The biggest risk to artisanal miners is health and safety rather than issues arising from conflict and human rights abuses, according to a study by Berlin-based supply chain auditor Better Mining. The RCS Global Group research found that 26% of registered incidents for small-scale miners over the past year related to health and safety, while rights abuses and minerals financing conflict accounted for just 13%. By using a methodology developed in conjunction with the Responsible Minerals Initiative, the study analysed data from five mining sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to calculate risk levels.
The biggest risk to artisanal miners is health and safety rather than issues arising from conflict and human rights abuses, according to a study by Berlin-based supply chain auditor RCS Global Group. The Better Mining research found that 26% of registered incidents for small-scale miners over the past year related to health and safety, while rights abuses and minerals financing conflict accounted for just 13%. By using a methodology developed in conjunction with the Responsible Minerals Initiative, the study analysed data from five mining sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to calculate risk levels.