Background To systematically normalize the reconnaissance of hidden disaster-causing factors in coal mines, the National Mine Safety Administration issued the Specification for General Survey of Hidden Disaster-causing Factors in Mine in 2024. Nevertheless, coal mining enterprises still face a range of notable issues in reconnaissance of hidden disaster-causing factors, including ambiguous connotations of the factors, broad scopes of reconnaissance, unclear implementation stages, a disjunction between explorations and reconnaissance, and improper conclusion descriptions. These problems severely restrict scientific and operational reconnaissance.

Methods This study reviews the history of research on the reconnaissance of hidden disaster-causing factors, presents a summary of significant technical achievements across various development stages, and analyzes existing issues, especially critical technical and scientific issues. Furthermore, this study proposes future c in the industry, as well as primary technical and theoretical orientations to address the challenges.

Advances This study holds that hidden disaster-causing factors consist merely of geologic and mining factors, which can be further categorized into five major types: coal seam storage conditions, geobodies, geological structures, mining, and others. Regarding general-survey implementation stages, this study proposes that the traditional survey mode with three years as a cycle should be replaced by a progressive approach, which comprises regional exploration before shaft construction, supplementary exploration before coal mining, detailed survey prior to panel design, integrated exploration and treatment before mining, and dynamic supplementary survey during mining. This approach emphasizes the dynamic evolution of the reconnaissance and treatment of hidden disaster-causing factors, enabling the dynamic coordination between mining engineering and disaster prevention and control. This study recommends that it is necessary to establish a data assessment mechanism for hidden disaster-causing factors, i.e., directly citing verified factors, partially verifying questionable factors, and comprehensively exploring unknown factors. This helps achieve efficient coordination between explorations and reconnaissance while avoiding redundant efforts. Moreover, this study proposes a standardized reconnaissance process comprising general provisions, data analysis, field exploration, risk assessment, and conclusions and suggestions.

Prospects In China, complex geological structures underscore the critical role of exploring hidden disaster-causing factors in coal mining. With scientific advancements and the demand for transparency and intelligent mining of coal mines, it is necessary to develop a region-mine-coal seam assessment system for hidden disaster-causing factors and to promote the dynamic coordination between mining operations and disaster prevention and control. This helps provide a geological guarantee for safe coal mining and a scientific guide for reconnaissance of hidden disaster-causing factors in coal mines, holding great significance for enhancing the disaster prevention and control capability of coal mines.