Market variability - safety fluctuations. Mineral prices and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) among Bolivian cooperative miners

Drawing on a combination of quantitative and ethnographic data this presentation explores the relationship between commodity prices and work-related injuries and fatalities among Bolivian cooperative miners. The presentation describes the short term health and safety impacts of rises and falls in mineral prices together with their complex pathways of influence before analysing the long term OHS impacts of market variability. Inviting reflection about the role of global trade relations and interdependencies in shaping workplace’ health and safety, this presentation demonstrates that a focus on exposure assessment calculations and workplace interventions is not enough for improving OHS. I suggest that greater attention is to be paid to understanding the macro-economic determinants of OHS in order to identify locally-relevant policy points of action.