The Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) has directed mining operators to strengthen safety measures as the country enters a period of heavy rainfall expected to begin in September 2026.
RMB said the measures were prompted by forecasts from Meteo Rwanda indicating that the country would experience heavy rains associated with El Niño.
The regulator warned that the expected rainfall could increase the risk of accidents at mining sites and instructed mining companies, cooperatives and licence holders to take additional precautions.
Operators must install protective roofing at every mine tunnel entrance and eliminate conditions that could cause accidents underground.
Before work begins each day, a qualified mining technician must inspect working areas for dangerous gases and other threats to workers. The technician must prepare a daily report and keep it at the company’s or cooperative’s office for future reference.
All employees must wear personal protective equipment throughout their working hours.
RMB also instructed operators to ensure that every underground mine has at least two accessible exits. Mines without the required exits must suspend operations during the rainy season to prevent workers from becoming trapped during an emergency.
Mining companies and cooperatives that have not established permanent rescue teams have also been directed to do so.
Any danger that operators cannot immediately eliminate must be reported to the relevant authorities. The affected area must be closed and marked with clear warning signs to prevent people from entering it.
Operators must conduct daily risk assessments at every mining site and implement preventive measures in accordance with approved mine-management plans and occupational health and safety standards.
RMB further instructed licence holders to prevent illegal mining within their concessions. They must strengthen security, stop unauthorized individuals, including dismissed workers, from entering mining sites and report illegal activities to local authorities.
Mining operators must also inspect areas where erosion could allow water or soil to enter underground tunnels and monitor unstable sections that could collapse during heavy rainfall.
The measures are intended to protect miners, prevent tunnel collapses and reduce other accidents associated with intense rainfall.
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