State-owned mining company LKAB failed to report serious workplace incidents to the Swedish Work Environment Authority, according to an investigation by Arbetet newspaper. The company now admits the error and is in contact with the authority. Employees report life-threatening near-death experiences in the mines.
An investigation by Arbetet newspaper reveals that LKAB, the state-owned mining company in Norrbotten, failed to report several serious workplace incidents to the Swedish Work Environment Authority. Internal documents detail events described by employees as near-death experiences, including an incident where a detonator cap was thrown near 1.5 kilograms of dynamite and another where colleagues were 'extremely close' to being trapped under a 15-meter rock slab.
Yesterday, workplace safety chief Annika Kruuna stated that she hopes the lack of reports stemmed from a different assessment rather than an intent to conceal facts. Today, she admits the error on the company's intranet. 'When we started looking at these cases, we see that there are a few that we now assess in hindsight should have been reported,' Kruuna says.
LKAB is now in contact with the Work Environment Authority to address the matter. The investigation highlights challenges in mining operations in Norrbotten, where the company plays a central role. No further details on ongoing investigations are provided in the reports.
