Relationships of job hazards, lack of knowledge, alcohol use, health status and risk taking behavior to work injury of coal miners: a case-control study in India.

Objective is to assess the relationships of job hazards, individual characteristics, and risk taking behavior to occupational injuries of coal miners. This case-control study compared 245 male underground coal miners with injury during the previous two-year period with 330 matched controls without injury during the previous five years. Data were collected via face-to-face interview and analyzed using the conditional logistic model. Handling material, poor environmental/working conditions, and geological/strata control- related hazards were the main risk factors: adjusted ORs 5.15 (95% CI 2.42-10.9), 2.40 (95% CI 1.29-4.47), and 2.25 (95% CI 1.24-4.07) respectively. Their roles were higher among the face-workers than among the non-face-workers. No formal education, alcohol consumption, disease, big-family, and risk-taking behavior were associated with injuries (2.36</=ORs</=10.35), and the findings were similar for both face and non-face workers. Prevention should focus on handling material, poor environmental condition, especially addressing workers with no formal education, alcohol consumption, disease, big family size, and risk-taking behavior.