Health and Safety

The mineral raw materials industry is continuously striving to improve its health and safety performance. Euromines' members have subscribed to the Guidelines for Sustainable Development in the European Mining Sector as published in June 1999. All Euromines members are encouraged to achieve the highest standard of occupational health and safety for all working in the sector.

With regard to health and safety, Euromines members shall:

  • Seek continual improvement of good, safe, healthy and positive working conditions, taking all protection measures necessary;
  • Identify and minimize potential risks associated with mining and adopt suitable preventative measures to remove or reduce such risks.

The European Mineral raw materials Industry is committed to continuously improve its health and safety record and in many cases goes beyond legal compliance in the management and measures taken.

The European mineral raw materials industry is governed by 2 specialised EU directives

As well as a series of generally applicable EU Directives, such as

Workplaces, equipment, signs, personal protective  equipments

Workload, ergonomics and psychosocial risks

Physical agents

Chemical agents

Biological agents

Sector-specific and worker-related directives

and the safety regulations embedded in the national legislation and mineral raw materials codes in the EU Member States.

The sector is engaged in a voluntary EU Social Dialogue Agreement on the protection against respirable crystalline silica (NEPSI).

Numerous health and safety guidances have been developed over the years by the sector.

Once of them is the ILO guidance on safety in coal mines (document available in Downloads section below).

Did you know?

It is estimated that every job in metal mining generates 2.3 additional jobs elsewhere in the economy, and every non metal mining job generates 1.6 additional jobs.