The mining industry recorded 34 serious accidents and 210 first-aid cases, although fatalities fell by more than 57 per cent,

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ken Ashigbey, disclosed the figures at the 2026 Inter-Mines First Aid and Safety Competition in Tarkwa, Western Region.

Held under the theme “Safety First, Safety Always,” the annual competition brings together teams from mining companies and host communities to demonstrate their skills in first aid and emergency response.

Mr. Ashigbey said the decline in fatalities was encouraging but should not lead to complacency.

“Our statistics are not merely numbers. Behind each one is a colleague, a family and a community affected by an incident,” he said, stressing that the industry’s goal must remain “zero fatalities and zero harm.”

He called for continued investment in behavioural safety, hazard identification, risk management, emergency preparedness and learning from incidents and near misses. He also highlighted the need to strengthen contractor safety, noting that risks affect permanent employees and contractors alike.

“Every miner who returns home safely at the end of a shift is a success story worth celebrating,” he said.

Tarkwa Mine Manager of Gold Fields, Dr. Catherine Kuupol Kuutor, said the company viewed safety as extending beyond the mine’s boundaries. She said Gold Fields works with host communities to promote a safety culture that protects families and livelihoods.

She added that safety remained the company’s top priority and that it would not operate where it could not guarantee safe operations.