- Affirmed at the 11th Health, Safety and Environment Day of the mine organised from the 13th to the 15th of December 2022
- An opportunity to assess prevention actions and innovations in health and safety
- Learning lessons and raising awareness on safety aspects
- The Mobile Mine Maintenance section, the metallurgy plant and the FTE subcontractor receive awards
“Health, Safety and Environment resilience: an individual commitment and a collective culture” was the theme of the 2022 Health, Safety and Environment Days at the Iamgold Essakane SA gold mine. Organised from the 13th to the 15th of December 2022 in Ouagadougou, the activities will take place both in Ouagadougou and on the Essakane mine site. During these 72 hours, management teams, employees, subcontractors and visitors will be made aware of occupational health and safety and environmental protection. The official opening ceremony of the days, which took place on Tuesday 13 December 2022, mobilised several participants. Health, safety and the environment are a major concern in the working environment. Iamgold Essakane SA is a classic case in the implementation of a safety policy for its personnel.
Health, Safety and Environment, a key concern in the working environment
During the ceremony, the General Manager of Iamgold Essakane SA, TIdiane Barry, emphasised that “Health, safety and environment is a corporate culture at Iamgold in general and at Essakane in particular. Indeed, it is materialised by the application of health and safety, sustainable development and environmental policies. These policies are applicable both at work and at home. At Iamgold Essakane SA, our employees are our primary resource.”
According to him, these annual activities aim to take stock of prevention actions and innovations in health and safety in order to draw the best perspectives that will make employees safer.
The Colonel of Water and Forests, Dr. Augustin Kaboré, Minister of Environment, Water and Sanitation, representing the Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, was delighted with the holding of such an activity. For him, the theme of this year’s event, resilience in health and safety and the environment: an individual commitment and a collective culture, is very relevant in the mining industry, where accidents at work seem to be widespread.
He also recalled that the government of Burkina Faso has made the social protection of workers a priority. Indeed, a social protection policy has been developed and implemented by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Protection through its technical services such as the Directorate of Social Protection and the National Social Security Fund, whose workers spare no effort to support the public and private sectors.
On the menu of the 2022 Health, Safety and Environment Days at the Iamgold Essakane SA gold mine, a hepatitis B and C screening campaign, an HIV/AIDS screening campaign and a blood donation. Awareness-raising sessions and promotion of best practices in health and safety and environmental management in the various sectors of the company are planned. Particular emphasis was placed on raising awareness on road safety.
The Mobile Mine Maintenance section, the metallurgy plant and the subcontractor FTE received awards
During the opening ceremony of the Health, Safety and Environment Days 2022, Iamgold Essakane SA awarded several winners. In category A, “Clean Environment”, the winner was the “Mine Maintenance Mobile” section. In category B, the metallurgy plant won. The prize for the best Health Safety Environment subcontractor went to the company Forage Technique Eau (FTE). A visit to the stand rounded off the opening ceremony.
Rachid Ouedraogo
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