Assessing the mining safety standards of artisanal and small scale miners in Uganda :

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale mining in Uganda has been in existence as far back as pre-colonial era. The industry which is: mostly controlled by Ugandans is. highly unregulated pre 1987 (Hilson, 2001) with the exception of big mines like Kilembe and Tororo. However, because of dwindling state of the economy, the government has considered legalizing ASM so to control the loss of revenue. This has allowed individuals to mine minerals in both mechanized and un-mechanized manner. Several laws were enacted. to strengthen this policy and are still being reviewed under the, auspices of the Mining Act 2003. Despite. the laws, illegal mining has been going on unabated in the country causing several environmental destructions and fatalities. This study was carried out using Busitema in Busia district as a case study to determine (l) The hazards and risks faced by the ASM miners. (2) Proceeded to a risk assessment to determine the hazards that require immediate attention. (3) To determine the relationship between productivity and the risk rating so as to display the often ignored fact that safety is vital. It was discovered that small. scale mining has. had a significant impact on the district/individuals economy. and the environment. The consequences of ASM are just starting to manifest and if not taken into consideration soon the potential for a catastrophe is imminent. The district have suffered various degrees of environmental degradation, water pollution, deforestation, heavy metal contamination and loss of farm land. The need for the safety toolkit to pave. the way to create a safer milling. environment is a necessity hence my creation of the Offline Hazard Identification Tool kit, (OHIT)