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

Josephine Singo (), Dingani Moyo, John Bosco Isunju, Stephan Bose-O’Reilly, Nadine Steckling-Muschack, Jana Becker and Antony Mamuse
Additional contact information
Josephine Singo: Centre for International Health, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336 Munich, Germany
Dingani Moyo: School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
John Bosco Isunju: Disease Control and Environmental Health Department, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda
Stephan Bose-O’Reilly: Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336 Munich, Germany
Nadine Steckling-Muschack: Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336 Munich, Germany
Jana Becker: Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 5, 80336 Munich, Germany
Antony Mamuse: Department of Geosciences, Midlands State University, Private Bag 9055, Senga Road, Gweru, Zimbabwe

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-24

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: artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM); artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM); Zimbabwe; multi-causal analysis; health; safety; multi-stakeholder risk mitigation; large-scale and small-scale mining collaboration; community and public health interventions; mitigation measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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