Injuries and fatalities in Colombian mining emergencies (2005-2018): a retrospective ecological study

INTRODUCTION: Mining injuries have decreased in a number of developed countries in recent decades. Although mining has become a very important sector of Colombia’s economy, no analyses of mining injuries and fatalities have been conducted. OBJECTIVES: This study describes the occurrence of mining emergencies in Colombia between 2005 and 2018 and their principal characteristics. METHODS: This retrospective ecological study analyzed mining emergencies registered by the National Mining Agency between 2005 and 2018. The study described the place, event type, legal status, mine type, extracted mineral, and number of injuries and fatalities. Benford’s law was used to explore data quality. RESULTS: A total of 1,235 emergencies occurred, with 751 injured workers and 1,364 fatalities. The majority of emergencies were from collapses, polluted air, and explosions, most of which occurred in coal (77.41%), gold (18.06%), and emerald (1.38%) mines. Many emergencies occurred in illegal mines (27.21%), most of which were for gold, construction materials, emeralds, and coal. Illegal mines had a higher relative proportion of injuries and fatalities than legal mines (p < 0.05). Mining disasters are likely to be underreported given that Benford’s Law was not satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: As mining increases in Colombia, so are mining emergencies, injuries, and fatalities. This is the first full description of mining emergencies in Colombia based on the few available data.