These injuries often arise because sulfur miners don’t take time to rest and recover after carrying their loads from the volcano to base camp.
They are left with permanent scars.
And an average life expectancy of only 50 years.
Because of the extreme occupational hazards of the job, miners discourage their children from following in their footsteps. But sometimes they have no other choice.
The miners are paid about 78 cents per 22 pounds of sulfur. This amounts to about $5 per load.
If they can manage two trips in a day, miners can make about $10. A meager salary compared to the horrific occupational hazards associated with the job.
Once it is delivered to the factory at the foot of the volcano — about a 3-mile journey for the miners — workers cool the slabs.
Then it is processed and exported. Manufacturers use it to make a range of household products …
