Accra, Nov. 22, GNA -The Ghana Chamber of Mines has recognized several mining companies for their exemplary safety performance.
It also urged the sector to intensify efforts toward achieving fatality-free operations in the future.
As the 2024 operational year draws to a close, the industry has recorded three fatalities this year compared to seven in 2023, a notable progress in reducing fatalities.
However, there was a concerning rise in lost time injuries, which increased to 32 from 14 in the previous year.
John Amoanyi, the Deputy Chief Inspector of Mines, Minerals Commission, lamented the development of increased lost time injuries, saying “it is not good, because with this, there is a higher probability that fatal injury could occur.”
He said the authorities were keen on presenting injury data to industry, to inform and position them to identify the best way possible to improve their safety performances.
For instance, he said there ought to be the setting up of Safety Committees at each department, ensure a routine safety meetings before work as well as ensuring the development of safe working practice for every activity that is carried out in the mining companies in compliance with health and safety regulation.
Mr. Amoanyi, in an interview on the sidelines of the 2024 Safety Performance Awards ceremony organized by the Chamber of Mines, said accidents could not completely be avoided but it could be minimized within the industry.
He urged managers and officials of producing member companies of the Chamber, to enhance and put into practice safety management systems to minimize serious injuries as well as fatalities.
“One out of the fatal injuries came from a contractor, but about 90 percent of all the lost-time injuries were from support service providers,” he stated.
He said accidents were caused by unsafe acts and conditions, and entreated managers and supervisors of mining and mining-related companies to examine safety management systems, especially towards mining support service operators.
“We need to ensure that duties are assigned to competent persons as per Regulation 34 of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2184. You should conduct risk assessment in every activity to be done and ensure that all the hazards are identified, and employees taken through safe working practice codes developed out of the risk assessment.”
The Director External Relations and Communication of the chamber of Mines, Ahmed Nantogmah, said the annual performance awards signified the importance the mining industry attached to safety and health.
He said, “within the industry, we have slogans like, “if it is not safe, don’t do it,” “don’t mine, if you can’t mine safe.” This is because we want everybody to go to work and go back home safely.
He reckoned that people prepared a lot for this event. “So, once they are prepared, and they win something, you need to give them that recognition and celebrate them so, that others can learn from them.”
The significance, he said, “is the training that it provides and the competence that also helps us to build for the industry”
He said the Chamber was committed to training and retraining noting that there is no room for complacency.
Commenting of the current safety records of industry, he said “Three fatalities is a lot, but that person needs to go to work and go back home safely. So, we believe that safety is very important and that’s why we attach a lot of importance to this celebration.”
The 2024 Safety Performance Awards comprised a total of three categories, being “Best Mine Based Occupational Injury Statistics, Best Improved Mine, Best Safe Mine Based on Mine Safety, Health and Environmental Audit, and Best Mine Team Based on Safety and First Aid.”
Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) came first for the Best Mine Based Occupational Injury Statistics, with Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited and Asante Gold Bibiani Limited coming 2nd and 3rd.
Again, GMC also won the first position for Best Improved Mine, with Perseus and Asante Gold Bibiani also taking the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.
Aboso Gold Fields Limited won the Best Safe Mine Based on Mine Safety, Health and Environmental Audit, with Asanko Gold Mine and Gold Fields Ghana – Tarkwa Mine taking 2nd and 3rd positions.
The “Best Mine Team Based on Safety and First Aid,” award went to Golden Star Wassa Limited, while AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited and Perseus Mines sweeping the 2nd and 3rd place awards.
GNA