A Systematic Review of Occupational Health and Safety in Mining Sector in Pakistan

The mining sector in Pakistan is regarded as a hazardous occupation due to its dangerous nature and working environment, which frequently results in deadly accidents. This study is aimed to conduct a systematic review of the existing studies on occupational safety and health in the mining sector of Pakistan. For this systematic review, Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Science Hub, and Google Scholar were consulted to search data. Following keywords were used related to occupational health and safety in mining: occupational health and safety (OH&S), mining safety measures, mining health issues, and mining safety culture in Pakistan's mining industry. The result of the meta-analysis shows that OH&S is a major concern in the mining sector. Natural factors, including roof falls, gases and dust, and explosions, as well as human factors such as lack of training, ignorance of safety measures, lack of knowledge, outdated mining methods, and neglect of safety equipment (helmets, goggles, safety gloves, and masks), have led to accidents and casualties. Demographic factors such as age and personal factors like work experience and duration of job are also major causes of mining accidents that lead to fatalities and injuries. The government, stakeholders, and miners themselves have not been able to take serious initiatives to ensure safety. This study concluded that mining conditions are hazardous throughout the country. Workers lives are in danger. Improvements in safety not only protect workers lives but also decrease mining accidents, and lead to increased production. Keywords; Occupational health and safety; mines; mining; Pakistan.