An exploratory study of total quality management practices and occupational safety and health performance in the mining industry: a plan-do-study-act based framework

The mining industry is dangerous, with all these accidents happening even though safety rules have gotten better over time. It leads to real tragedies, like people dying on the job. This necessitates adopting advanced Total Quality Management (TQM) practices. This study aims to reduce fatalities by implementing a Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) methodology within the organization to enhance occupational health and safety performance. We gathered data from questionnaires handed out to actual miners, focusing on what causes these deadly accidents, and used a tree diagram as a strategic framework for designing safety interventions and identifying learning pathways. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pareto charts to prioritize high-risk activities. The survey findings suggest that management and leadership commitment, safety training and competency, and safety culture were perceived by respondents as the most important factors influencing safety performance, collectively contributing 61.8% of the impact on safety-related activities. After applying a fishbone diagram analysis, human factors and inadequate maintenance schedules were identified as critical root causes. Overall, The study proposes a PDSA approach to improve Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) performance through TQM practices. For improving OSH performance and illustrates its potential application through hypothetical performance indicators. Due to the exploratory nature of the study and the limited sample size, further empirical validation using real operational data is required.