By Francis Ntow
Accra, May 24, GNA – The Ghana Chamber of Mines is calling for sustained and enhanced safety measures across the sector, warning that recent progress in reducing fatalities must not lead to complacency.
The push comes after Ghana’s mining industry cut deaths by more than half in 2025, with fatalities falling from seven in 2024 to three, as the industry works towards its goal of zero fatalities.
Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, made the call at the 2025 Mine Performance Awards and the launch of the 2026 Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition in Accra on Friday.
He described safety as the non-negotiable foundation upon which all responsible mining must be built, saying; “let us recommit ourselves to the shared goal of achieving zero fatalities and building a stronger safety culture throughout the mining industry.”
Dr Ashigbey cited the 34 serious accidents and 210 first-aid accidents during 2025, figures he said served as a sobering reminder that while meaningful progress was being made, significant work remained to be done before the industry could declare its safety obligations fulfilled.
Speaking on the theme for the 2026 competition: “Safety First, Safety Always,” he stated that no production target, operational milestone, or business objective was worth the loss of a single life, urging all stakeholders to aim at zero fatalities.
That, Dr Ashigbey said, would build a stronger, more resilient safety culture throughout Ghana’s mining industry, emphasising the importance of upholding industry standards consistently, ensuring that every worker returned home safely to their families.
The Chamber CEO called on member companies to embed safety as a lived culture rather than a compliance requirement – a culture that must permeate every function, every shift, and every level of the mining workforce.
He identified contractor safety as an area requiring particular and urgent attention, noting considerable incidents during contractor operations, urging companies to work more closely with contractors to ensure that safety standards remained uncompromised.
“Let us continue to work together – mining companies, regulators, contractors, workers, and communities – to ensure that safety remains at the heart of everything we do,” Dr Ashigbey added.
Addressing the Environmental Protection Authority’s planned inspections regarding illegal mining activities on some mining concessions, he urged member companies not to be unduly alarmed.
Dr Ashigbey assured that the Chamber was actively engaging with the EPA to ensure the appropriate context was fully appreciated by regulators, and called for investment in environmental management, security, and community engagement.
He announced that the Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition was undergoing review, with changes to competition modalities to be introduced from next year.
Dr Ashigbey said the revisions were designed to improve participation, enhance impact, and ensure the competition remained relevant to the evolving safety and first aid needs of the industry and host communities.
He called for deepening of engagement with community safety teams, making them safety ambassadors to promote emergency preparedness and public safety awareness within mining communities.
The Chamber CEO also encouraged companies to support community safety brigades within their operational areas to extend the culture of safety beyond mine sites into host communities.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
24 March 2026
Picture attached
Reporter: Francis Ntow
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