Occupational safety and health (OSH) are important issues for the world’s 13 million or so small-scale miners — many of whom work in surface mines — and their communities.
Progress in dealing with diseases and accidents affecting small-scale miners will require a better understanding of the risks and hazards and of the practices and behaviour to prevent them. Better data will also be required for improvement programmes to be targeted. This will mean having a simple form for reporting accidents and disease — something recommended in this handbook.
OSH regulations might need to be revised to ensure that the special requirements of small-scale miners are adequately covered. This handbook sets out some basic principles for use in the absence of specific regulations, or in conjunction with them.