The coal mining, being highly susceptible to accidents and fatalities, is considered amongst the most dangerous occupations. Historically, Pakistan has faced an alarmingly high rate of coal mine disasters. There is a general lack of country-wide data and subsequent research on the fatalities of coal miners in Pakistan. In this study, a multimodel statistical analysis of underground coal mine fatal accidents in Pakistan from 2010 to 2018 was carried out. The results indicate a total of 53 accidents resulting in 312 fatalities, where mine collapse caused 36% accidents and 51% fatalities. It is followed by gas explosion (19% accidents and 17% fatalities) and mine blasting (13% accidents and 16% fatalities). A positive correlation (0.71) exists between accidents and fatalities. Furthermore, mine collapse ( $\text{~}$8.42) and mine blasting ( $\text{~}$6.86) have the highest rate of fatalities per accident. Pakistan, with $\text{~}$108.86%, has an alarmingly high average annual surge in rate of fatalities per million tons of coal production as compared to India (~-0.46%) and China ( $\text{~}$-23.81%). Finally, effective safety recommendations are proposed to reduce the fatalities in the underground coal mines of Pakistan.

Particulate matter (PM) in the context of underground mining results from various operations such as rock drilling and blasting, ore loading, hauling, crushing, dumping, and from diesel exhaust gases as well. These operations result in the formation of fine particles that can accumulate in the lungs of mineworkers. The lung deposited surface area (LDSA) concentration is a variant solution to evaluate potential health impacts. The aim of this study is to analyse PM and LDSA concentrations in the operational workings of the oil shale underground mine. Experimental measurements were carried out by a direct-reading real-time PM monitor, Dusttrak DRX, and a multimetric fine particle detector, Naneous Partector 2, during the loading and dumping processes using the diesel engine loader. Consequently, the analysis was conducted on PM, LDSA, particle surface area concentration (SA), average particle diameter (d), particle number concentration (PNC), and particle mass (PM_0.3), producing a few valuable correlation factors. Averaged LDSA was around 1433 μm²/cm³ and reached maximum peaks of 2140 μm²/cm³ during the loading, which was mostly related to diesel exhaust emissions, and within the dumping 730 μm²/cm³ and 1840 μm²/cm³, respectively. At the same time, average PM₁ was about 300 μg/ m³ during the loading, but within the dumping peaks, it reached up to 10,900 μg/ m³. During the loading phase, particle diameter ranged from 30 to 90 nm, while during the dumping phase peaks, it varied from 90 to 160 nm. On this basis, a relationship between PNC and particle diameter has been produced to demonstrate an approximate split between diesel particulate matter (DPM) and oil shale dust diameters. This study offers important data on PM and LDSA concentration that can be used for estimating potential exposure to miners at various working operations in the oil shale underground mines, and will be used for air quality control in accordance with establishing toxic aerosol health effects.

This work analyses issues associated with the deteriorated blasting efficiency by the use of emulsion explosives in underground oil shale mines that utilise room and pillar mining methods. The problems were connected with the reduction in entry advance, shattering of pillar walls and falling of the roof. The aim of this study is to improve blasting efficiency that can guarantee a sufficient entry advance and secure stable conditions of the pillars and the immediate roof. The improved blasting pattern was successfully tested under in-situ conditions. It was demonstrated that the entry advance and the stability of the immediate roof and pillar walls were significantly enhanced as a result.