This thesis is a bibliographic review of occupational health and safety status regarding mining in Colombia through multiple studies. For this purpose, it is used the definition of key concepts such occupational safety and health, defining the types of risks in current mining as well. Also, a general reading on Colombian mining is carried out, including a classification according to methods, size, development, and legal status, adding statistics on accidents-fatalities within different categories. Likewise, exploitation processes in small underground coal mining are defined, attempting to answer the research question: how is occupational safety carried out in underground coal mining in Colombia? Contextualizing good mining practices according to studies, this approach looks out for risk prevention, mitigation and control measures in the national panorama. In addition, a discussion around potential risk factors takes place, given the Colombian historic and current context, aside from those already exposed by occupational health and safety. Illegality and social dynamics around mining performed by vulnerable populations who subsist on said practice are also taken into account. To conclude, photographic material is presented to illustrate the current small mining conditions.