Management of Vulnerabilities in Ensuring the Electrical Safety of Underground Mines

Ensuring electrical safety in underground mines is a fundamental priority given to the major risks associated with this unfriendly work environment. It involves a set of technical, organisational and educational measures to reduce the hazards for workers and minimise the risks of accidents and occupational diseases due to electrical causes. The old and precarious coal extraction methods, in conjunction with the obsolete infrastructure and electrical installations, with high accidentological danger, they can endanger the lives of underground workers every day of work. The precariousness of working conditions and working materials do not accord with safety at work, overlapping with the carelessness of decision-makers, make these underground mines a major factor of accidents and professional illnesses. In this paper, the authors identified, estimated, prioritized and evaluated the vulnerabilities within underground mines and developed actions and resources necessary to mitigate, stop and/or eliminate vulnerabilities and mitigation strategy, stopping and/or eliminating them in the context of increased electrical safety.