Safety training for mining workers
― 44 participants from both public and private agencies
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, June 25, 2019
The Guyana Mining School and Training Centre today launched its third safety course – ‘Safe and Efficient Blasting for Open Cut Mines’, for mining workers.
A total of 44 participants from agencies such as the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Police Force (GPF), Aurora Gold Mines (AGM), National Mining Syndicates, Jaguar Mining Syndicates, STRACON and Troy Resources were registered on Tuesday morning.
The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is also expected to participate.
The course was declared open by Mining Coordinator, Kiefer Bacchus who spoke on behalf of Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. Bacchus said safety and efficiency are important in the mining sector to ensure maximum output and productivity.
“Therefore, it is paramount that the Ministry of Natural Resources supports initiatives of such nature. … The safety of active personnel in the mining sector is of utmost importance and therefore this course seeks to considerably impact the efficiency of open-cut mining operations,” he stated.
The safety course is a collaboration between the Guyana Mining School, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the private company, Orica Mines Services.
Bacchus lauded the mining school for providing the foundation required by miners and members of the mining fraternity, to be adequately equipped through structured, organised training.
In the meantime, Member of Parliament, Audwin Rutherford, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Mining School, urged the participants to carefully heed every exercise presented to them in the next day and a half. “The most important persons for this programme are the participants, I welcome you and emphasise that education is a priority,” he said.
Rutherford also noted that the board aims to restructure the school to ensure maximum efficiency. “Training such as the one beginning today will continue, this will not be the last,” he declared.
Among the topics to be covered in the two-day training course are; Explosive Parameters, Practical Blast Design in Quarries and Mines, Vibrations, Explosive- Types of Explosives, Laws and Regulations of Guyana, Estimating and Cost Control for Blasting, Storage and Transportation Safety, Fragmentation and Environment and Blasting.
Image: Ameer Sattaur