Health and Safety Risk Mitigation among Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is often associated with no or compromised attention to health and safety. Although headlines of fatal accidents in Zimbabwe characterise ASGM, little attention is paid to prevention strategies. This study, therefore, explores health and safety risk mitigation in ASGM in Zimbabwe to inform prevention strategies. A qualitative design was used with focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, coding, and descriptive statistics. Reported factors contributing to compromised health and safety included immediate causes, workplace factors, ASM related factors, and contextual factors, with interconnectedness between the causal factors. In addition, factors related to ASGM were significant. For risk mitigation, formalisation, organisation of risk reduction, behaviour change, and enforcement of prevention strategies is proposed. A multi-causal analysis is recommended for risk assessment and accident investigation. A multi-stakeholder approach could be considered for risk mitigation including community and public health interventions. However, risk mitigation has been characterised by gaps and weaknesses such as lacking ASM policy, lack of capital, poor enforcement, negative perceptions, and non-compliance. Therefore, we recommend addressing the threats associated with health and safety mitigation to ensure health and safety protection in ASGM.

Keywords: Zimbabwe; artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM); artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM); community and public health interventions; health; large-scale and small-scale mining collaboration; mitigation measures; multi-causal analysis; multi-stakeholder risk mitigation; safety.

Figure A1

Question guide in-depth interviews (IDIs) (2017).

Figure 1

Multi-causal analysis and multi-stakeholder risk mitigation framework for health and safety in ASGM. (a) Multi-causal analysis to identify factors contributing to compromised health and safety in ASGM. (b) Multi-stakeholder risk mitigation framework for health and safety in ASGM. Source: Own.

Figure 2

Mind map: multi-causal analysis of reported risk factors contributing to health and safety in ASGM in Kadoma and Shurugwi in Zimbabwe in 2017 and 2020.

Figure 3

Chemical pollution in the workplace: (a) chemical contamination: cyanide leaching from mercury-containing tailings and dust from tailings, Shurugwi 2020; (b) open amalgam burning, Kadoma 2020; (c) fuel emissions from fuel-powered machinery and dust from mercury-containing tailings, Shurugwi 2020.

Figure 4

Distribution of immediate causal factors among artisanal and small-scale gold miners in Kadoma and Shurugwi in Zimbabwe in 2017 and 2020.

Figure 5

Causal risk factors associated with equipment used by artisanal and small-scale gold miners in Kadoma and Shurugwi in Zimbabwe in 2020: (a) hazardous noise exposure at a site with six stamp mills operating simultaneously with no technical measures to reduce noise and with no hearing protection; (b) mining site with improved equipment for underground mining, headgear is used instead of a winch to transport people and material, workers under the headgear do not wear PPE; (c) headgear operated without safety shoes, the operator wears open-toed shoes while operating the headgear with bare hands and without gloves; (d) hammer mill operator in contact with moving parts of the hammer with no safeguards, the operator wears no gloves; (e) mechanised ASGM processing plant capable of increasing the throughput of cyanide leaching from mercury-containing tailings at a mine site close to a mine compound, without environmental monitoring of chemical pollution; (f) unenclosed outdoor electricity junction box.