ledarskap och konceptualiseringar av säkerhet kvarstår för arbetet med och utvecklingen av säkerhet, trots att det upplevs ha förbättrats med tiden inom den svenska gruvindustrin. Gemensamt för dessa utmaningar är att de kan kopplas till att säkerhetsarbetet involverar olika grupper med nyanserade perspektiv av och förståelser för säkerhet. Till exempel kan strategier för säkerhetsutveckling vara svåra för anställda att involvera sig i, samtidigt som främjandet av gemensamma säkerhetskulturer mellan anställda och leverantörspersonal kan motverkas av de fysiska, sociala eller organisatoriska gränserna mellan dem. De upplevelser och exempel som studerats i denna avhandling har visat på hur skillnader i förväntningar för eller tolkningar av säkerhetsarbeten och strategier kan bidra till att förhindra utvecklingen av effektivare och mer sammanhållande säkerhetsinsatser. Vidare har avhandlingen även belyst utmaningarna för gruvindustrins normativa, ledningsstyrda säkerhetsarbete med att hantera viktiga aspekter såsom maktrelationer och latenta kulturella värderingar. I slutändan hävdar jag att den svenska gruvindustrins arbete med säkerhetsinsatser skulle gynnas av att undersöka, förstå och ta itu med nyanserna mellan de olika strategiska och praktiska perspektiven av säkerhet och säkerhetsarbete som förekommer inom fältet. Genom att främja kommunikation, samarbete samt gemensamma förhållningssätt till säkerhet mellan olika hierarkiska nivåer och grupper inom gruvorganisationer kan dessa skillnader bryggas och uppmuntra värdet av sammanhållning bland industrins säkerhetskulturer.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Luleå: Luleå tekniska universitet, 2025.
Series
Doctoral thesis / Luleå University of Technology 1 jan 1997 → …, ISSN 1402-1544
Keywords [en]
Mining, Safety research, Safety practices, Safety culture, Safety management, Organisational boundaries, Swedish mining industry
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Research subject
Human Work Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-111355ISBN: 978-91-8048-736-8 (print)ISBN: 978-91-8048-737-5 (electronic)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-111355DiVA, id: diva2:1929709
Public defence
2025-03-21, A109, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, 10:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2025-01-21 Created: 2025-01-21 Last updated: 2025-02-03Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. Understanding the mining safety research field: exploring safety measures and programs in international research
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Understanding the mining safety research field: exploring safety measures and programs in international research
2023 (English)In: International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, ISSN 1754-890X, E-ISSN 1754-8918, Vol. 14, no 3, p. 315-340Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Due to the risks inherent to mining workplaces, a variety of methods for improving safety have been explored in the mining industry research field. This article aims to provide an overview on the safety measures studied in this field to determine the subjects in focus and to identify potential gaps in the research field. 54 research articles focusing on safety measures in the international mining industry were reviewed through thematic analysis. Ten themes for safety measures were identified in the mining industry research field, with safety culture development and safe behaviours being the most common. With the scope of the research field and its gaps presented, the article discusses the implications of the rarity and commonness of certain themes and gives recommendations for future research. This includes recommending the exploration of different safety perspectives, socio-technical theory and neo-institutionalism.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
InderScience Publishers, 2023
Keywords
international research, literature review, mining, organisational safety, safety culture, safety management, safety measures, safety research
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics Other Civil Engineering
Research subject
Human Work Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-104899 (URN)10.1504/IJMME.2023.137309 (DOI)2-s2.0-85187960430 (Scopus ID)
Note

Validerad;2024;Nivå 1;2024-04-04 (signyg);

Full text license: CC BY

Available from: 2024-03-26 Created: 2024-03-26 Last updated: 2025-01-21Bibliographically approved
2. Safety Initiatives in Support of Safety Culture Development: Examples from Four Mining Organisations
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Safety Initiatives in Support of Safety Culture Development: Examples from Four Mining Organisations
2023 (English)In: Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, ISSN 2524-3462, Vol. 40, no 4, p. 1007-1020Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Having seen significant improvements to accident rates in the last 40 years, companies in the Swedish mining industry now show a greater focus on the development of safety cultures throughout their organisations and workplaces. However, there is a lack of research examining the different safety initiatives and strategies practiced in the industry today. This study explores the potential influence and consequences such initiatives may have on the development of safety cultures in the Swedish mining industry. Twelve interviews with experts on safety initiatives from four different Swedish mining organisations were conducted and analysed in a process based on qualitative thematic analysis to identify notable connections to safety culture development. The results of these interviews highlight proclivities in the implementation and use of safety initiatives such as subjects of focus, methods and desired effects. This enables the interpretation of the conceptualisation and methods for the development of safety culture in these organisations based on their approaches to safety development. We believe the results of this study can serve as support for discussions on safety culture development in the Swedish mining industry, and be of interest for international mining industries, in addition to approaches to research in this field. However, we also believe it is important to emphasise the opportunities to approach safety culture in mining from different perspectives than those common today.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2023
Keywords
Mining industry, Safety culture development, Safety management, Safety initiatives
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Research subject
Human Work Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-99233 (URN)10.1007/s42461-023-00809-y (DOI)001032058200001 ()2-s2.0-85165207450 (Scopus ID)
Funder
VinnovaSwedish Energy AgencySwedish Research Council Formas
Note

Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-08-16 (marisr);

Funder: Swedish Mining and Metal Producing Industry (STRIM) (grant no. 2017-05438)

License fulltext: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Available from: 2023-07-20 Created: 2023-07-20 Last updated: 2025-01-21Bibliographically approved
3. A framework for safety performance indicators: The case of the Swedish mining industry
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A framework for safety performance indicators: The case of the Swedish mining industry
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Companies in the Swedish mining industry have introduced numerous safety practices to prevent accidents from occurring, prompting a need for the development of indicators and models focusing on the performance of these practices. The aim of this article is to develop a framework for safety performance indicators, based on safety practices from six companies. Through a study on policy documents and other relevant texts, key practices are described in terms of safety management, safety leadership, safety education, and worker safety engagement. These serve as the foundation for suggestions of indicators and associated measurements, as well as a framework for safety performance indicators. This includes taking important social dimensions into account as a means of increasing the sustainability of safety performance indicator development.

Keywords
mining; safety research; safety practices; safety performance; safety indicators; safety management; safety management system; accident prevention; risk management; international research
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Research subject
Human Work Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-111353 (URN)
Available from: 2025-01-21 Created: 2025-01-21 Last updated: 2025-01-21
4. Workers’ perspectives and experiences of mining industry safety management
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Workers’ perspectives and experiences of mining industry safety management
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This study aims to explore the perspectives and experiences of mining industry employees, supervisors and contractor personnel to learn more about how and why more practical roles engage with different safety management strategies. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with the employees, supervisors, managers and contractor personnel involved with the daily operational work of a Swedish open-pit mine. These were thematically analysed to identify subjects which were related to the participants’ safety experiences and perceptions of safety management: communication, leadership, and workplace cultures and social climates. The study concludes with a discussion on the role of nuanced perspectives in safety management efforts are discussed, including how organisational boundaries must be addressed in the development and implementation of safety strategies. Additionally, this study highlights relations between safety and the more social aspects of workplace cultures and climates. 

Keywords
Safety management; Mining industry; Organisational boundaries; Culture; Interview study
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Research subject
Human Work Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-111346 (URN)
Funder
Vinnova, 2021-04649
Available from: 2025-01-21 Created: 2025-01-21 Last updated: 2025-01-21

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