Analysis of artisanal and small-scale gold mining accidents and fatalities in Ghana

Abstract Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), which is rapidly increasing and widely practised across sub-Saharan Africa, is a significant source of livelihood for many people in the communities where they are practised. Apart from ASM presenting some economic benefits, it also poses some challenges to those who engaged in them, notably the health and safety of miners, considering that ASM is inherently risky. The study sought to examine publicly available ASM accidents/fatality reports to identify areas warranting further investigations to ensure the sector's sustainability. A total of 22 media reports of ASM accidents were collected for analysis following some selection criteria. Thirty-six accidents resulting in 622 fatalities were identified from the collected records. Of the 36 accidents, five resulted in single fatalities, with the remaining 32 resulting in multiple fatalities, indicating the high consequence nature of ASM accidents. The results also indicated an average annual fatality rate of 44, which far exceeds the annual fatality of 5 of the large-scale mining sector of Ghana. Regarding the accident locations, the Dunkwa, Tarkwa and Bolgatanga mining districts were identified as priority locations, as they experienced the highest number of accidents/fatalities. The study results improve our understanding of ASM accidents/fatalities and contribute to identifying priority areas warranting targeted interventions to improve the safety performance of ASM in Ghana. Again, the research offers several implications for sustainability and mineral policy, which have been discussed throughout the paper. Specifically, the research findings were compared with the Five Capitals Framework of Sustainable Development to identify sustainability lessons. For instance, it has been suggested that ASM directly employs about a million Ghana and indirectly gives over 4 million more jobs. Therefore, the death of a miner tends to present enormous economic and social problems, including loss of livelihood, disruption of families, rise in social vices and increased poverty. Hence, the need to improve safety conditions at ASM sites that ensures that workers go to work and return home to their families safely cannot be overemphasised.