Coal is an important energy resource internationally. However, accidents have severely restricted the clean and safe production of coal resources. Among such accidents, coal and gas outburst accidents are a kind of coalmine disaster with high destructive power. Previous research on coal and gas outburst accidents mainly focused on gas factors but ignored the role of human factors. This paper analyses the coal and gas outburst accidents in China from 2008 to 2018 and studies its macroscopic laws. To better understand the causes of coal and gas outbursts, this paper uses the 24modelel to analyse coal and gas accidents and suggest measures for accident prevention from the two aspects gas (risk control) and humans (behavioural safety). Macroscopic law research found the following: (1) March, May, July, and August are the predominant months for accidents. (2) The second to fourth hours of the working hours and the first hour before the end of work are the peak periods for accidents. (3) Guizhou, Hunan, Henan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Chongqing are the provinces with the most coal and gas outburst accidents. (4) An overall 75.82 % of accidents occurred in the driving face, and 81.08 % of accidents occurred in coal and gas outburst mines. (5) Blasting, drilling, driving, and coal falling are the main inducing factors. Case analysis of accidents found the following: (1) Human error is the leading cause of accidents. Among the errors, the lack of strict enforcement of outburst prevention measures, illegal command, and the illegal operation of miners are the main unsafe acts. (2) Safety knowledge and awareness of miners is not generally high, and serious habitual violations and unsafe psychologies exist. (3) The gas comprehensive prevention system and supervision system in the coal mine safety management system (SMS) can be easily operated improperly, and the safety training system and emergency management system can be absent. (4) Coalmine enterprises seriously lack safety culture. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.