Mental Health of Mine Rescue

This article discusses the ethical issues and research methods related to mental health of mine rescue workers. It highlights the negative impacts on physical and mental health, and strategies to maintain confidentiality and anonymity in research. The article also explores the importance of workplace dignity and respect, and the need for mental health interventions in the mining industry.

Mental health of mine rescue

Contents
PART A- ETHICAL ISSUES..........................................................................................................1
PART B – RESEARCH METHOD.................................................................................................5
Analysis of secondary data in research of mental health in mine rescue.....................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

PART A- ETHICAL ISSUES
The mining environment is extremely hazardous for the physical and mental health of
mine or shift workers. There are various negative impacts associated with the mental health of
mine workers such as anxiety, job stress, depression, mental fatigue and sleep disorders. The
mental health of mine workers often linked to poor quality of sleep, job strain and unsafe work
experiences etc. The analysis of the proposed research project involves the use of secondary data
for the identification of different ethical issues faced by the mine workers in context to their
mental health. Ethics involved in the mining department ensure the well-being of the shift
workers. The control of risk activities and supply of personal protection equipments for their
safety. Upon the analysis of ethical issues involved in the mining industry, as a researcher, it was
concluded that the protection of personal identity of mine worker is extremely important.
Ensuring confidentiality in the mining sector helps in avoiding conflicts related to distribution of
highly sensitive data. Breaching the privacy of mine workers hampers the trust and confidence
between employee and the employer, resulting in loss of productivity (Della Bosca, & Gillespie,
2018). The mine workers often have no personal identity of their own and there is high chance
that employers might use this information illegally or with an immoral intention. Therefore, this
might result in negatively impacting the mental health of mine workers as they will feel unsafe
and this might result in job dissatisfaction. Mine workers are more likely to be dissatisfied from
their jobs due to cases of discrimination and embarrassment associated with the workplace.
Unhappiness in workplace might result in employees failing to pay attention to details and
spreading a negative attitude.
Job dissatisfaction is linked to high levels of anxiety, stress and depression. Research
evidence shows that job dissatisfaction leads to unhappiness which has a severe impact on the
overall mental health of the mine workers. Mining is characterized by extraction of valuable
geological materials from the core of the earth. This process involves a lot of physical labour
because of which there are various negative impacts on the physical health of workers. There is a
potential risk to the overall well-being of shift workers. Health related issues arise as a result of
rising concentrations of dust, gases and polluted air. Prolonged exposure to health hazards leads
to deterioration of physical health. There is a high chance of developing chronic diseases
which are fundamentally linked to the onset of mental health disorders such as PTSD, chronic
anxiety and stress (Nemery & Nkulu, 2018). Long working hours at mining sites contributes to
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high levels of fatigue and persistent tiredness leading to decline in the physical health. Physical
issues often lead to mental health disorders. The feeling of constant physical restraint due to an
injury caused at construction or mining sites can increase the risk of contracting different
disorders of the brain. Another crucial ethical issue which is relevant to the use of secondary data
used for this particular research project is maintaining respect and dignity of healthcare workers.
Respect and dignity helps in creating a positive culture of employee engagement and a safe
environment for working (Kelley & et. al., 2022). Dignity and respect ensures the employees feel
safe and valued in the working environment. Toxicity at workplace and disrespect leads to
adverse effects which can hamper the positive work experiences and lead to negative rumination.
Negative rumination is characterized by cognitive preoccupation of work events. A negative
environment at work can lead to various physical and mental distress among mine workers.
Maintaining anonymity in research is important for the protection of privacy of those
workers who agree to participate in research project. The confidentiality and anonymity of
participants is an important ethical practice which ensure protecting the privacy of human
subjects involved in the research project. This practice is followed during collection, analysis and
reporting of data conducted during research. Any mode of personal data is separated from
participants. The research projects involve the use of participants behaviours and experiences
that are of great use. However, personal information about mine workers should not be exposed
as there is a possibility that they face social stigma due to their exposed identity. There are
exceptional risks associated with revealing the identity of the mine workers which is directly
linked to their mental health. The risk of exposure of their identities decreases their ability to
cooperate and they might also feel vulnerable about intentional leaking of their private
information. Maintaining confidentiality helps researchers build trust and rapport with the
workers participating in the research (Lette & et. al., 2018). The ethical standards along with the
integrity of the process is maintained. Similarly, occupational health and safety for mine workers
has a positive impact on their mental health. The risk factors at workplace is one of the several
determinant of health of the workers employed in mining. A negative or harmful working
environment can cause mental disorders of the brain.
A better sense of safety in mine workers will contribute to betterment of their mental
health. Sense of safety among workers will foster productivity and reduced absenteeism. The
mental health of employees is a crucial determinant of the overall health which is directly linked
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to their ability to meaningfully contribute to work. Protecting the physical health of workers can
reduce the risk of employees dropping out of work. The employee morale will be preserved.
There are various work related stresses which contributes to the risk of developing heart
diseases, back pain, gastrointestinal disturbances and headaches. There is also a high chance of
contracting various psychological illnesses along with disorders of physical health. These
psychological conditions include the onset of anxiety, loss of concentration, depression and poor
decision making skills (Schönberger, 2019). Miner workers exposed to extreme physical labour
often have to deal with excessive pressure which results in stress. The workers at mining sites are
exposed to high levels of stress because of excessive workloads, physical labour and long shift
hours. Research based evidence states that high stress levels are related to an increased risk of
contracting mental health disorders. Maintaining workplace dignity and respect for mining
workers is considered a key component of a positive and healthy environment. Respecting the
dignity of human subjects in research based projects promotes feelings of self-respect, pride
which ultimately fosters overall well-being of the employee. Good overall well-being of mining
workers induces productivity which ensures sustainable results for business operations
(Sovacool, 2019). The most important factor, as a researcher, which ensures that each and
everyone is respected is by acknowledging each other's basic human dignity. Validating to the
contributions made by co-workers and possessing feelings of empathy helps in the promotion of
acknowledging dignity at workplace. Dignified work based relationships ensure that everyone is
benefiting from the positive environment created. Implementation of fair workplace policies and
effective communication can help in elevating the importance of treating workers fairly and
without bias. Creating a safe space for mine workers along with respecting their basic human
rights which help them bring forward their opinions and issues related to workplace (Cha, 2020).
Different strategies are developed in order to resolve ethical issues while conducting a
secondary research. Identities of participants should not get revealed as people who are mining
do not like to reveal their own identity in front of others. Personal identity should not be
disclosed while conducting a research over mental health as revealing personal identity can
hind their good mental health (Schmidt and Cohen, 2020). Maintaining anonymity is very
compulsory while collecting personal information. Confidentiality is very important to protect
the privacy of all the involved participants. Maintaining confidentiality is also helpful to
maintain ethical integrity and standards for ongoing research. Breaking confidentiality can make
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harm to physical participants as they may feel depressive and attempt suicide after their identity
get revealed. Breach of confidentiality can cause social shame and embarrassment for
participants. Stigmata on mental health make participants feel shame so their personal identity
should not be mentioned in the research paper. Issues can be examined without revealing
patient's identity and it will help to maintain the anonymity. Confidentiality and anonymity are
more crucial to protect participants who are voluntarily agreed to take part in ongoing research
process. There are various strategies to main the confidentiality of the participants such as
developing codes to short the data and participants identifiers in well locked cabinates. Statical
methods are applied to analyse and store the data confidentially (Kovacs and et. al., 2019).
Maintaining the welfare of human research participants is an another strategy to resolve ethical
issues. Experimental research studies and interviews should not make any physical or mental to
participants. It is very crucial to maintain ethical principles with the purpose to protect rights,
welfare and dignity of the participants. Ethics committee ensures the ethical standards
maintained by the researchers. Ethical committee need to review all the questionnaires going to
asked to participants. There should not be any personal question asked to participants which
hinder their privacy. In order to resolve ethical issues it need to be ensured that there is no pre-
determined interaction between researcher and participants because it may lead to discrimination.
Pre-determined interaction can also make researcher put some personal questionnaires to
participants which can trigger their trauma. All the information gathered while conducting the
research need to be stored confidently and only authorised persons are allowed to access the data.
Thus conducting anonymous research is very important to resolve ethical issues with mental
patients (Droby, 2020).
Researchers must ensure no hazards to participants otherwise legal actions are taken
against the researchers. Participants should not be force to take part in research activities.
Participants must be voluntarily take part in research activities. Researcher should not ask any
personal questions to collect the data which stimulate trauma to participants (Howardand
Navega, 2018). Researchers need to be aware of participant's trigger points so that there is no
such question is put in front of participant which make them feel anxious and depressed.
Researchers need to maintain a positive attitude in front of participants while conducting
research studies so that no mental harm cause to participants. To maintain the privacy of the
participants a confidential research need to be conducted.
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Usually, labours under coal mining wear dirty clothes. Researcher should be concerned to
not passing any comment or judgement on workers under the mining. It is very important to
maintain the dignity with participants while conducting research studies because it assist to
patient's identity and self worth. Labours are allowed to carry their own clothes while conducting
the research (Carter, 2021).
PART B – RESEARCH METHOD
In this research method, the major data collection method is well focused on the
secondary method. In addition, it is also analyse that the data collection is helpful for the
extraction of data and proper elucidation of information. Therefore, the mental health and mine
rescue is arise the main issue within the proposal research method. It is clearly examine that the
secondary data collection refer as the extraction of data and information from article, journal,
books and various database that used in the research work for the collection of data is reliable
and validated (Carleton, 2021). As per the elucidated data, it is analyse that mining work has
been identified as one of the most hazardous environment for the work activity that is usually
exist around the world. It is well defined as the high load work, feature with the risky condition
and organisation that involve long distance form from the worker with the proper residence.
According to the Jose, 2021 where in this as secondary review of the paper it is well state that the
principle outcome which is following the evidence last 12 years in the current topic which is
showing the review that is on different level as like (1) personal factors and psychological issues
which contributes 38.2% (2) Psychological issues and health related elements which contributes
(23.6%) (3) well being contributes 21.1% and finally organisation elements and Physical
problems (17.1%) (Pedram, and et. al., 2021). according the perspective of Jose 2021, there are a
large numbers of affections, characteristic, symptoms or disorders were examine about the
mental health of mine workers, as for example unsafely experience, job strain, non-subjective
well being, poor quality sleep, social relations conflict, job unsatisfaction risk of injuries and
accidents, substance abuse, musculoskeletal disorder, demanding job organisation dangerous
working situation and so on. All these elements, mining could lay bare for some serious mental
health issue to a part of their mining workers. As per the research data collected from the
secondary data collection method, it has been analysed that mining environment can affect the
mental health condition and trigger symptoms and disorder as for example mental stress, anxiety,
sleep disorder, depression and mental fatigue and many more. As per the point of view of Luana,
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2017, they detected a very low spread of depression, moderate or light anxiety in only 13 per
cent of the mine workers, good psychological capacity and life quality, self perceptions of good
health, associations between time, sleep and self-perception of health, associations between sleep
duration and quality and anxiety, sleep quality, between alcohol consumption and location at
work. These results propose vulnerabilities considering sleep quality and anxiety (Xiangfang,
and et. al., 2022). Secondary research data for mental health interventions in the mining industry
are collected from the various database, books, journal and so on. These data are based on the
analytical method which reflect the perception of researcher on mental health intervention in the
mining industries. According the the point of view of Winifred, 2020 where it has been analyse
that the mental health programs and intervention which should be essential to the mining
industries because these interventions can decrease the chances of mental disorder and enhance
the mental health of the worker in mining are. According to Winifred, in mining industries
mental health can also improve through the implementing crucial changes in the working culture
and recognising the work place elements which can induce the strain and contribute in the
psychological illness in the worker (Kemper and Kennedy, 2021).
Analysis of secondary data in research of mental health in mine rescue
To analyse the secondary data; there are many steps that need to be followed :
Step 1: Define a research topic: This is the first step in process of data analysis which includes
determination of goal. It is important to have a clear mind-set about the research why the
research has been conducted and how to design the research. Purpose and approach of the
research both are the fundamental building blocks of any project.
Step 2: Establishment of statement of purpose: This refers to the clear intention of starting
any research. In this research report; the main purpose of going through the research is to focus
and analyse the mental health of mining workers along with the circumstances. With specific
purpose of statement, it become easy to determine, collect, evaluate and draw insights to frame
the design of research (Weston and et. al., 2019).
Step 3: Designing of research project: This is the next process after designing the statement of
purpose. For analysing the secondary data of mental health, the process is more likely to follow
the steps with the use of step-by-step guide along with the list of potential sources from which
the data had been collected (Docrat and et. al., 2019). After having the access of statement of
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purpose and research design, researcher stand at far better position to narrow down potential
sources of secondary data.
Step 4: Location and collection of secondary data: Collection of secondary data is less
complex then primary one. But researchers and data collectors have to face some other additional
challenges, primary one is to identify the potential source of data. Then narrowing down of
potential sources need to be proceeded. But it is always need to keep in mind that sources should
be selective. Some popular sources are: Governmental statistics, Technical reports, Scientific
journals, Literature reviews, Trade publications, Industry publications, online resources.
Step 5: Evaluation of Secondary data: Secondary data is a well- structured data that needs a
careful review. Two main appropriate tasks that need to be follow are: Evaluation of secondary
dataset's relevance and to assess the broader credibility. Critical thinking skills are required for
both of these tasks (Logan, 2020).
The main difference lies between preparation of primary and secondary data is that
secondary data analysis needs wide exploration, lots of time, efforts in collection and review of
original data. During exploring the data the things need to be keep in mind that data should be
relevant and must contains the information that needs to be covered. For given research report,
data quality should not be compromised. It must contain information regarding the importance,
significance, limitations, ethics, challenges about working in mining and some of the responsible
factors that impacts the mental health of the workers working in the field. Information must
contain information about ethics and procedures that one needs to be keep in mind to carry on
with the situation and what measures should be adopted by the management at mining to protect
mental health of the individual exposed to the field. Secondary research does not considered to
be ethical if it does not follow the guidelines mentioning under the research procedure (Jiang and
et. al., 2019).
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