Occupational Health and Safety Challenges among small- scale miners in Ghana

Abstract

Mining is a key bedrock of Ghana’s economy, second only to agriculture. Artisanal and small-scale mining has expanded and become increasingly influential. Unfortunately, small-scale miners encounter a lot of occupational health and safety (OHS) challenges in their mining operations, in part due to the mode of mining. However, very few research studies touch on the OHS challenges small scale miners face in their day-to-day operations. The object of the present study was, therefore, to quantify and examine the OHS challenges among small scale miners in Ghana using Pameng gold mining site as a case study. The study assumed a quantitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used to select 100 small-scale miners. The results of the study revealed that small scale miners considered mining accidents and injuries as the most important OHS challenge, followed by occupational hazards and environmental pollution, with unsafe work practices and behaviour being viewed as the least important as it registered the lowest mean Likert score. It is recommended that the small-scale mining industry with help from government should execute OHS awareness initiatives.