The mining industry.
The mining industry plays a fundamental role in the industries and economies of most major countries worldwide. It supplies critical raw materials and minerals such as iron ore, coal, copper, etc. to various other important industries, making it crucial for nations worldwide, employing millions of people in the process.
It sounds fool proof, right?
Well, not always.
Whilst mining is a valuable industry across the globe, risks associated with mining, most notably relating to health and safety, affect not only the individuals working in mining, but the wider associated community.
Exposure to hazardous substances in mining is common, with natural materials releasing particulates and gas pockets when disturbed. Exposure to particulates like silica dust and diesel particulate matter (DPM), as well as gases, including methane and carbon monoxide, can lead to significant health risks.
The mining industry employs around 1% of the global workforce and is still responsible for about 8% of fatal accidents at work, with the 44.75 million mine workers in ASM exposed to dangerous working conditions and inadequate occupational safety and health protections.
And it remains that the mining chemicals market was valued at US$9.89 billion in 2020 and is set to be worth US$15.57 billion by 2028, and one of the primary sources of employment for almost 50 million people worldwide across 80 countries, with the risk of further increase of poor health and safety for miners.
So, what does this all mean?
The International Labour Organization (ILO)’s recent report has sought to improve miners’ conditions, as well as highlight the scale of the issue. With the adoption of the Hours of Work (Coal Mines) Convention (No. 31) in 1931, to the Safety and Health in Mines Convention (No. 176), adopted in 1995, progress has also steadily been made to improve miner health with the release of these latest statistics, but more can always be done.
Awareness of the dangers is key. The hazardous substances which miners are exposed to can severely impact body systems and organs, leading to disability, chronic illness and even death, and nevertheless, miners continue to be highly exposed to these hazards, whether it’s through lack of awareness or education of the dangers.
The ILO report also highlights the need for effective workplace programmes to control the use of hazardous materials, as well as the development, updating and harmonising evidence-based occupational exposure limits in mines, and in-turn continually spreading awareness of the dangers.
Read the full report.
By implementing an adapted workplace level risk assessment, keeping the aforementioned actions in mind, can help to control workplace exposure with the aim to reduce 8% of fatal accidents at work in the mining industry.
