Abstract
Occupational exposure to chemicals in the mining sector continues to pose a major safety and health risk to workers globally. A number of toxic chemicals are commonly used in mining practices, including mercury, cyanide, sulfuric acid and solvents, as well as dangerous explosives. It is estimated that up to 19 million miners are exposed to mercury alone in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations, giving an indication of the scale of the problem. Occupational exposure to these hazardous chemicals can severely impact body systems and organs, leading to disability, lifelong illness and even death. Workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and in informal settings are particularly at risk, with health effects undiagnosed or misattributed, unrecorded and unaddressed.