TITLE:
Main Accident Factors in Underground Mining Operations and Measures for Their Mitigation in Uzbekistan
AUTHORS:
Uktam Norenov, Carsten Drebenstedt
KEYWORDS:
Underground Mining, Accident Factors, Risk Reduction, Mine Safety, Geomechanical Hazards
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.14 No.5,
May
15,
2026
ABSTRACT: Underground mineral extraction in Uzbekistan plays a strategic role in the national economy yet entails substantial geotechnical, hydrogeological, and organizational risks. This article identifies the principal accident factors in underground mining and proposes a hierarchy of countermeasures adapted to the mining-geological and regulatory conditions of Uzbekistan. The study integrates a narrative review of international and national literature, an analysis of the existing industrial safety framework, and a qualitative ranking of six hazard groups. The findings indicate that the most critical factors are rock mass and excavation instability, inadequate ventilation and atmospheric control, gas and dust accumulation, mine water inflow, seismicity and blast-induced loading, machinery failures in potentially explosive environments, and human and organizational deficiencies. These hazards are compounded by the seismically active setting of central and southern Uzbekistan and by the formal classification of underground operations as hazardous production facilities. Recommended countermeasures include geomechanical monitoring, adaptive support design, continuous gas and dust sensing, hydrogeological forecasting, digital personnel-tracking and sensor networks, enhanced competency-based training, and mine-rescue readiness. The article argues that durable accident reduction requires integrated, barrier-based risk management rather than compliance with isolated technical requirements. The proposed framework is intended to support industrial safety audits and the preparation of risk-oriented safety management plans.