Are we doing enough for the safety of female miners?

The mining industry may be dominated in numbers by male miners and few may be aware of the challenges facing female mine workers. A recent report on the death and rape of a female mine worker has however placed the spotlight on the plight of the female mine worker and recognized the importance of implementing measures to enhance the safety of our women in mining!

Many challenges faced by women in the mines are due to ergonomic problems and working conditions. Working conditions for women involve more musculoskeletal risk factors due to the type of area in which work is done, the interaction between the female worker and the workstation and the work duration. Machinery, tools, etc. are designed for men and the physical attributes of men. When women work under the same conditions with the same tools, it can cause musculoskeletal disorders as same conditions have a more effect on them than on men, because women generally have less muscular power than men. The working conditions, as set out above, combined with the “traditional family responsibilities” of women in households and society, add to increased stress and fatigue and therefore increased risks for women in mining. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as shoes, harnesses and overalls that are used in mines and are issued to women are not always specifically designed for women and are therefore not as safe, comfortable or practical for women. Toilet facilities underground are often shared with the men, which causes anxiety to women. Gender discrimination and sexual harassment, sometimes on a subtle and sometimes on a more direct level, take place e.g. men make snide or explicit remarks or refuse to accept the authority or capabilities of women. This conduct affects women's psychological health, generating stress related reactions such as emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, anger, low self-esteem, etc., but it also affects their physical health, producing stress related diseases such as sleep disorders, headaches, stomach problems, ulcers, etc. Chemical substances are often present in specific areas of the mining sector and men as well as women are exposed to chemical substances in their work. However, enough studies have not always been done on the toxic effects it may have on women. The accepted Threshold Limit Value of chemicals are mostly based on the reactions of chemicals on men. Due to the biological differences between men and women, e.g. anatomic differences (women have less body mass), physiological differences (such as fat content) and biochemical differences (such as hormonal processes), these values are not necessarily applicable to and safe for women.

Despite the high health risks involved in artisanal mining, women are reluctant to abandon trade in gold. In the process or panning and burning gold amalgam, which contains mercury, a heavy metal used to separate gold from dirt, many at a risk of notorious for impairments to their nervous and reproductive systems. The effects of mercury poisoning are so dire that some women bear children impaired by heavy metal. Stillbirths are also common in those mining areas. Some children are born healthy but are later affected by prolonged exposure to mercury fumes. The health complications witnessed support the findings of a recent study by IPEN, a global network of organizations working towards the elimination of toxic chemicals, which found that the use of mercury by pregnant women posed serious and substantial threats to their health and to babies in utero. For example, by IPEN said that 71 per cent of women from three gold mining sites in Kenya had elevated mercury levels of 0.58 ppm (parts per million, the measure of mercury concentration) in hair samples, with 44 per cent exceeding the 1 ppm threshold. The estimation of mercury levels through hair samples measures the level of methylmercury, the most toxic form of the element. Recent studies indicate that negative developmental effects might occur even at lower levels, and that the 0.58 threshold should be adopted as the measure below which impacts on the developing fetus are negligible.

We do not have detailed information, but we have knowledge of studies being done by around the world to investigate aspects such as ergonomics, PPE for women, changing traditional perceptions regarding women, etc. We will strive to gather more information on Safety for the Female Mine Worker and share this information. Through education and sharing of knowledge we may be able to create a greater understanding of the challenges faced by both genders which could lead to increased respect and safety at our mines!