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Background This study aims to examine miners’ working conditions and self-rated health status in copper mines in Zambia and to identify the conditions and factors necessary to improve the safety and health of mineworkers. Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted anonymously among copper mineworkers in Zambia in 2015 and 2016. Five targeted mining companies among 33 were introduced by the Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia. Study participants were recruited at the waiting space for underground work, waiting rooms of company clinics/hospitals, and/or at training sessions, which were places permitted by the target companies to perform data collection via convenience sampling. Bivariate analyses (e.g., t tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, chi-square tests, or Cochran-Armitage tests) and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze differences in demographic characteristics and to compare their working conditions, health conditions, safety management at the workplace, and training opportunities by employment status. Results In total, 338 responses were analyzed. Regular employees had better working conditions, including higher incomes (P = 0.001), more likely to be guaranteed sickness insurance by the company (P < 0.001), paid holidays (P = 0.094), and sick leave (P = 0.064), although the difference was not statistically significant. Mineworkers’ decreased self-rated health was determined by job category (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21, 0.82; P = 0.012). Having experienced violence from the boss/manager (AOR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32, 0.91; P = 0.020) was negatively associated with better self-rated health in the crude odds ratio. Conclusions Among mineworkers in Zambia, nonunderground work and not having experienced violence from their boss/manager contributed to increased self-rated health. From the perspective of psychological safety and human security, the management of safety and the working environment, including human resource management and preventing harassment/violence, should be assured, especially for underground mineworkers.

Background This study aims to examine miners’ working conditions and self-rated health status in copper mines in Zambia and to identify conditions and factors necessary to improve the safety and health of mineworkers. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was conducted anonymously among copper mineworkers in Zambia in 2015 and 2016. Results In total, 285 of 330 responses were analyzed. Regular employees had better working conditions, including higher incomes (t-test, P = 0.011), guaranteed paid holidays (chi-square test, P = 0.045), health check-ups (chi-square test, P = 0.023) and sickness insurance (chi-square test, P < 0.001), than contract employees. Mineworkers’ increased self-rated health was determined by an educational status of having completed secondary school (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.406; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.072, 10.822; P = 0.038). Moreover, job category, such as working underground (AOR: 0.338; 95% CI: 0.173, 0.663; P = 0.002), and having experienced violence (AOR: 0.472; 95% CI: 0.035, 0.948; P = 0.035) were negatively associated with good self-rated health in the logistic regression analysis, regardless of employment status. Conclusions Among mineworkers in Zambia, non-underground work and not having experienced violence from their boss contributed to increased self-rated health. From the perspective of psychological safety and human security, the management of safety and the working environment, including human resource management and preventing harassment/violence, should be assured, especially for underground mineworkers.