Obuasi, Aug 26, GNA - The Asset Protection Department (APD) of AngloGold Ashanti obuasi, scored 421.8 points to place first in the company's Fourth Inter-Departmental First Aid and Safety Competition, held at obuasi on Saturday.

This is the third consecutive time that the Department had placed first in such competition, so would there keep the trophy. The APD's overall performance in the competition, participated by eight other departments, was remarkable as they picked 99.8 points in the oral test, 186.5 in the team task, and 135.5 in the individual task to record the total points of 421.8

Traffic and Transport Department collected other enhancing points of 402.5 to place second with Electrical following with 392.5 points. North Mechanical came fourth, with 380.3 points, whilst North Mine with total points of 379.5, placed fifth, followed by the Mining and Building Contractors (MBC) with 367.8 points Mineral Resources Management (MRM), Construction and South Mine departments followed up in that order with 359.5, 352.8 and 333.8 points respectively.

Dr James Asenso Barnie of AngloGold Ashanti Hospital and Chief Judge of the competition, in his remarks noted that every participating team was a winner, because training they have had empowered them to offer first aid to accident victims.

He said though the mine was not performing as expected in terms of production, management spent a lot of resources in the competition because it attached great importance to health and safety issues. Dr Barnie urged them to play leading roles when accident occurred, stressing "see yourselves as competent first aiders" Mr Collins Ofori-kwarteng, the captain of the APD team told the GNA that, their successes lied in the fact that they combined commitment, determination and discipline in whatever they did, adding that "we receive motivation from our bosses and that we deliver what we have been taught".

All the teams were presented with certificates and undisclosed parcels with the first, second and third teams taking cash prizes as well.