Task interruptions and fatigue in high-risk environments such as coal mining significantly affect the safety behavior of coal mine tunneling machine operators. Understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying unsafe behaviors is crucial for improving workplace safety. This study, based on the executive control and resource allocation theory in the ACT-R cognitive architecture, investigates the impact of task interruptions under fatigue on unsafe behavior and cognitive neural mechanisms in these operators. A dual-perspective analysis of behavioral performance and event-related potentials (ERPs) was employed. The behavioral analysis revealed that fatigue exacerbates the negative effects of task interruptions. Under non-fatigued conditions, individuals compensated for interruptions with longer reaction times, maintaining accuracy without significant decline. However, under fatigue, task interruptions notably reduced accuracy, especially during recovery trials. ERP analysis showed that fatigue impaired cognitive and neural mechanisms that are critical for task performance. Following interruptions, an increase in P200 amplitude and prolonged latency indicated reduced task switching efficiency. Under fatigue, a decline in frontal P300 amplitude over time reflected weakened executive control, while an increase in central P300 amplitude suggested compensatory control mechanisms’ efforts. However, these compensatory control mechanisms were insufficient to counteract the negative impact of fatigue. In conclusion, fatigue-induced impairments in attention shifting, response inhibition, and the imbalance between facilitation and inhibition further exacerbated performance declines after task interruptions. Although compensatory control mechanisms attempted to mitigate these effects through resource reallocation, they were unable to fully counteract fatigue’s negative impact. This study underscores the moderating role of fatigue in the relationship between task interruptions and unsafe behaviors, and highlights the limitations of brain compensatory control mechanisms. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights and practical guidance for optimizing workflow and task design for tunneling machine operators in coal mining operations.

A large number of accidents and scientific researches show that miners’ unsafe behavior affects coal mine safety production seriously. In order to effectively reduce the incidence of miners’ unsafe behavior, to improve their safety level, and reduce accidents caused by it, this paper used gray relational analysis method to analyze the miners’ unsafe behavior of W mine and quantitatively calculated the risk value of miners’ unsafe behavior. The results showed that the risk value of unsafe behavior in violation of labor discipline was 0.4358, which was much higher than that of other miners’ unsafe behaviors. Therefore, unsafe behavior in violation of labor discipline was determined as the key point of control in the next stage. Then, GM (1, 1) method was used to establish a predicted model for unsafe behavior, to predict the number of unsafe behaviors in violating labor discipline in next quarter, and to determine reasonable unsafe behavior control target. This study plays a driving role in controlling unsafe behaviors of miners and improving safe production water of coal mine.

In high-risk mining environments, the emotional state of individuals can play a critical role in shaping decision-making during emergencies. To investigate this phenomenon, we adopted an event-related potential (ERP) approach within a within-subject experimental framework. Participants were first exposed to a series of emotionally evocative cues designed to elicit distinct affective states, immediately followed by decision-making tasks that simulate coal mine emergency scenarios. Behavioral indices—such as reaction speed and task engagement—were recorded concurrently with ERP signals, with a specific focus on components including N1, P2, N2, P300, and LPP. Our analysis revealed that both the valence and intensity of emotional cues substantially modulated the decision-making process, as reflected by significant variations in response times and ERP measures. These findings offer fresh insights into the neural mechanisms through which emotional factors influence critical decisions in crisis situations, highlighting implications for the development of enhanced safety strategies in coal mining operations.