Physical hazards of abandoned mines: A review of cases from South Africa

Abstract

Abandoned mines are widely known for their environmental problems and public health and safety hazards. Although this is the case, the literature shows that the environmental problems of abandoned mines have received more attention from scholars than their physical hazards and other related problems. This review paper discusses the physical hazards of abandoned mines with a special focus on the situation of these mines in South Africa. The systematic review of the literature including scientific articles published in journals indexed to the Web of Science and Google Scholar database and other grey literature accessible through Google Search was conducted to investigate the different physical hazards of abandoned mines in South Africa. The review looked at the safety hazards and risks of disused mine shafts, surface excavation, ground subsidence, and other objects such as dilapidated buildings, infrastructure, old equipment, as well as residue waste. The last part of the paper deliberates on the practical approach for effectively closing abandoned mines in the country with the aim of addressing their hazards to support sustainable alternative uses of the closed abandoned mine sites. The conclusion emphasized the importance of incorporating a vigorous awareness campaign and effective post-closure monitoring and maintenance into the program of closing abandoned mines in South Africa.