Small-scale mines employ about 1 million people and account for about 40 percent of total production of gold in Ghana. A majority of the small mines operate without licenses. The work is especially hazardous for children because it involves heavy lifting, sharp tools like shovels and picks, and exposure to mercury, which is poisonous, according to the report.
Mercury, used to extract gold, is “readily available in some gold trading shops and provided by gold traders to child laborers,” the report said. The artisanal mining sector accounted for 40.7 metric tons of bullion out of 107.9 tons produced in 2013, according to government data.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-10/ghana-urged-to-stop-employment-of-thousands-of-children-at-mines
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