Obuasi, Aug. 2, GNA - Anglogold Ashanti at Obuasi is implementing a safety transformation programme as part of its five-year strategic objective to improve safety performance of the mine by 70 percent.

Mr Kwesi Enyan, the Managing Director, said Obuasi mine recognizes and accepts the responsibility as an employer that an occupational healthy and safe working environment is paramount for its employees and others including visitors, contractors, students and local communities.

He was speaking at the 5th inter-departmental first aid and safety competition of the mine at Obuasi.

He said the leadership of the mine was fully committed to the programme and would make the resources available to achieve the objective.

Mr Enyan said the safety performance of the company this year had seen significant improvement as compared to the same period last year, but added that they were still far from the target of zero injuries at workplaces.

"We must therefore not rest on our oars as it is our wish to continue to compare with the world class peers in safety".

The Managing Director reiterated that it was the mine's fundamental objective that 93no one who comes to the mine should get injured".

He traced the history of the inter-departmental competition to 1995 and said the purpose was to equip the workers with life-saving skills and also to create safety awareness among the employees and their dependants.

Mr Stephen Piedu, Deputy Chief Inspector of Mines, said such competitions helped to encourage the workers to respect safety and commended the company for involving all the departments in the competition.

The Mines' Department was engaging the Ghana Mineworkers Union and the Chamber of Mines to make 93safety day" a big national event.

Dr James Asenso Barnie, a Medical Officer at the AngloGold Ashanti hospital and the Chief Judge for the competition asked the workers to follow safety procedures to minimize casualties.

In all, 10 departments participated in the competition, which was won by the Transport Department with 388 points followed by Mining Technical Service and Human Resource and Finance with 366 and 363.5 points respectively.