Anglgold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine Increases Safety Measures

This year�s National Safety and First Aid competition held under the auspices of the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals commission has ended successfully at AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine in Tarkwa. The event is celebrated to drum home the need for safety in mining companies. This year�s competition was under the theme, �If it�s in not safe, don�t do it�. The week-long celebration had four mining companies competing on how to respond to emergency situations with their community teams also demonstrating how to respond to emergency safety situations in the event of any. Speaking at the ceremony, Managing Director of Iduapriem Mine, Sicelo Ntuli hinted that the Mine has built strong risk-based emergency response capabilities on the mine to respond to all health and safety risks. He added that to help prevent alcohol-related incidents, entrances to the mine have been installed with breathalyzers to prevent people who have taken in alcohol from entering the mine�. Sicelo Ntuli said, Iduapriem will continuously and proactively anticipate and manage both present and future risk and maintain high level of mindfulness despite good safety performance which has been achieved by actively promoting an engaged environment where workers at all levels participate in safety improvements. In his address, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Nii Osah Mills, said government attaches great importance to the annual celebration in view of the concerns of various stakeholders on health and safety issues of mining. He urged companies operating in Ghana to complement government�s efforts in enforcing laws relating to health and safety to ensure complete compliance. At the end of the ceremony, Golden Star Resources Wassa Mines came tops as the best Mine in Occupational Health and Safety Category followed by Newmont Ahafo Mine and Golden Star Resources as third. In the Safety Audit category, it was awarded to Newmont Ahafo with Golden Star placing second. The best improved Mine category went to Chirano Mines followed by Golden Star Bogoso and Wassa Mines The best Mine team went to Golden Star Mine with Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine taking the best Community team.