The Ghana Chamber of Mines has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening workplace safety and emergency preparedness in the mining industry, stressing that no quantity of gold or manganese is worth a human life.
The Chamber said sustained investment in preventive measures, worker awareness and effective emergency response systems remained essential to ensuring that every worker returns home safely after each shift.
The call comes against the backdrop of occupational injuries recorded in Ghana’s mining sector.
Data from the Ghana Chamber of Mines’ 2024 Annual Report, citing the Minerals Commission, indicate that first-aid injuries increased from 162 in 2023 to 222 in 2024, while serious injuries rose from 17 to 43 during the same period.
Fatal injuries, however, declined from seven in 2024 to three in 2025.
Despite the reported decline in fatalities, the Chamber said the figures underscored the need for mining companies to maintain a strong focus on prevention, safety awareness and emergency preparedness.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, said the safety and wellbeing of workers must remain the foremost priority in mining operations.
He stressed that the pursuit of gold and manganese should never come at the expense of human life.
His remarks were made at the 2026 Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition, organised by the Ghana Chamber of Mines in collaboration with the Minerals Commission and St. John Ambulance Ghana.
Held under the theme, “Safety First, Safety Always,” the competition seeks to promote a strong safety culture across the mining industry while testing the preparedness of mining companies to respond effectively to workplace emergencies.
Tarkwa Mine Manager, Dr. Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, also called for a shift from reactive to proactive safety management.
She said workplace safety should go beyond responding to incidents after they occur and urged mining companies to strengthen systems for identifying and eliminating hazards before they result in injuries or loss of life.
The Zone One competition, hosted by Gold Fields Ghana Limited’s Tarkwa Mine, brought together teams from Gold Fields Tarkwa Mine, Ghana Manganese Company, Heath Goldfields, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine and Asante Gold Bibiani Mine.
Participants were assessed through an oral quiz covering health and safety regulations, as well as practical emergency-response simulations designed to test their ability to manage workplace incidents.
The Chamber said such competitions provide an important platform for mining companies to assess their emergency preparedness, share best practices and reinforce a culture in which safety remains a shared responsibility.
It said continued collaboration among mining companies, regulators and emergency-response organisations would be critical to reducing workplace accidents and protecting lives across the sector.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
