The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has issued a stern safety advisory to all large, medium, and small-scale miners, emphasizing the "grave dangers and risks" posed by the onset of the rainy season, which has already claimed lives due to flooding.
Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Winston Chitando, released a statement urging miners across the country to prioritize safety and preserve human life, warning that the wet weather significantly heightens the risks of flooding, drowning, weakened ground leading to collapse and subsidence, and slimes dam breaches.
The Ministry's warning comes as heavy rains transform mining sites into extremely hazardous workplaces. The statement regrettably confirms that lives have already been lost this season due to flooding, describing the fatalities as "something that could have been avoided." The Minister implored, "Let us remember that human life is by far worth more than any mineral so let's preserve it."
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To mitigate the escalating risks, the Ministry has issued a list of mandatory precautions that miners must adhere to: Miners must cease all work along waterways due to the high potential for shafts to flood from upstream rain. Similarly, sinking new shafts in low-lying areas is strongly discouraged as they are prone to being flooded by free-flowing waters.
All digging and blasting in old mine workings must be avoided as the ground is likely to become unstable and collapse under saturation. The dangerous practice of pillar robbing underground is strictly prohibited at all times. Miners are directed to implement measures to divert free-flowing water away from shaft workings to prevent inundation.
A thorough risk assessment must be conducted before any miner enters underground shafts. If this assessment indicates any potential risk, miners are advised to completely halt operations and only resume once the rains have stopped.
The Ministry also called for full cooperation with instructions given by Government authorities to ensure safe mining operations nationwide
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