Learning from miners' risk management : a case study from the Swedish mining industry

Abstract: This historical - empirical case study deals with miners' collective safety and risk management of an occupational lung disease (Silicosis) at Laisvall lead mine from 1943-1953. About 45 miners contracted the disease and the deaths of 25 are documented. The main information sources consisted of protocols from the Safety Committee meetings and interviews with retired workers. Highlighted is the role of workers in identification, definition and perception of lung diseases. Pre-existing worker traits and values such as: negligence, diligence, and self-discipline in the culture of the Swedish working class, shaped their encounters with a well-organised management. Furthermore, comparing Silicosis with analogous occupational diseases demonstrates a chronological generic pattern. This pattern is also found in many industrially developing countries, where known occupational diseases still claim the health of a large number of workers. Thus, the aim of the current research is to assess the role of human work principles in technological development when a new mining production technique is introduced in an industrialised country or in a industrially developing country.