Health and Safety Risk Mitigation among Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners in Zimbabwe
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 mi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | research article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5295 |
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| Summary: | 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. |
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