By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, Aug. 29, GNA – Professor Kwesi Amponsah-Tawiah, an Occupational Health Psychologist, has urged leaders of mine support service companies to integrate mental health into their risk management strategies to build healthy psychosocial workplace cultures.
He said such an approach would promote positive working environments, prioritise employees’ wellbeing and safety, and enhance productivity.
Prof Amponsah-Tawiah made the call when the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Practitioners Association of Ghana (SHEQPA-GH), in collaboration with the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission (MinCom), organised an executive seminar for leaders and stakeholders of support service providers in the mining industry.
The seminar, held in Takoradi, was on the theme: “The Psychosocial Safety and Sustainable Mining for Mine Support Providers Leaders.”
Participants were sensitised on leadership strategies for building positive and healthy workplace cultures, effective contract management, and relevant provisions of mining regulations and their application to contractors and business partners.
Prof Amponsah-Tawiah noted that psychosocial risks at the workplace were not soft issues but had significant human and economic consequences.
He cited International Labour Organisation (ILO) data indicating that about 840,000 employee deaths globally were linked to psychosocial risks at work annually, while about 1.37 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was lost each year due to the issue.
He said micromanagement, withholding employee autonomy, inconsistent recognition, one-way communication and unfair application of rules were leadership behaviours that created psychosocial risks and undermined employee wellbeing.
He encouraged participants to shape organisational culture and behaviour by inspiring confidence, motivating employees, improving performance and fostering healthy and productive workplaces.
Madam Akua Agyeiwaah Berantuo Armooh, President of SHEQPA-GH, said although most major mining companies had systems to support employee wellbeing, some contractors and business partners had limited or no comparable arrangements.
She said some contractors did not adopt the practices of their parent companies because they considered them costly or difficult to implement.
“As a result, situations arise where some contractor employees struggle to access basic personal protective equipment, lack health insurance coverage, do not receive paid time off, and have no formal channels for reporting workplace harassment,” she said.
Madam Armooh added that some employees faced intimidation for raising safety concerns, worked excessively long hours leading to fatigue and burnout, experienced salary payment delays, and had limited opportunities for recognition or support.
She said the seminar was therefore organised by SHEQPA-GH and MinCom to explore ways to support contractors and business partners in understanding and addressing the gaps.
She stressed that preventing psychosocial risks required commitment, collaboration and shared responsibility among stakeholders, and called on the government to strengthen policies, legal frameworks, and occupational safety and health systems that supported prevention.
Mr Joseph Frimpong, Acting Chief Inspector of Mines at MinCom, said excessive work pressure, fatigue, poor communication, weak leadership and workplace conflict could adversely affect workers’ wellbeing and contribute to unsafe acts and incidents.
He urged participants to recognise psychosocial health as not only a human resource concern, but also a critical component of occupational health and safety, operational performance and business sustainability.
“Leadership must, therefore, cultivate an environment where employees feel safe to speak up, report hazards, challenge unsafe decisions, and share ideas without fear of retaliation,” he added.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga /Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: Emmanuel Gamson