Underground Mining Safety and Productivity: Integrated Solutions and Emerging Technologies

Dear Colleagues,

Underground mining remains a high-risk industry where worker safety and operational efficiency face persistent challenges. While modern safety standards have improved workplace conditions, accident statistics suggest that inherent risks in underground environments persist. Concurrently, growing demands for sustainable practices and higher productivity require innovative strategies to harmonize safety protocols with operational performance. 

This Special Issue invites researchers and industry experts to share advancements in underground mining safety, disaster response, and productivity optimization. We seek contributions that address both theoretical frameworks and practical applications, focusing on technologies, management practices, and methodologies that simultaneously enhance safety and operational efficiency.

Topics of Interest (include but are not limited to):

Safety Monitoring and Risk Management

• Real-time hazard detection systems;
• Fire dynamics and intelligent prevention strategies;
• Risk assessment models for mining operations.

Emergency Response Innovations

• Rapid trapped-personnel localization technologies;
• Non-contact vital sign monitoring systems;
• Advanced rescue equipment design.

Smart Mining Technologies

• AI-driven decision support for accident management;
• Automation and robotics in hazardous environments;
• Digital twin applications for scenario simulation.

Production-Safety Coordination

• Resource allocation under safety constraints;
• Ergonomics in mining workflows;
• Data-driven productivity optimization.

Methodological Focus

We encourage interdisciplinary studies combining:

• Field-tested engineering solutions;
• Computational modeling and simulations;
• Case studies with actionable insights;
• Mixed-method approaches (theoretical + experimental).

Prof. Dr. Xuezhao Zheng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Safety is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• mine safety
• safety monitoring and risk management
• emergency response