Mining, forestry, fisheries, construction & agriculture catalogued as dangerous sectors

The 2024 Human Rights Reports on Liberia released by the U.S. Department of State say mining, forestry, fisheries, construction, and agriculture are the most dangerous sectors in occupational health and safety in the country.

By Lincoln G. Peters

Monrovia, Liberia; August 15, 2925 – The United States of America Department of State 2024 Human Rights Reports on Liberia have cataloged and documented mining, forestry, fisheries, construction and agriculture as the most dangerous sectors in occupational health and safety.

According to the Reports released on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, under its Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Category, OSH standards were up to date for the intended industries.

However, findings indicated that for certain categories of industries, the law required employers to employ safety and health officers and establish a safety and health committee in the workplace.

The Reports note that workers could not remove themselves from situations that endangered health or safety without jeopardizing their employment, and authorities did not effectively protect employees in this situation.

The U.S State Department Reports contend that the Liberian government did not proactively identify unsafe work conditions and did not respond to workers’ OSH standards complaints.

“The government did not keep records of industrial accidents, but evidence pointed to mining, construction, forestry, fishing, and agriculture as the most dangerous sectors. Hazardous occupations were especially dangerous in the informal sector, such as illegal fishing, logging, and mining, where the lack of regulation and remediation contributed to fatalities and obscured accountability.” 

Providing justification, the Reports disclose that, for example, on March 27, local media reported the death of 10 persons during a mudslide at an artisanal mine site on the outskirts of Chio Town, Rivercess County.

Accordingly, the document points out that the incident occurred after reports of a gold find attracted illegal miners despite efforts by local security officers to regulate their movements, adding that Illegal mining activities continued to attract local persons.

The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Liberia for 2024, lament that in many other parts of the country, despite risks associated with the process, many continue to engage in the practice without government action.

“Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement. The Ministry of Labor enforced wage, hour, and OSH laws. The number of labor inspectors was not sufficient to enforce compliance. Labor inspectors had authority to make unannounced inspections but not to levy fines or initiate sanctions. There were no meaningful government efforts to prevent violations, particularly for vulnerable populations.” The Reports conclude. Editing by Jonathan Browne