Yalley and Bansah (2015) report that small-scale mining of precious minerals has contributed immensely to the socio-economic growth of Ghana. The sector provides employment for thousands of people, mostly indigenes of the communities in which they operate, and thereby stemming rural-urban migration. The small-scale mining sector in Ghana also provides raw materials for locally based mineral industries and contributes to foreign exchange earnings. The mining is done with various methods... the Anomabo method, the Chisel and Hammer method, Underground Ghetto method, the Dig-and-Wash method, the Changfa method, More Blade method, the Dredge method and the Alluvial Washing Plant method.
The legalization of small-scale mining by the Small-Scale Gold Mining Law, PNDC Law 218 of 1989 was to revive the small scale mining sector, facilitate supervision and minimize associated environmental hazards. Although, there is a noticeable improvement in the efficiency of operations, the sector continues to pose serious dangers to human health and the environment. Ground failures resulting from weak unsupported or poorly supported stopes have led to loss of human lives and various degrees of injury in recent times. Dust and fumes from chiseling, drilling and blasting of ore pose major health threats due to poorly ventilated stopes. Moreover, mercury amalgamation technique which is heavily relied on for ore extraction poses a serious health threat, and is de1eterious to a wide range of ecological entities.
This study identified the safety issues in small scale underground mines in Ghana. Field visits were made to three different small scale underground mines around Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana to assess the safety conditions of the mines and mine-workers.
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