Occupational safety in coal logistics
A systematic review of systemic risks and human factors
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22068415 |
|---|---|
| Authors | W Prima Addini-Alia W Abdullah (National University of Malaysia), Kadir Arifin (0000-0001-7119-4525, National University of Malaysia, corresponding author), Mohammad Lui Juhari (0000-0002-4492-9933, National University of Malaysia), Kadaruddin Aiyub (0000-0002-6690-1501, National University of Malaysia), Azlan Abas (0000-0002-5614-6506, National University of Malaysia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Pages | 1824250-1824250 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1824250 |
| PMID | 42110292 |
| OpenAlex | W7155418215 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Background: Occupational safety research in the coal industry has traditionally prioritized extraction hazards. Consequently, the complex, interconnected risk landscape of the post-extraction supply chain, encompassing transportation, handling, and storage, remains fragmented. Addressing this gap requires a shift from isolated risk assessments to a more holistic approach. This study adopts a systemic perspective to systematically identify occupational accident risks and synthesize risk management practices specifically within coal logistics operations. Methods: Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework, a systematic review of 68 peer-reviewed articles published between 2004 and 2025 was conducted to map these systemic interdependencies. Results: Thematic analysis indicates that 'Human and Organizational Risk Factors' constitute the predominant hazard category (51%), followed by 'Mechanical and Operational Failures' (31%) and 'Environmental and Geological Hazards' (18%). Crucially, a systemic synthesis of the findings challenges the conventional linear attribution of accidents to individual negligence. Results demonstrate that recurrent 'unsafe acts' are frequently symptoms of deeper systemic deficiencies within the socio-technical environment, including excessive workload and psychosocial stress. Furthermore, the review identifies a significant geographical concentration of research in China (66%), which influences the dominant risk management narrative toward top-down safety management systems and state-led intelligent automation. Conclusion: While technical hazards such as conveyor deviation and spontaneous combustion are universally applicable, organizational strategies require systemic adaptation across different regulatory contexts. The study concludes that effective accident prevention necessitates a paradigm shift from behavioral compliance to systemic resilience, advocating for the integration of advanced engineering controls with proactive, system-wide psychosocial risk management
Hazard · Hazard analysis · Occupational safety and health · Physical hazard · Psychosocial · Risk assessment · Risk management · Systemic risk · Systems thinking · Workload · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Risk and Safety Analysis · Supply Chain Resilience and Risk Management
A Guide to Conducting a Standalone Systematic Literature Review
The PRISMA 2020 statement
Risk Factors Identification of Unsafe Acts in Deep Coal Mine Workers Based on Grounded Theory and HFACS
FRAme
The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018 for information professionals and researchers
Research on Occupational Safety, Health Management and Risk Control Technology in Coal Mines
The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |