Open AccessThe hazardous nature of small scale underground mining in Ghana
Author(s) -
Kenneth Joseph Bansah,
Akuba B. Yalley,
Nelson Kofi Dumakor-Dupey
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of sustainable mining
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.623
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 2543-4950
pISSN - 2300-3960
DOI - 10.1016/j.jsm.2016.04.004
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , scale (ratio) , rock blasting , commission , enforcement , underground mining (soft rock) , engineering , environmental planning , mining engineering , business , waste management , environmental science , coal mining , geography , law , cartography , coal , finance , political science
mall scale mining continues to contribute significantly to the growth of Ghana's economy. However, the sector poses serious dangers to human health and the environment. Ground failures resulting from poorly supported stopes have led to injuries and fatalities in recent times. Dust and fumes from drilling and blasting of ore present health threats due to poor ventilation. Four prominent small scale underground mines were studied to identify the safety issues associated with small scale underground mining in Ghana. It is recognized that small scale underground mining in Ghana is inundated with unsafe acts and conditions including stope collapse, improper choice of working tools, absence of personal protective equipment and land degradation. Inadequate monitoring of the operations and lack of regulatory enforcement by the Minerals Commission of Ghana are major contributing factors to the environmental, safety and national security issues of the operations