Maintain high safety standards in mining – Ghana Mineworkers’ Union

The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) has called on the Minerals Commission to speed up with the ongoing investigations being conducted into the mine accident that occurred on the premises of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, Ahafo, Mill Expansion Project.

This is contained in a statement issued to the media and copied to thebftonline.com which also urge all our union members across the mining sector in Ghana, particularly in Newmont Ghana Gold Limited to uphold the highest standards of health and safety and make every effort to work safely at all times.

According to the GMWU, the true cause of the accident needs to be ascertain to allow for the right action to be taken against any person or an entity that is found couplable of negligence.

In the statement, which was signed by the General Secretary of the GMWU, Prince William Ankrah stated that, “We indeed find this accident extremely unfortunate considering the level of attention Newmont Ghana Gold Limited as a business attaches to matters of health and safety and will stop at nothing to ensure that all employees work safely at all times.”

“We therefore deeply regret this development and wish to convey our heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families of our departed comrades and hope that the needed corrective measures are put in place to ensure a more safe and secured workplace,” Mr. Ankrah stated in the statement.

The statement comes after six persons died with others sustaining various degrees of injury following a reclaimed tunnel roof collapsed on the workers who were engaged at Newmont Ghana’s Ahafo mine Mill Expansion project.

The incident which occurred on Saturday April 7, 2018 according to a statement from Newmont Ghana and saw two of the injured treated at their clinic and discharged and they were all contractor employees with Consar Limited, a construction services company.

The Regional Senior Vice President of Newmont’s Africa Operations, Alwyn Pretorius, commenting on the development said, “the entire Newmont family is devastated by this tragic accident and our priority is to provide support to the families, friends and co-workers of the deceased”.